Thursday, March 19, 2009

Seed Leaves vrs. True Leaves


In my little tomato world there is action. The seeds have germinated and the seed leaves are sitting there taking in energy until the true leaves grow. I mention this only because many people don't know you can't transplant anything until the first true leaves appear. At that time the seedlings need to be held by the leaves only and not the stem. A leaf is disposable but a stem.... not so much. 

When taking hold of your seedlings do not grab the plant by the neck (ie stem) - instead hold it by the arm (leaf). Let the soil dry a bit so it is not soggy and lift it with a pencil (or similar sized dibbler) and then pull the plants out of the soil by tugging on the leaves. A tomato can be planted deeper than it was - which is unusual in the plant world. Most things like to be replanted in the next container at the same depth they were planted in the first container but this is not true of tomatoes. Plant them deeper so that they are sturdier than they were before.

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