By Birgitta Brophy

Welcome Spring!!! We know the warm weather is about to be with us, the maple tree buds are swelling and showing their color, snowdrops and crocuses have bloomed, our daffodils are showing their colors, and a southern breeze is in the air.

Last month this column discussed indoor seed starting.  This month we will continue with a conversation on seedling transplanting. Whether you have started your seeds or intend to, here are some things to consider when ready to transplant:

• Don’t get anxious about transplanting the seedlings too soon (my biggest mistake)! The rule of thumb is to wait until the two sets of “true leaves” have fully developed. Seedlings of various plants develop at different rates along with their durability to be transplanted. Tomatoes, for one, take easily to transplanting and love to have their roots “tickled” even at their earliest of stages of growth. Tiny and fragile seedlings like those of snapdragons often need to be grown longer so that they can be handled without breaking. For more delicate seedlings it is best to wait until they are larger with thicker stems.
• Have everything for transplanting the seedlings ready to go prior to removing the seedlings from their original container. This minimizes tiny root hairs from drying out thus lessening transplant shock. At this stage it is good to use a growing medium with fertilizer added or add it yourself to a sterile mix (slow-release pelletized fertilizer is easy to incorporate).
• Transplant seedlings at the same depth they were growing in their original containers. This is a general rule, as some plants cannot tolerate their crown (where roots and stem meet) being covered in soil, while others like tomatoes can be planted deeper.
• Use seedling leaves to hold onto them during transplanting. Handling them by their stems often causes damage to their vascular system which is essential to water and nutrient absorption.
• After transplanting, water seedlings gently and thoroughly misting their leaves helps in maintaining required moisture. Keep seedlings out of direct sunlight for a day or two until they acclimate to their new space.
• Transplants do well in cooler temperatures with good air circulation. The cooler air and strong light (artificial lights complement natural light) will make for the strongest seedlings. If you are so inclined, “pet” your seedlings! Gently brush your hand across the tops of the seedlings to mimic winds which encourage plant stems to be more resilient and thus stronger. If nothing else, this is a fun thing to do.
• Monitor seedlings. Too much soil moisture may rot their roots, too little and they will wilt with possible permanent stunting. If the growing medium does not have any fertilizer in it, you may use light doses of water-soluble fertilizer now, incrementally increasing its strength until the recommended strength as time and growth continues.

If you saved seeds from you garden last year you may want to see if they are alive or “viable”. Testing seed viability now is an easy way of testing the percentage of seeds which are likely to grow this coming year. Why do this? Because as much as we enjoy working with plants, we do not want to waste our time or materials on seeds that will not grow.

How does one test seed viability? It is nothing more than to plant a small quantity of seeds, then record how many, if any, germinate. The easiest way to test the seed is by placing ten seeds in growing medium and plant as normal OR put seeds on a moist paper towel, insert into a plastic bag or sealed glass jar and then wait. After the typical germination period, count how many germinated and divide by 10. If 5 out of 10 germinate then there is a 50% germination rate. If only 2 or 3 germinate you can either determine whether it is worth your time to plant those seeds or plant seed more densely than normal to make up for the poor germination rate. Obviously, if none germinate, then discard the seed in the compost pile.

Checking seed viability is like a science experiment and one that may be fun! Speaking of fun, we should all consider having any children we know or care for, join in the fun and joy of gardening this Spring. Let us “grow” the next generation of plant enthusiasts!

Find additional growing information at: Cornell University’s growing guides for flowers, vegetables and design:  http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/~