Photo by Nikola Jovanovic on Unsplash
GROWING GARDEN TRANSPLANTS
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by Thrive and Grow Gardens
electing seed and growing our own transplants to harvest can be one of the most rewarding feelings in gardening. When we sprout a seed and grow it all the way to harvest, we are empowered in knowing the major steps to growing our own food. Use this overview of the steps required to turn a seed, some soil and a container into a living, breathing organism—a vegetable transplant.
1
Choose seeds. The first step in growing transplants is to select what kind of transplant to grow. Find an accurate local planting calendar (online or at local plant nurseries). A planting calendar shows what seeds should be started depending on the season. If keeping the plant indoors for its whole life, no planting calendar is needed. If planning to collect seeds from plants when they mature, buy seed that has been open-pollinated. These seeds have been carefully bred to give offspring that will resemble the parent plants. Otherwise, for the most uniform, predictable crops on the market, look for hybrid seeds, or “F1 seeds”. Seed collected from hybrid plants can give wildly variant offspring or even be sterile. Choose a variety. Plant breeders have put a lot of time and energy into giving us varieties of plants that can do very well in our individual environment. Growing in containers? Growing in an extremely hot or cold environment? There are seeds that can fit all needs. Pro-tip: Some seeds don’t do very well as transplants. These plants grow best when they are seeded directly into the ground: carrot, parsnip, turnip, radish, peas and beans.
2
Choose soil. The transplant’s soil is its home for up to eight weeks, so be sure to
give it everything it’ll need. Soil should be fine, uniform and aerated (fluffy). A soil mix is fine, but make sure it doesn’t have large chunks of wood or rock that could hinder the seed’s growth. Soil should also have some slow-release nutrients available. Good, finished compost or vermicompost is a great recommendation. Try buying organic soil and mixing ⅔ soil with ⅓ compost when filling containers.
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