My seedlings have arrived…now what do I do?

If you’re new to gardening, then welcome to your new obsession! There will be successes…and failures…but so much joy.  Here’s a step-by-step guide to looking after your seedlings and planting them out.

LOOKING AFTER YOUR SEEDLINGS 

It’s best to get them planted as soon as possible, but sometimes life and weather prevents this. If you're not planning to plant them straight away, take them out of their box, remove the cardboard sleeve (leave them in the compostable bag) and place them upright in something like an icecream container. Keep them lightly watered (but don’t let them sit in water), and in a shaded, sheltered spot.

It is totally normal for some seedlings (like zinnias, snapdragons and larkspur) to get a bend in their stem from lying down – they straighten themselves out once planted.

PLANTING 

Before planting, we recommend using a seedling booster (weak liquid fertiliser) to soak the root ball of your seedlings in briefly.

Use a garden fork to loosen the soil in your flower bed. With a small hand trowel, dig a hole that is slightly larger than the seedling root ball, and mix in a little bit of organic fertiliser (check the back of the packet for instructions). If your seedlings are in a punnet, push up the base of the punnet, or squeeze the sides of the cells to pop your seedling out. You might need to tip the punnet on its side and gently ease the seedlings out.

Pop the seedling into the hole and scoop the soil back around it, gently firming the soil down. The rootball should be completely buried.  Some seedlings (especially larkspur, delphiniums, and marigolds) benefit from some sort of slug bait.

WATERING AND PINCHING 

Water well once planted, and every day for the first week (unless it has rained). It’s best to water at dawn or dusk (or both!) and use a gentle shower spray nozzle rather than a jet of water.

2 weeks after planting, some plants need pinching to encourage more flower stems. We'll cover this in another blog, but in general, cut just above the 2nd or 3rd set of leaves (counting up from the ground). There are some video tutorials on the MY PATCH Instagram highlights about pinching. Keep an eye on our MY PATCH social media accounts for tips and reminders about caring for your seedlings 🌱