You can pull weed seedlings out before planting, if you find an unwanted straggler in your pack of veggie starts.īe sure to harden off your transplants, which means exposing them to slightly cooler temps and some dryer conditions before putting them out into your garden. Most producers of transplants are very careful about this, especially with respect to diseases, but it is not uncommon to get a little grass or other weed seed into your transplant pack now and then. However, consider that transplants can introduce weeds and diseases into your garden. Skipping that stage all together and using transplants can save some veggie loss. Many insect pests just love teeny tiny seedlings. Transplants can be more resistant to insect and other pest pressure because they are more mature and stronger when you first put them into your garden. For example, you can start your first lettuce succession via transplants and then directly sow lettuce seeds every 2–3 weeks into your garden. You can also increase your harvest with succession planting-planting the same thing several times per season to ensure continuous harvest. Starting with baby plants can give you more control and predictable results in the garden. Transplants give you a huge jumpstart on the season because they will mature sooner and give you an earlier harvest. Also, lack of airflow will encourage diseases. Crowded plants compete for light, water, and nutrients. For example, you’ll want to make sure your beet seedlings are a rough 2–4 inches apart so that each plant has room to make an average-sized beet. Be sure you have a plan in place for giving your seeds the best chance possible.īe prepared to thin your seedlings, which means pulling out a few plants as you go down the row to make sure your crop is spaced evenly. You can browse seed catalogs and choose from the infinite options, rather than being confined to growing whatever transplants your local farmer or garden center has to offer. Often, starting from seed can be more cost-effective, especially if you are growing something in significant quantity or plan to grow in succession.Ĭonsider that direct sowing-planting seeds right into your garden soil-can be riskier than using transplants because those seeds have to contend with weather hazards (e.g., drought, flood, high wind) and weed pressure. Starting plants from seed allows you more choice in the variety that you grow. Snapdragons, nasturtiums, spinach, beets, carrots, and peas are examples of plants that like to start and finish in the same place, mostly due to having a delicate root system. Things that are quick to germinate are great to start from seed, like radishes, beans, peas, beets, and turnips. Some things just don’t like to be transplanted.
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