Between winter and spring, many hobby gardeners prefer to grow their plants on the windowsill or in the mini greenhouse. This is the beginning, but after a short time the seedlings need attention again.
How do I prick my seedlings correctly?
Pricking out seedlings is done in 4 steps: 1. Carefully lift the young plants out of the substrate with a pricking stick. 2. Prepare plant pots with a nutrient-poor mixture of sand and soil.3. Place the seedlings in fresh substrate so that the cotyledons are in contact with the soil surface. 4. Keep the substrate moist, place the plants in a bright location and pay attention to the respective temperature requirements.
When seedlings shoot
The seedlings often grow too close together. The larger they get, the more they compete for light and nutrients. This causes the delicate plants to shoot up. They do not develop strong shoots and root growth stagnates. Due to the lack of stability, the stems break easily. To prevent this phenomenon, you should keep the ambient temperature a little cooler and prick out the young plants in good time.
Transplanting correctly
Prick the substrate directly next to the young plant with a pricking stick, skewer or popsicle stick. Carefully pry it out of the soil so that the root ball follows. It is important that the seedlings do not dry out and are placed quickly in the new plant pots. First fill the containers with a nutrient-poor mixture of sand and soil.
Procedure
Put a hole in the soil mixture with the stick. The seedlings are planted deep into the fresh substrate so that the cotyledons are in contact with the surface of the soil. To prevent the roots from bending upwards, you should carefully press them into the potting soil with the pricking tool. Fill the planter completely and smooth the surface so that the water drains evenly.
Seedling needs
For he althy growth, it is important that the young plants have optimal environmental conditions. Keep the substrate mixture constantly moist. You can use a hand shower to ensure that as little soil as possible is washed away. In a bright location, the plants get enough light. The plants cannot tolerate direct sunlight because the risk of drying out is too great.
- Summer bloomers: ideal temperature at 15 to 18 degrees Celsius
- Vegetables: has similar heat requirements as summer flowers
- Houseplants: like warm room air at 20 degrees Celsius
- Tropical plants: feel comfortable at least 22 degrees
Tip
Delicate vegetables such as zucchini or pumpkin should not be pricked. When sowing, make sure to only use one seed per planter.
