Food for My Family

...one plate at a time.

Caring for Seedlings Indoors

· · 65 Comments


You’ve put the seeds in small dirt cups, watered and given them a home to grow. Now that there are tiny plants, how do you care for those seedlings until it’s time to place them in the ground?

Here in Chez Olmanson, our first batch of seedlings is coming along nicely. Nearly all the seeds have sprouted into tiny plants or are beginning to sprout. We have, therefore, removed the “greenhouse” lids and are letting them out into the air, removing the “pots” that failed to sprout. Now we need to care for our seedlings for the next month or so until they’re ready to be planted in the ground after our last frost date.

Daily Seedling Care:

    1. Spend mornings in sunny window in dining room.
    2. Water every few days or when soil appears dry.
    3. Move to extra table in dining room for evenings.
    4. Wait and watch for 2nd set of leaves to move to larger containers and/or thin down double-planted seedlings.
    5. Plant second round of seedlings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much water do you give the seedlings?

We pour around a cup of water into this tray every third day, about half on either side of the tray. I tilt the tray to make sure the water gets to all the different plants immediately after. The cup of water seems sufficient for our tray of 31 seedlings because all the water is soaked into the plants and none is pooling at the bottom of the tray.

Allowing the soil to dry out partially will promote root growth, and too much water can cause root rot or damping-off. You do not, however, want to keep the soil dry for extended periods of time. Watering after it starts to get dry on top seems to work best for us. That way we know the plant is using all the water we are giving it, but it’s not wilting.

What temperature do I need to keep the seedlings at?

Seedlings do best in controlled temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Because our house is generally about this and the dining room, even with the heat on in the winter, is definitely in that range, if not lower, it makes for the perfect seedling room with all the natural light it gets.

How much sunlight do my seedlings need?

Seedlings need light, but direct sun can raise the temperature, and root growth stops at temperatures higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. They do, however, need plenty of light. During the day, our seedlings sit in the natural light in our dining room.

If it a particularly gray day, I turn on one overhead fluorescent light so they have plenty of light for the daylight hours. At night, we are generally occupying the kitchen and dining room and have the lights on for us as well as the seedlings. This means they’re getting direct light more than just during the spring daylight hours, which they need.

When can I transplant my seedlings?

When more than one seedling comes up in a container, you can either transplant or pull the extra plant. Choose the larger of the two and pull the weaker one. If you would like to save the second plant, you will need to transplant it to its own container. You may also transplant seedlings if they are planted in small containers that they’ve outgrown before the last frost date for your area.

Try to wait to transplant seedlings until they have two sets of leaves. The second set of leaves is called their “true leaves.” If it’s necessary for you to transplant before then, do so with great care. Get a second container ready for the transplant and fill with moistened soil. Carefully remove the plant from it’s current container, trying not to pull or break the roots, and place it in the new container. Cover roots and bottom portion of stem with soil, press firmly to secure. Keep soil moist as roots start to take hold in their new home.

My plants are getting thin and very tall. What should I do?

Because seedlings are usually grown primarily indoors, they are at risk for becoming too fragile (tall and thin). Exposing your plants to some of the natural elements of nature will help prevent this. I recently placed my seedlings outside for a few hours on a warm, 70-degree day. They were exposed to the wind and other natural elements.

If it’s too warm or not warm enough where you are, you can simulate some natural elements by fanning your plants a few times a day. You could blow on them, I suppose, but a small desk fan on low for a few minutes here and there should suffice and save your breath.

I am by no means an expert when it comes to seedlings and gardening, but I have learned by doing and gardening on my own and as a child with my parents growing up. Plus, my mom is always a phone call away when I have a pressing question I need her advice on.

How do you care for your seedlings?


Following along? Check out the previous gardening posts:

Check out goodLife {eats} and GrowCookEat for more gardening information!

Never miss a recipe! Have them delivered right to your RSS feed or to your inbox as an email!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Great tips. This is the first year I’ve had success with seedlings. I was just wondering how I was going to keep them alive until it’s time to put them in the ground. 🙂 Thanks! I have created “shelves” in front of the east and west window in our master bedroom. I move them from one side to the other as the sun moves during the day. It seems to be working quite well. They are sturdy and not getting spindly at all. YAY!!
    .-= Jackie´s last blog ..What’s in the Kitchen? Ham. =-.

  3. I wish I had planted my basil inside this year. The problem is I plant masses of seeds. This year the weather has been awful. The seedlings are still tiny after 5 weeks and the slugs are driving me mead.

  8. Right here is the perfect web site for anybody who hopes to
    find out about this topic. You know so much its almost
    tough to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa).
    You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that has been written about for many years.
    Wonderful stuff, just wonderful!

