Space Age Seedlings
At the beginning of March Wisley ran a Grow You Own weekend.
I went and was lucky enough to get a question answered at one of the open sessions. My question :
What are the next steps in caring for tomato seeds once they’ve germinated in a propagator ?
Lots of information not all of which I was able to absorb! But three pieces of advice that I took away (correctly?) were:
- Take them out of the propagator
I have followed this advice during the day although as it still seems so cold (as I write this the wind is whistling up and down the chimney and the rain is on a 45 degree angle of approach against the window!) I have been leaving the trays and pots sitting on the heated bottom tray and at night when I know I’m still cold under a winter quilt have been placing the lid back on. I don’t know if this is OK or if I’m falling into the ‘killing by kindness’ trap!
- If they are on a windowsill and the weather is still a bit on the grey side (sadly yes – a darker shade of battleship) then make a reflective screen using silver foil to put behind the seedlings to reflect back the light that is coming through.
So in a bit of lateral thinking I carved up the cardboard box the propagator came packaged in and covered that with foil. I’ve also stood a table lamp (no shade) next to them fitted with one of the low energy light bulbs that British Gas like to randomly mail out. So hopefully my seedlings now have the light they need. (Plus in another bit of lateral thinking combined with the prick of a guilty conscience I got round to washing my windows to boost it further!)
- If the seedlings are a bit leggy when you transplant them to their individual pots then bury them really deep – almost up to the leaves. This will make them stronger plants.
I’m not at this stage but my seedlings are leggy so useful to know
Any further advice especially re the in/out of the propagator in the day, lid on/off overnight would be very welcome.
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