One common question from people who are growing plants from seeds is “how do I know when my seedlings are big enough to transplant?” This is a good question to ask when learning how to start plants from seeds because transplanting seedlings at the proper time is crucial to their development later on. If you put them out before they are ready, they may have a hard time surviving the elements. If you wait too long, your seedling may become pot bound in its original container.
When it comes to how to transplant seedlings, there is no hard and fast rule to how tall a plant should be before you put it out in the garden due to the fact that different plants grow to different sizes. Also, the amount of light a seedling gets can influence how quickly a plant grows in height when you are raising plants from seeds. If there is not enough light, a plant can grow very tall very quickly but this plant may or not be ready for planting out. The best way to judge if a plant is large enough to plant out in the garden is to look at the number of true leaves.
True leaves on a seedling
The general rule of thumb is that when a seedling has 3 – 4 true leaves, it is large enough to plant out in the garden (after it has been hardened off).
When you plant a seed, the first leaves to emerge are the cotyledons. These leaves will look different from leaves that will grow later. The purpose of these leaves is to provide stored food to the seedling for a short period of time.
True leaves grow shortly after the cotyledons. The true leave emerge and start generating energy through photosynthesis that will help feed the plant for the rest of its life. Making sure that the plant has enough of these leaves to keep it sustained when planted out in your garden is important to its proper growth.
Just remember, it is not how tall but how many true leaves your plant has that will determine when you should be planting seedlings out. But even when your seeds are big enough to plant out, make sure you harden off your seedlings before planting them. When growing plants from seeds, you want them to be plenty prepared to grow into beautiful plants that will provide you with a bounty of delicious vegetables.
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FAQs
The general rule of thumb is that when a seedling has 3 – 4 true leaves, it is large enough to plant out in the garden (after it has been hardened off).
At what stage should seedlings be transplanted? ›
So transplant after you see at least two sets of leaves (four leaves) grow. If your seedlings become leggy (too long), that is a sign that they are outgrowing their current trays or pots and are longing for more soil to grow in. (It could also mean they are reaching for a light source.)
How tall should flower seedlings be before transplanting? ›
Additionally, if the weather is mild and the plants are hardy enough, they can be transplanted when they are a few inches tall and have at least two sets of true leaves. It's important to avoid transplanting seedlings too early, as this can lead to shock and stunted growth.
Should you water seedlings before transplanting? ›
The day before you transplant, give your seedlings a deep watering. If your plants are in nursery pots, set them in a tray of water, or the bottom of the sink, and let them soak up as much as they can for an hour. If you're digging a plant out of the garden to move it, leave the hose near its base on a slow trickle.
How long can seedlings stay in trays? ›
Typically, your seeds will stay in their seed tray for 4-6 weeks. After this period, you will either need to transplant the new seedlings into larger pots or transplant them outside. Check your seed instructions and pay attention to your frost dates before transplanting young plants outside.
How can you tell the seedlings are ready for transplanting? ›
You'll know they're ready if their cotyledons are turning yellow, they've already grown 1 or 2 sets of true leaves, or their roots are growing through the drainage hole in their seed tray.
Can you transplant seedlings too early? ›
Starting transplants too early or too late can result in weak plants or late harvests.
What should seedlings look like before transplanting? ›
These leaves look the same as those of the mature plant. So the first true leaves of a tomato plant look like mature tomato leaves. It's when the true leaves develop that photosynthesis really begins. I typically repot my seedlings when they've developed one to two sets of true leaves.
How big should tomato seedlings be before transplanting? ›
Most tomato seedlings are ready to move from the seed starting trays and into a larger container when they are three to four inches tall and have three or more sets of leaves. They should be transplanted into a larger container at least four weeks before planting outdoors so the root system has a chance to develop.
What should you add to the soil before transplanting the seedlings? ›
Before transplanting, turn the soil with a shovel, fork, or a tiller and add humus or compost or organic fertilizer and work it in. I also like adding kelp and/or greensand for added nutrients; both of these come from the sea and add trace minerals. Soil for the vegetable garden should be friable and loamy.
Hardening is the process of exposing transplants (seedlings) gradually to outdoor conditions. It enables your transplants to withstand the changes in environmental conditions they will face when planted outside in the garden. It encourages a change from soft, succulent growth to a firmer, harder growth.
How big should seedlings be before transplanting? ›
Seedlings should generally have 2-4 sets of true leaves and a well-developed root system before transplanting into larger pots or the ground.
When can I move my seedlings outside? ›
To get ready to move your plants fully outdoors, start hardening off your plants so they'll be ready for their new spots in the garden. You'll start the hardening-off process once your seedlings have three or four true leaves and right before outdoor conditions are ideal for growing that particular type of plant.
What are the best signs to transplant? ›
Planting is best done in the signs of Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus or Cancer, which are the best signs for all planting and transplanting of above ground bearing crops.
When can I start hardening off seedlings? ›
In general, begin the hardening process 7-10 days before the date you intend to plant them out in your garden and once the danger of frost has passed. If your growing zone generally recommends that starts don't go outdoors until the last week of May, begin hardening seedlings a little more than a week before.
Should I separate seedlings when transplanting? ›
Seedlings in individual pots or cells should be thinned to one plant per pot or cell. If you want to save most of the plants that have germinated, you'll need to transplant them to larger containers for growth to planting-out size.
How many weeks must seedling be exposed to sunlight before transplanting? ›
Day 3: Bring seedlings into the full sun for two hours and return them inside. Days 4-7: Gradually increase the seedlings' outdoor exposure to full sun by 1-2 hours each day until they spend 8 hours outside. Day 8: Now they are ready to be transplanted in the garden.
How and when do you pull seedlings for transplanting? ›
Maintain a thickness of 2−3 seeds. Water the nursery 2 times a day for 5 days. Transplant seedlings at 15−21 days old, when seedlings reach the four-leaf stage.
