You’ll know your seedlings are ready to be repotted when their roots have filled their current containers and their foliage is crowding out the neighbours. Still not sure? Use a butter knife to pop a plant out of its pot and take a peek at the roots. If they’re well developed and encircling the soil ball, it’s time to repot.
Moving your seedlings to larger containers will help ensure a healthy root system and top-quality transplants for your garden. New containers should be about twice as large as the old ones.
Repotting 101:
- Gather all your materials (pots, potting soil, tags, waterproof marker, butter knife) first so that repotting is quick and efficient.
- Water seedlings before starting. Moist soil will cling to the roots, protecting them from damage and drying out.
- No tugging! Don’t pull the baby plants from their cell flats or plug trays. Use a butter knife, narrow trowel, or even just a long nail to prick the seedlings from their containers.
- If there is more than one seedling in your container, gently tease them apart for repotting.
- Place them in the new pot, lightly tamping the soil.
- Have a stack of labels ready to go and give each pot a fresh tag. Alternatively, use a waterproof marker to write the name of the plant on the side of the pot.
- Water with a diluted liquid fertilizer to settle the roots in the new soil and encourage healthy growth.
Do you have any more repotting tips to add?
