What next?

I am trying out on germinating seeds using some coir peat. Many tiny seeds of campanula and some others have thrown up tiny leaves. It is about 3 weeks now since I sowed them there in seed-starting plastic tray with compartments (something like an ice-tray). This is my first experience with peat. Now, what should I do with the tiny plants. Should I wait for them to grow till they have about 4-6 leaves? In some, a few seeds have germinated very closely in one compartment. When should I transfer them to their permanent location? Help awaited.

Dinu,you're just getting your feet wet in this wonderful new world of starting from seed..congradulations!

Now,what to do.

Here's how I handle it,and you others feel free to jump in and add your ideas too.

I would pluck out or cut off the plants that are too close together,leaving one or two plants in each cell.It seems harsh at the time,since they are so tiny,but you need to do this so that the remaining seedlings will have the best chance of growing strong and healthy.

Make sure they have a good strong source of light so they don't grow tall and skinny.They need to grow slowly,instead of trying to reach the light.

Water sparingly....Water sparingly. This is important...believe me. The tiny little plants have undeveloped root systems and aren't capable of taking up great amounts of water yet.If the peat remains too wet,it will form fungus and the baby plants will die.Just keep the mix moist,but not soaked.

It would be better to wait till transplant before you fertilize.Fertilizer promotes top growth,which looks grand,but you want a strong root system first. If you do fertilize,wait till they are about 5 or 6 weeks along and then dilute it by half.

I hope this helps.

Thanks Melody, the info. will ceratinly be put to good use.
When is the time for transplant?

Just to add to Melody's post a little. And keep in mind that I grow only veggies, and my methods may or may not apply to flowers.

I start seeds in either open flats or in cells like you do. When the first true leaves appear, I transfer them to individual containers---in my case, 5 oz cups. When two or three more sets of true leaves appear, they get repotted once more, into 16 oz cups. At this point I do provide fertilizer, diluted to 25% of the recommendation. Keep in mind that peat and other starting mixes contain no nutrients. But, as Melody notes, you want to develop a strong root system, rather than a lush top.

The seedlings remain in the large cups until transplant time; which usually is determined by the weather; i.e., frost dates.

Brook, your advice is right on target for flowers, too. Most perennial flowers need to be potted on at least once, and often twice before they are sturdy enough to withstand outdoor in-ground weather. Potting them on encourages stronger root development, but I wait until the "drip line" of the leaves over-extends the container, then I transplant into the next size.

Best of luck, Dinu. Congrats on your next step in adventures of gardeners.

some of the herbs that i grow start out tiny. the smaller seed i mix with a bit of fine sand (1) this spreads the seeds out a bit (2) you can see where you have already planted, helps to keep them thined out a bit from the begining. if they are to many in a cell when they come up i tear the plug apart and plant each piece in a different pot.then maybe when they are a little stronger i pull them apart again and give each one there own pot

Dinu, give your tiny babies some chamomile tea once a week for about a month. It will ward off damping off and other fungal problems.

Kathleen, what is this chamomile tea? Sounds silly, but I'm such a novice!

Kathleen, now that is truly interesting! Chamomile tea to prevent damping off.........gotta remember that method..the whole world is going organic.......yea! Elaine........thankyou!

dinu
chamomile tea is tea made from "Matricaria Chamomilla"
hope that helps

I use the chamomile tea to prevent damping off and really works great for me. Make a batch and put in a spray bottle. Spray the seedlings well, and remember to make a new batch every week.

sorry, Dinu, I should have given you the scientific name - big blush here! You can also drink it, but if you have trouble with ragweed allergies (Ambrosia artemissiifolia) it's best to stay away from it.

That's fine. Will try to procure it.