Roots and Shoots: Seedlings and Space

As I was visiting with a young man from Illinois recently, the obvious difference between the open space in Montana vs. Illinois came up. He felt like there's much more opportunity for life here, with all the space. I had to agree.

Then when I got home I began thinking about the connection to gardening. I still have a few tomato and pepper plants that need to be divided and put into their own pots. Plants have much more opportunity for abundant life and production when they have sufficient space to grow. They will do much better with their own space to grow roots and to absorb the light on their leaves to become sturdy and strong plants.

When I am seeding plants for the garden ahead of time, to grow into transplants, I generally put three to four seeds in each cell of the planting tray, just to make sure something sprouts. Over the years I have found that generally most of the seed comes up, and I have to decide what to do to thin the population down to a healthy number, which is one per pot. Putting the seeds spread out in the cell will allow for easier dividing when the time comes. It is heart wrenching to have to remove some seedlings and there's a few ways to go about it. When I mention "cell" I'm referring to one section of a 4- or 6-pack plastic tray.

The first consideration is how much garden space you have, and how much space there is on the planting bench. If there's lots of space for pots/cell packs, then I will often pull the soil clump and seedlings out of the cell, and gently pull the soil clump apart so there is one seedling per clumplet of soil. Then each seedling will go into a new cell, with more potting soil around it. If the seedlings are right next to each other, I often snip off the smaller of the two so that I'm not ripping off roots trying to divide them. The time to do this in the growing cycle is within a few days of sprouting. Then the root mass is less developed and there is less shock. If I don't have the space, I have learned to use scissors to cut down all but the strongest seedling in each cell. It's a bit distressing and seems wasteful, but that's what we have to do. With Cabbage family sprouts, they are eatable and a tasty reminder of what's to come.

When the seedlings are all transplanted, they are in a state of shock and need some special care. It's best to water them right away with lukewarm water. I generally add a small portion of very, very diluted fish emulsion for plant food. Then they go in a spot that doesn't have direct sunlight until the next day. To help the seedlings grow sturdy, it's helpful to set up a small fan nearby. They will grow stronger stalks and be more prepared for outdoor conditions when the time comes. By salvaging as many seedlings as possible my garden will be full and any extras can surely find homes with fellow gardeners.