Depth of transplanted seedlings

[npk]

G'day fellas and felleses. To start the ball rolling, I am in FNQ and I'm relatively inexperienced with growing pot (quite experienced with general gardening though) and I have got about 70 seedlings which need to be transplanted outdoors, ultimately into soil in a number of days. I have the patch prepared VERY nicely but what I'm wondering is this:

 

My mate saw my seedlings and said quite matter-of-factly to bury them deep in the ground, so there's not so much stem showing (in some cases, several centimetres deeper than the natural level of the soil) to make them shorter/sturdier seedlings. It seems like a good idea on the surface, but it goes against my traditional gardening knowledge. From memory, I think it encouraged fungal growth or rotted stems or something if you planted them deeper.

 

He said to run a search on here and you guys will all agree with him, but there's not much info appearing. So what do you reckon? Maybe I should go with the half-and-half midway stoner option - bury them a bit but not all the way.

 

Also, when is the ideal stage to plant them out for someone keen to avoid unnecessary handling or stunting of growth? I had a lot of seeds to plant and not much soil to do it in. They are sprouted very close together so I am keen to plant them out and give them space. Number 1 problem: heavy smashing rains in the outdoor environment. Trees overhead that collect the fine rain, then drip huge drops down and smash seedlings. Should I let 'em get a bit chunkier before I plant them out or is that gonna be an issue with the closeness as you can see in the pic?

 

I have thought about potting them into seperate pots at the germination site but 70 pots would be a nightmare when I come to transport them to the patch site. Should I wait till they have some multi-pronged leaves before I transplant them considering the conditions of probable heavy tropical rain?

 

Summary of questions:

 

1: How deep can I plant these babies, stemwise?

2: Am I transplanting the seedlings out into dirt too early? (Next 2 or 3 days)

 

Thanks for droppin' the knowledge, people. Sorry for being so long winded.

[npk]

Hey I found a post on here that said plant it deeper up to the first growth. Does that mean the first round leaves?

[Pam]

The round leaves are called seed leaves and the next will be called true leaves. Yes plant them right up to the seed leaves and the stems under the soil will grow roots.

 

The rain shouldn't be a problem at all. But they do need to be spaced so that they don't crowd each other when you plant out.

 

I use the handle of a teaspoon as a tiny spade to transplant seedlings. You have to have the most gentle touch with them.

 

Give a bit of B1 to help with transplant shock if you can.

 

The only thing I wonder is if this is the right time of year to be setting out seedlings......

[SukonmiSkunk]

yep what Pam said... right up to the first set of leaves..

 

the season is almost over.. but up in FNQ(far north queensland).. im pretty sure they can grow almost all year round.. certainly doesnt work down here.. but up in the tropics.. the seasons are a lot different..

 

70 hey.. dont hold back...

[npk]

Thanks for the expert advice! Good tip with the teaspoon, Pam. Yeah I am going on the guidance of a fairly knowledgeable local grower and he reckons it'll work. According to him they should be ready in around 2 to 3 months and I'll get 1 to 1.5 oz off each girl, all things going well. Not the best time to do it but it should be a quick easy run to get into the swing of it.

 

He was right about the seedling depth so I'm gonna roll with those numbers. Cheers. Oh yeah and that sorta explains why I'm planting 70, heheh.

Edited March 7, 2008 by npk

[gouger]

A teaspoon is ok.. anything with a polished edge will help preventing root damage if you use the teaspoon to push roots down but I simply use a bit of mild steel rod.. grind the sharp edges where you cut it .. off. this way you have a decent piece of equipment for transplanting any size. The thin sticks that come as supports for plants in pots from Bunnings are good tools for pricking and replanting but they do break eventually.

 

Clones(cuttings) can also be planted deep. One really only needs enough sticking out .. to beat being cut off from the light. We are talking outdoors .. aren't we?

 

Now don't even work on those numbers.. Work diligently. Be happy with what you get. You may well get two to four oz per plant but a number of them will be males.

 

Heavy pounding rain will generally bend and break weak stemmed seedlings started in lower light conditions.. Move seedlings to sun get them stronger for a few days. Planting deeper helps reduce stem breakage but pounding rain can also cover tiny seedlings with mud. Bye bye all the careful planning. Better to plant them just slightly deeper yes but better to support them against battering rains by mulching with straw than to bury them deep and hope the rain won't drown them..

 

some cuttings.. all females. oops there are more than 70 !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/jonosterman/DSC00685Scuttings.jpg

 

some results http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/jonosterman/DSC00696hairy.jpg

Edited March 7, 2008 by gouger

[grok]

mmmm...thats some nice yani you got growing there gouger...yummmy...

[gouger]

need an infinite image server;)

 

just research my posts http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/jonosterman/DSC00691blockhead.jpg

[Pam]

Yeah, I can agree with the use of mulch to support the seedlings, but you have to watch for slugs with that. Might want to lay out some slug bait in a can half buried near the babies just in case....

 

It's wind that builds strong stems so you might want to give them a week or so with a fan to toughen them up first.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~Whoo hoo I just hit 900 posts!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edited March 7, 2008 by Pam

[npk]

Wow top stuff gouge! Congrats Pam! I wll be happy to get 10 posts or whatever it is

 

Ah well better go as I have a busy afternoon ahead