13
Tending Your Seedlings
(Continued)
•
When plants are about 2” (5cm) tall, check each
Grow Sponge
for multiple plants. Using scissors,
gently snip the smallest plants at the base of stem,
leaving ONE healthy plant in each
Grow Sponge
.
•
Thinning seedlings ensures that the remaining plant
in each
Grow Sponge
will have room to grow, get
enough nutrients.
Thin Plants
We recommended earlier in this Guide that you plant multiple seeds in each
Grow Sponge
.
Often times this results in more than one plant growing in a
Grow Sponge
. Herbs, lettuces, and
plants that grow in bunches (such as chives) do not require thinning. However, with broad-
stemmed varieties, such as fruiting plants, it is best to thin plants as described below.
Be sure to cut, not pull, the extra seedlings to
avoid damaging the roots of the strongest plant
in each
Grow Sponge
.
!
Planning Your Outdoor Garden
Prepare Your Soil
For seedlings to thrive, they’ll need to be trans-
planted into soil that is amended with organic
matter so it has good drainage, can retain water,
is aerated and has an ample supply of nutrients.
Make sure soil is not too wet before you begin
working it or transplanting seedlings outdoors. To
check for moisture, pick up a small handful of soil
and squeeze it into a ball. If soil clumps together,
then soil is still too wet to work. Let it dry out
some more before working it. If the ball of soil
can be easily broken apart by pressing it between
your thumb and index finger, then soil is ready to
be worked.
Plant Size
Though seedlings are small – mature plants
can be quite large. Consider how much space
each mature plant requires and make sure you
have room in your garden. See seed packets for
minimum space requirements between plants
and rows. (
Raised beds, intensive and container
gardening methods allow for closer plant spacing.)
Garden
Plans
It is helpful to know where you want to place each
plant in your outdoor garden before you begin
transplanting. Pre-planning makes transplanting go
quickly, which means less stress on your young
seedlings. Here are a few basic rules to follow
when planning your outdoor garden:
• If possible, orient the long axis of your garden in
an east-west direction, to maximize the amount
of sun each plant receives.
• Refer to seed packets for recommended plant and
row spacing, as well as light, water, and fertilizer
requirements.
A good time to plan and prepare for your outdoor garden is while seedlings are growing.
