Alternative to pricking out seedlings

[Karen]

Heya,

Just wanted to share my own personal experience to an alternative to pricking out seedlings. I tried pricking out some seedlings today into cell modules today. I almost died! Ha! (Forgive my dramatic reaction!) I am not sure if anyone feels the same way. Charles makes it look so easy! Can’t beat over 30 years of experience and practice. 🙂

However, there is hope… and this is from my own personal experience of 4 years. I usually sow 3-4 seeds (e.g. lettuce and pak choi etc) into the cell modules. When the seedlings have hardy looking leaves and are ready to be planted out into beds, I then separate these seedlings with some decent amount of compost still intact to the roots and plant them directly into the beds. This has worked very well for me.

Just something I would like to humbly share with everyone. 🙂

[Rhys]

Karen

I must say I simply sow seeds in modules direct! You do need goodish germination frequencies for this, but you can always put more than one seed per module if you’re worried about that.

My pricking out is mostly for tomatoes and brassicas from modules into 8cm pots.

[Karen]

Hello Rhys,

I have been pretty lucky over the years with my seed germination rates for all my plants. I was just curious and adventurous to try out the pricking out method this first time around.

Think I am definitely going to stick with the cell modules… Moreover, I am always trying too many varieties of tomatoes and other plants that I think I would go stir crazy if I didn’t sow them in cell modules. It doesn’t help too when I’ve got short, fat fingers! lol

[Stringfellow]

Thanks for this idea Karen.

I found pricking out seedlings got easier with practice; as Charles has written, roots don’t have to point downwards: just push them in willy-nilly!

Also, I read somewhere that the younger a seedling is when transplanted, the less root disturbance and that this may improve long-term health and growth of the plant. Multi-sowing into modules and then thinning to the strongest plant would be another possibility – so lots of options 🙂

[Karen]

Hello Stringfelllow,

I really tried not to willy nilly with the roots… haha… it was still a challenge. Again, think I am very lucky with my seeds. They all seem to germinate quite well and grow pretty strongly too. I was then able to separate each seedling with compost without having to decide which seedling I need to sacrifice and thin out. I have a huge problem with ‘killing off’ any seedling. It kinda hurts. lol I have plenty of sturdy cell module trays hence it isn’t too much of a challenge to sow them in them.

Wish the weather will warm up sooooon!

[Karen]

Just did a 2nd round of pricking seedlings that were in seed trays today…

Aaaaaand I gotta say… I was actually beginning to enjoy it! haha!

It was kinda therapeutic! I was determined to get as many seedlings that looked ready to be pricked out!

I truly had fun! 🙂

[Author]

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