Help with transplanting Petunia seedlings, please.

On the package it says to sow them in a shallow row. (I planted them) Then thin them. (I don't want to thin them)

I only got 10 seeds in the package and don't know exactly how to do this.

Do I wait untill there are true leaves before I transplant them? When I do transplant them, do I put them directly in the hanging basket or do I put them in a cell first? Seems to me they should go into a cell first but I'm not 100% sure.

I also have some geraniums that have sprouted. (a kind soul from in here gave them to me.)

Thanks

Darrell

How close together did they come up? Usually it is best to wait until they get their first set of true leaves and only ever handle them by the leaves. I need tweezers. It helps to have the medium very damp and tease and lift them out, try real hard not to tear the roots. I make a hole in the new pot with a pencil and lower them down and ease the soil around them and tuck them in. Sound like you are growing Waves, maybe someone else has specific experience with these.

Thanks Echoes, this is good information. Whenever I've transplanted anything, i've always held them by the stalk, because I thought the leaves were too delicate. Is this true for all seedlings, or just petunias?

Linda

All seedlings. If you damage a leaf, it will make more. If you damage the stem, it can't grow any more.

huh, amazing the simple things I didn't know.

Thanks Echoes.

echoes
Thanks good to know, never really thought
of how to handle the seedling before.
But now I will remember.

Darrell, I can relay the method I used to sow the very itsy bitsy tiny little dozen or so of the Hybrid Silver Wave Petunia seeds you told me about and that I got from Park seeds. I planted them right away in the hanging planter that I want to grow them in. Planter is 13 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep. I sowed them on the top of the soil, misted them really well, set the planter on a heat pad, covered with a piece opaque plastic and set in a south window. After misting 2-3 times a day, I had total germination in 3 days. The seedlings are now about 1/4 inch high and it appears they all growing well (I counted 12 ). I am hoping just to leave in this hanging planter for the duration and thin if and when I have to. Fingers crossed that they continue to do well. I am looking forward to seeing these new silver colored wave petunias. Thanks again for the connection. :Donna

I would also add to this great advice that I dampen the soil in the cell pack prior to transplanting. I also find that here under the grow lights the Petunias get quite 'leggy' so I pinch them, forcing them to branch.

Thanks everybody for your help. I appreciate it.

First off, the seeds are very small. Second, I think I have hair folicals that are thicker than these stems. lol

It's amazing that an itty bitty - teeny weeny seed can produce a beautiful plant. It's truly amazing. l've always been on the buying side of things, as in buying a plant vs a seed, and I always took for granted that it was just a plant. I never really gave it any thought that the plant started out as a seed. It sure has given me a whole new outlook and appreciation, of how plants come into being.

I like the idea of laying them on top of the soil. I'll do that from now on. I made a shallow row and put the seed in the row. (I didn't cover the row) I have them all planted in a 1020 flat and seperated.

To be on the safe side, I'm going to put the seeds directly in the hanging baskets next year.

Pinching? I've never done that either. This year is the year to learn everything I can. I just added "Pinching" to the list of things to learn. :)

Thanks again, everyone.

Darrell

Donna, a 13" container will be really full with just 2 or 3 of those petunias! They really spread out. In fact, I just put one in that size, when I'm adding something else (such as a taller flower in the middle, some lobelia, etc.. You sure got good germination in a hurry--you must have the touch.

For those expensive Waves, I usually order pelleted seed and plant them with tweezers, one at a time!

Darrell--I started my petunias early February...the usual time from sowing to flowering for petunias is 10-13 weeks, so don't expect flowers before July.

You are right, of course, Rosemary. I think the most I have ever had in one pot was two wave petunias. I do realize that all twelve of these little seedling will never stay in my original planter. They are really very small yet though, so I am going to wait until they are a decent size before I thin them and transplant most of them to other containers.

It was fast germination, wasn't it? I surprised myself, too. :D I kept thinking that I had to get them going fast if I want blossoms by June or July at the latest, so maybe they sensed my urgency. LOL I did baby them along the first few days thougjh... just short of sleeping beside the planter. I am anxious to see them blooms. It will be interesting and a challenge to see how fast I can get them to that point. Crossing fingers!!!

Darrell, I transplant hundreds of petunias every spring. First I plant them by mixing them with coarse sand for even distribution in a tray. Once they've developed their first true leaves, I 'worry' them out of the starter mix and transplant them to cell packs. They are really easy to transplant. Don't touch the delicate stems. The stems contain the vascular system for the plant, so damaging the stems can be fatal. Loosen the little plants by slipping something like a spoon under the soil to loosen the roots, then gently raise the plant up out of the soil. Make a hole in the cell pack, then drop the plant down into it, guiding the roots in. Never pull the plants out of the starter, and never push the seedlings into the cells. If you break a stem, or put a bend in it, it is probably history.

Such good advice in this thread...thanks, everyone! (I've been eavesdropping) I have a whole pile of seedlings that'll need to be transplanted soon too.

