Hi there, this spring I've been growing medicinal herbs from seed for the first time. I've got 8 going -- mugwort, motherwort, ashwagandha, plantain, mullein, lavender, cat nip, and yarrow.
First off, I put WAY too many seeds in too little space. I've done some serious thinning (like more thinned than left to grow) and there's still quite a lot of baby plants in the flats. Second, too little soil (about 1.5 to 2 inches). Oops. They're about 6 weeks old and look good, albeit crowded. I know they might not make it to be adults, but I still have hope.
They're ready to be transplanted, perhaps a little too ready. I'm not sure how to go about this because I didn't plant them in handy little divided containers. They're all just in big open flats. Oh how I will do things differently next time. So my question is how can I get these little guys into bigger pots? They're growing so close together I'm worried I'll kill them when I try to take them out of their current home. And, what size pot should I put them in? I bought an organic "pro mix" that is peat/compost based with limestone and perlite. Is this ok?
Thanks for any advice...
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Yup, definitely too little soil. You didn't say how big your seedlings are. I wouldn't try transplanting them until they have at least one set of true leaves. If they aren't too crowded, I think better to wait for the second set of true leaves. But if really crowded, don't wait.
You would want at least 3" pots, for now. Are they going to stay in pots or go in the ground later? Pots to stay in would need to be considerably bigger.
To transplant, use a spoon to come up from under them, taking out a few plants and the soil with them. Once extracted, holding the leaves, GENTLY pry them apart, perhaps with aid of toothpick or tweezers to separate the roots if tangled together. As long as your soil mix is moist, it should not be difficult.
You would want at least 3" pots, for now. Are they going to stay in pots or go in the ground later? Pots to stay in would need to be considerably bigger.
To transplant, use a spoon to come up from under them, taking out a few plants and the soil with them. Once extracted, holding the leaves, GENTLY pry them apart, perhaps with aid of toothpick or tweezers to separate the roots if tangled together. As long as your soil mix is moist, it should not be difficult.