  9. I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and entertaining,
    and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The issue is something
    too few men and women are speaking intelligently about.
    Now i’m very happy that I found this during my search for something
    regarding this.

  26. My wife and i have been fulfilled Ervin could
    complete his researching because of the ideas he discovered out of the
    web pages. It is now and again perplexing to simply choose to be giving for free helpful tips which often most people have
    been making money from. We know we’ve got you to give thanks to for this.
    These explanations you’ve made, the straightforward website navigation,
    the relationships your site assist to create – it’s
    many awesome, and it’s letting our son in addition to our family reason why that concept is excellent, and that’s
    wonderfully indispensable. Many thanks for all!

  28. I leave a comment whenever I appreciate a article on a website or I have something to contribute to the discussion. It is
    triggered by the sincerness displayed in the article I
    browsed. And on this post Caring for Seedlings Indoors | Food for My Family.
    I was actually excited enough to post a thought 😉 I do have some questions for you if it’s allright.
    Is it simply me or does it seem like some of these comments appear
    like written by brain dead people? 😛 And, if you are writing at other sites,
    I’d like to keep up with everything new you have to post.
    Could you list every one of all your community sites like your linkedin profile, Facebook page
    or twitter feed?

  29. Do you have a spam issue on this site; I also am a blogger, and I was curious about your situation;
    many of us have created some nice procedures and we are looking to
    trade techniques with others, why not shoot me an e-mail if interested.

  38. First of all I want to say superb blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to ask
    if you don’t mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and
    clear your thoughts prior to writing. I’ve had trouble clearing my mind in getting my ideas
    out there. I truly do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first
    10 to 15 minutes are lost simply just trying to figure out how to
    begin. Any suggestions or tips? Appreciate it!

  41. Hello there, just became aware of your blog through
    Google, and found that it’s really informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels.
    I will appreciate if you continue this in future. Many people will be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  42. I don’t even know the way I stopped up right here, however I assumed
    this post used to be great. I do not recognise who you might be but certainly you’re going to a well-known blogger in case you aren’t
    already 😉 Cheers!

  46. Hi there very cool site!! Guy .. Excellent ..

    Wonderful .. I will bookmark your web site
    and take the feeds also? I am glad to find a lot of useful info
    here within the submit, we’d like develop extra strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing.
    . . . . .

  49. I am only commenting to let you know of the outstanding experience my daughter
    undergone browsing your web site. She came to understand a good number of
    things, with the inclusion of how it is like to have an awesome coaching
    mindset to get the mediocre ones quite simply know a variety of complicated subject matter.
    You really surpassed readers’ expectations. Thanks for offering these insightful, dependable, explanatory and as well as
    fun tips about your topic to Jane.

  50. That is really attention-grabbing, You’re an excessively professional blogger.

    I’ve joined your feed and stay up for seeking extra of your wonderful post.
    Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks!

  54. Can I simply say what a relief to find a person that really
    understands what they are talking about on the internet.
    You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important.
    A lot more people really need to look at this and understand
    this side of your story. It’s surprising you’re not more popular since
    you most certainly possess the gift.

  56. I became honored to receive a call from a friend as soon as he found the important guidelines
    shared on your site. Studying your blog write-up is a real wonderful experience.
    Many thanks for taking into consideration readers much like me, and I want for you the best of success
    as being a professional in this area.

  57. I rarely comment, but i did a few searching and wound up here Caring for Seedlings Indoors | Food for My Family.
    And I do have a few questions for you if you tend not to
    mind. Is it simply me or does it look like some of the remarks appear
    as if they are written by brain dead visitors?
    😛 And, if you are writing on other places, I’d like to keep
    up with everything fresh you have to post. Would you make a list of all of your shared sites like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed?

  58. I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site.

    I am hoping the same high-grade website post from you in the
    upcoming as well. Actually your creative writing skills has encouraged me to get my own website now.
    Actually the blogging is spreading its wings quickly.
    Your write up is a good example of it.

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Some of My Favorites

Potato Leek Casoncelli Pasta with Walnut Pesto #recipe | FoodforMyFamily.com
Grilled Turmeric Ginger Shrimp and Mango Avocado Slaw with Cilantro Lime Dressing Recipe: Food for My Family
Homemade Salted Nut Rolls with Bourbon Caramel #recipe | FoodforMyFamily.com
Galete Waffle Cookies recipe | FoodforMyFamily.com
Curry Cauliflower Quinoa and Lentil Salad Recipe | FoodforMyFamily.com
Roasted Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Graham Cracker Waffle Cones \ FoodforMyFamily.com