Saturday's Play Time!

It's early Saturday morning and there is "no better way to start the day" than to play with seedlings! 

Today I need to give the geraniums some attention. The seedlings that did germinate are now at a good size to transplant, having two sets of true leaves. I plan to separate the two seedlings that occupy some cells and move them into open cells in the 4-packs as well as into three 3" pots. I probably should give the remaining non-germinated seeds extra time to germinate but, as is often the case, I am impatient and want to do the job now.

First time growing geraniums!

To transplant, I give the seedlings a good watering an hour or so beforehand to reduce the risk of shock. Using a small butter knife or craft stick, I gently dig below the seedling to prick it out, working carefully to not disturb the roots. It's important to hold the seedling by its leaves, never its delicate stem, for fear of crushing it or perhaps injuring the growing tip. Poking a hole with a pencil into the new growing medium, I plant the seedling at the same depth, gently firming the soil with my finger tips and watering well.

I use a very crumbly and multi-textured mix, Metromix 830, and it makes easy work of transplanting. I don't expect these small seedlings to skip a beat.

Nice and orderly now!

It was also time for the Sweet William container to be thinned. As you can see, the seedlings are very crowded and many should be removed.

Before the thinning

Drum roll, please! This is what the container looks like now.  I always feel badly when I thin my seedlings; it's like being forced to choose a favorite child.  Unfortunately, I don't need all those seedlings and they would compete for space and nutrients needed by the seedlings earmarked for the garden. 

After the thinning

In a few weeks time, I'll thin the container again and let the remaining seedlings grow on for a while until they get transplanted to their own pots. I would like to end up with twenty-five new plants to move into the perennial garden bed. 

TIP OF THE DAY!!  I use an old pair of cuticle scissors to thin out small, densely-packed seedlings. After making a clean cut at the base of the stem, I throw those seedlings into a compost pile. 

Postscript #1 - I'm now certain I placed the sweet potato upside down into the water.  More shoots are growing into the water and the roots are stunted. Count this as the first failure of the season.  I'm confident the four remaining sweet potatoes will provide all the sweet potato slips I need.