Transplanting seedlings into your garden is exciting . But you have to do it the right way and at the correct meter , or they may not survive the passage . So in this Emily Post , I ’ll show you exactly when and how to transplant your seedlings .

Spring conditions is irregular , and it can be strong to compute out when it ’s dependable to transplant seedling into the garden .

If you do it too early , it will result in frustration if a late frost kills all of your hard work , and you have to replant everything . Ugh !

How & When To Transplant Seedlings Into Your Garden

Hardening starts before transplanting them

You pass all that timecaring for your seedlingsindoors , so you surely do n’t want them to pass as presently as you constitute them outside . Right ? Of naturally not !

Do n’t worry , I ’m going to make this easy for you . Below I will narrate you the good time to transfer seedlings , and show you exactly how to do it step by step .

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How & When To Transplant Seedlings Into Your Garden

Preparing To Transplant Seedlings Into Your Garden

But advert on one irregular … Before we talk about when to transplant seedlings into the garden , I want to ensure that you have properly prepared them for the big move .

You ca n’t take them from your affectionate and cozy home , and put them straight into the garden . That would in all probability be disastrous .

alternatively , you need toharden them offfirst to get them quick for life story outside . Whatever you do , do not bound off this stone’s throw !

How & When To Transplant Seedlings Into Your Garden

When To Transplant Seedlings

The exact date for when to transplant seedling outside depends on a few factors . It comes down to where you know , the consistency of the grunge , and what eccentric of plant you have .

How To Figure Out The Exact Timing

To get the timing right , the first thing you involve to bed is your average last Robert Frost date . If you do n’t know what that twenty-four hours is in your area , mark off with a local garden substance .

take off two weeks from that date , and that ’s when you’re able to plant frigid hardy starts . Then , on median , you should wait until two hebdomad after that date to transfer your non - hardy seedling .

But , since it is only an norm , some long time there will be a frost afterward than that date . So , utilise these numbers as a rough gage .

How & When To Transplant Seedlings Into Your Garden

Then keep an middle on the prognosis , and expect two full week after the last frost to plant the tender stuff . It ’s always better to wait a hebdomad or two , rather than embed heat - loving seedlings too early .

Make Sure The Soil Is Ready

You may have listen that you should wait until the grease is workable before you graft seedling into your garden . But what does that mean ?

The land is practicable when it has thawed completely , and is no longer saturated with water from the snow melt .

You should never attempt to work the ground when it is soupy or unenviable . It should be moist and downy .

How & When To Transplant Seedlings Into Your Garden

It ’s easy to delay to see if it ’s quick . merely take hold of a smattering of soil , and endeavor to make a lump with it in your clenched fist .

If it fall apart rather than stick in a ball , then it ’s quick to be worked . If it stick together , then hold back a few days and check it again . Sandy soils will dry out much faster than clay .

Wait For The Best Weather To Transplant Seedlings

This may come as a surprise , but the weather is an important component for deciding the best time to transpose seedlings into your garden .

Ideally , you should choose to do it on a muddy day when there ’s light rain in the prognosis . Avoid sidereal day that are spicy , sunny , or dry , because that can increase the risk of graft shock .

If there are no clouds in flock , then design to do it either in the early morning or in the even . That way , you will avoid the peak of the blistering good afternoon Sunday .

How & When To Transplant Seedlings Into Your Garden

How To Transplant Seedlings (Step By Step)

Once you get the bent of it , you ’ll see that the steps for transplanting seedling are very easy . To check that you ’re doing it the right agency , but conform to these instruction .

stride 1 : Move aside any mulch – If you have mulch in your garden , then push it aside to allow enough quad to plant each seedling .

You do n’t need to remove all of the mulch from the bed , that would be right smart too much work ! Just brush it aside in the smirch where you want to put each seedling .

How & When To Transplant Seedlings Into Your Garden (Everything You Need To Know)

footfall 2 : Dig a shallow hole – Make your planting holes twice as broad and deep as the container or works cell .

tally some organicgranular plant food , compost , and / orworm castingsinto the yap first . That will help your newly planted seedlings become established faster , and mature potent .

Step 3 : absent the seedlings from the tray – Be very gentle here . Never pull them out or hold onto them straight , or you could break their delicate prow .

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or else , cautiously slide them out of the container , while harbor onto the rootball only .

To do this , move around them upside down , and place your finger’s breadth on either side of the bow . Then nobble or squeeze the bottom of the container until it ’s slack enough to amount off easily .

Step 4 : Plant the seedling – If the origin are all pot - bound , then you may gently tantalize them apart to loosen them up a bit . Be careful though , because some plants hate having their stem disturb .

Hardening starts before transplanting them

Place your starts into the golf hole at the same depth as they were in the container . Backfill the hole with dirt as you need to so they are n’t sitting too deep .

Step 5 : fulfill in the cakehole – focus the rootball in the mess , and fill the rest of it to completely cover all of the radical .

Then gently throng it down to ensure the seedling wo n’t go down too deeply into the soil after transplanting .

Tray of seedlings big enough to be transplanted

Step 6 : irrigate your garden – Using the down in the mouth setting on your garden hosiery , water each seedling deeply . This will help to denigrate the danger of severe shock .

FAQs

What happens if you transplant seedlings too early?

If they are transplanted too early , seedling are at a much greater peril of die from a previous fountain insensate snap . Even intrepid starts will in all probability die if the temperature fit below freezing for any length of fourth dimension .

I know it can be hard , but expect a little longer is always the safest wager . If you accidentally plant them out too shortly , then protect them on insensate nights usingrow covers , aplant tarp , or afrost blanket .

How big should seedlings be before transplanting?

Ideally before they ’re transplanted , seedling should be at least twice as tall as their starter trays . So , that would be about 3 - 4″ tall .

However , I have set single as short as 1″ tall in my garden before with no issues . But , the big they are , the easier it will be for you .

How do you transplant small seedlings?

It ’s beneficial not to transplant seedlings when they are still small . rather , hold off until they are at least twice as improbable as the tray .

Then , start them earlier next year so they have plenty of fourth dimension to get magnanimous enough before they go outside .

Transplanting seedling into your garden can be a chilling matter . But as long as you follow the bakshish and steps above , you will have the best success .

Done transplanting my seedlings in the garden

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Mulch moved aside before planting a seedling

Wrong way to hold seedlings when transplanting

Small seedling planted in the ground

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