Going Potty

 

The days are marching on, the soil’s really warming up nicely and the seedlings we started off a few weeks ago (bless ‘em) are now very well established and needing pricking out, potting on and hardening off outside in the daytime but overnighting back inside to avoid a frosty tomato genocide.

So let's get cracking with that. 

 

 

General advice on when is the best time to do this is when the little plants develop their first pair of true leaves.  These serrated edge leaves will be recognisably different from the other little smooth leaves that appear on the sprout in the first weeks following germination.

 



Gently remove the young plant how ever is most comfortable for you but without touching the stem if possible and position in it's new pot.  You can handle the leaves at this stage which will be more resilient to damage than the stem which will not survive injury. 

If you're short of starter kits you can start your seeds off in cardboard egg boxes.  The roots will naturally grow through the cardboard, if kept damp and soggy, and as they're biodegradable, just tear round each mini pot, no need to remove the seedlings

 

simply transfer the entire young plant, together with the pot it was propagated in, across to it's new home. 

 

They are going to need plenty of summer sun to develop and fruit well, but so far at least things are progressing well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A voila - all done