Donna, great germination on those petunias. I mist mine 2-3 times a day too....hoping it makes a difference. PS....good thing your little "Buddy" can't get at those hanging planters, eh? ;-)

I'll take a picture of what they look like today and then, as time goes by, I'll take a few more pictures.

I sort of figured I "might" have some flowers by July 15th. At least that is what I'm aiming for. If not, I can adjust the time frame next year.

I really want a greenhouse and I really want to sell flowers and vegetables. I hope that this year will teach me enough through trial and error, that by next year, I will have things started at the right time for spring sales.

I fall asleep at night thinking of, "how many dozens of ears of corn do I need to sell to get, "X" amount of dollars, and 'how many pounds of tomatoes do I need to sell to get "X" amount of dollars, so on and so on," hoping that I will make enough money from selling vegetables this summer to buy the materials for my greenhouse.

Thanks everybody.

Darrell

Here is the picture of the seedlings. In the lower right hand corner, there are only 3 that have come up.

There are 9 different Petunia's in here. Avalanche, Wave and Dolce.



This message was edited Apr 20, 2005 9:16 AM

I hope to save seeds from these plants after they grow up. I have no idea where the seeds are on Petunia's but I hope to find out. he he he he Anybody know how, when, and where the seeds are on these puppies? :)

Darrell, the seed pods are quite easy to see and the seeds easy to collect. But don't expect to get the Avalanche, Wave or Dolce varieties that you planted! They are hybrids, and won't breed true.

I saved seeds from the first Waves that came out (the magenta) just for fun, and started some the following year. I raised 12, and got 1 trailing magenta, 2 semi-trailing pink, an assortment of some rather insipid ones I called "faded denim", a couple of dusky rose that faded quickly into something also insipid, some upright purples, and a gorgeous trailing purple. I saved seeds from that one and again, out of a dozen, got one trailing purple. The third year, I got just one good trailer again--huge deep purple flower, some with a white border, and a heavenly fragrance! I was very excited...except, that year they didn't produce seeds. I've tried occasionally to duplicate that guy, but no luck.

I collected seeds from that one trailing magenta from the first year, and in subsequent years, but only got the odd wave type and it was always a bit weedy.

I start my petunia seeds about 15 weeks before I want them to bloom. I plant them to small trays of sterilized starter. I mix the seeds with sand so I get an even planting. Here is a tray that was ready for transplant to cell packs in mid-March.

That's interesting Chilko. It makes me wonder what they grow to end up with the seeds they sell us. They must grow something that isn't what they sell us. I mean, if you grow a Wave Petunia and save seeds from it and out of 12 seeds you end up with something other than just 1 Wave Petunia, maybe they are starting with something that is, for lack of better choices of names, I'll call it a "Hand Petunia". They grow a bunch of "Hand Petunia's" and the seeds from them will produce a "Wave Petunia" but not another "Hand Petunia." I love this stuff. I wish I knew more about it. I'd give it a try.

Weez. I hope mine end up looking like that. Other people have told me about using sand. Since I never did them before, I'm only now finding these things out. Do you think I might find some sand at Wal Mart? I can't think of anyplace that would have sand. Maybe a "Fish Store?" It sure has to be a heck of a lot easier to do than trying to sprinkle a few at a time. I'm here to tell ya.........those puppies are small!!!
LORDY!

I did pretty good though. You can see that for the most part, I got them in the row they were suppose to go into and they aren't really cram packed all in bunch's. lol

Well, since saving seeds from these won't work the way I thought they might, I will buy seeds again. But, I will use sand and do them the way you did yours Weez.

It should be ok, don't you think?, if I buy the seeds this fall and start them early next year around March. The seeds should still be good, don't you think?

Darrell

Darrell, just stop in at your local Gas Service Station and pick up a "sand bag". They sell them all winter for use in vehicles for weight. I bought a bag this past winter for soil mixing and was pleasantly surprised at how clean and fine the sand was.

I never thought of that!!! Great idea Donna.

I have to get gas in the morning, I'll grab a bag while I'm there.

I'm glad you're around to keep me pointed in the right direction. :)

Glad I could help. :)

Great idea! If that doesn't work, your local home improvement store would have some sand.

The greenhouses here in Saskatoon are in full production mode...they've got these tiny, tiny little cell packs, 12 x 24 cells - that's, what, 288 seedlings per tray? Each cell is approx 1 cm square, so the whole thing is the same size as a regular tray. Must be "fun" to transplant those :-) One of the staff members told us they have a mechanical system of taking the seedlings out & transplanting them, and sometimes they do it by hand as well - if they seedlings are strong enough, they can just grab a handful of them by the foliage, and they come right out.

I guess they use those tiny cells so they don't waste any soil on the seeds that don't germinate - ?

I've used those Shannon. I push them out the bottom with a pencil. Royal pain.

Inanda

I agree. More trouble than they're worth, without a plug-pusher.

http://www.enjoygardening.com/jimarticle.asp?title=default

Jim always has good advice. Thanks for the link, Brenda.

Thanks for the link to Jim Hole--I didn't know about it.