From Jiffys to Pots: getting seeds ready for the ground

You sowed those seeds in Jiffys.
(If you haven’t started those seeds yet, here’s link to get you started!)

Now is when you wait. Everyday, you run to your grow apparatus in hopes to see some greens sprout up. You water them, talk to them and secretly hope they are not dead before they come to life. You see, you haven’t got the reputation of being a plant killer overnight! So, fingers crossed until the day arrives..

Voila! They were there, somewhere. And now they are here! But, what next?

You wait some more. Until they are about 2-3 inches tall. And then you transplant them into smaller pots. But, why not straight into the bed? Apparently, little seedlings that get started indoors are still quite delicate and not strong enough to withstand unpredictable changes in temperature, winds and sunlight. But they are big enough to let grow independently. The process to thin these seedlings out is a bit cumbersome since each little seed turns into a plant. The key is to be gentle and patient. Also, try and do this activity indoors to not expose the roots to sunlight or extreme temperature change. Each seedling should be planted at a certain distance from each other (usually mentioned on the seed packet) but on an average I have found that most seedlings need to be planted between 12-24 inches apart. Here’s a video to demonstrate how this is done.

Once the seedlings are transplanted, continue watering them everyday. To get them acclimatized, keep the pots outdoors for a few hours a day before finally taking them to the ground. In the next post, read all about making a raised bed and how to finally graduate these teenagers to the ground.