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Lettuce should be transplanted when the plants are between 2-3 inches tall. You should harden off your lettuce plants 7-10 days before transplanting.If you’re growing a heading variety you may want to consider starting your lettuce indoors and transplanting seedlings out. Better germination. No wasted space. More time.
How long should seedlings grow before transplanting?
The ideal time for transplanting your seedlings is about 3 weeks after they sprout or when you have 1-2 sets of true leaves. It’s better to get them in new containers before they start to show the signs of stress listed below.
When can lettuce seedlings be planted outside?
When to Plant Lettuce Lettuce loves cool weather. You can begin planting leaf, romaine and butterhead lettuce as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Depending on the variety, lettuce germinates in temperatures between 40 to 85 degrees F.
How do you transplant lettuce seedlings to bigger pots?
Gently dig the seedlings up from their original container using a popsicle stick, pencil or other improvised tool. Handle the seedlings only by their leaves, never by their stems. Plant them into their new containers deeper than they were growing, gently firming the growing media around their roots.
What happens if you transplant seedlings too early?
If you put them out before they are ready, they may have a hard time surviving the elements. If you wait too long, your seedling may become pot bound in its original container.
What preparation must be done before transplanting the seedlings?
Broadcast pre-germinated seeds in thoroughly puddled and leveled soil. Construct drainage canals for proper water removal. Add organic manure (decompose) and a small amount of inorganic fertilizer as basal dressing. This increases seed vigor and allows easier uprooting for transplanting.
What process is done 7 to 15 days before transplanting?
Start by watering the plants thoroughly. Then, 7 to 10 days before transplanting, set the seedlings outdoors in dappled shade that is protected from wind for a few hours each day, gradually increasing their exposure to full sun and windy conditions.
What month should I plant lettuce?
Lettuce is a cool weather crop and is best grown in spring and fall. The seeds germinate in temperatures as low as 40 F (4 C) but its ideal germination and growing temperature is between 60 and 65 F (16 to 18 C).
What is the easiest lettuce to grow?
Loose leaf lettuce, which refers to varieties that don’t form any type of head, is considered the easiest to grow. It matures in 40-45 days, but no need to wait that long to enjoy it!Jun 29, 2018.
What is the 1st step in transplanting vegetable seedlings?
Transplanting Seedlings Prepare a hole in well fertilized soil. Place your hand over the soil allowing the seedling stem to come between your fingers not leaving too much of a gap – we don’t want to lose it’s original soil- and squeeze the bottom of the seedling pot to loosen the soil and the roots from the inner walls.
What time of day is best to transplant plants?
Transplanting perennials Best time of day to transplant is early in the morning, late in the afternoon or on a cloudy day. This will allow the plants to settle in out of direct sunlight.
What are the first true leaves on a seedling?
Cotyledons are the first leaves produced by plants.
Should I thin lettuce seedlings?
You should only have to thin your seedlings once, but if you have a lot of extra plants growing you can split it into two occasions. For example, if your plants need to be 12 inches apart, the first time you can thin every 6 inches. Then a week later you can thin them out again to all be 12 inches apart.
What happens if you don’t Thin seedlings?
Thinning seedlings helps them develop and grow stronger and faster. Seedlings not thinned have small stems and a leggy appearance. When seedlings grow in a tight cluster (crowded plants) they fight for light and grow spindly.
Can romaine lettuce be transplanted?
Romaine seedlings can withstand frost and can be transplanted into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. Fall crops can be directly seeded into the garden during late summer. Mature lettuce is not frost-tolerant.
Do I need to thin lettuce?
Regardless of the types of lettuce you grow, thinning lettuce seedlings is a task that must be done again and again. In comparison, thinning lettuce every few days so that the plants enjoy steady, exuberant growth will give you bigger plants that hold in the garden until hot weather comes along to spoil to party.
Can you replant thinned seedlings?
Treat your thinned plants gently since you’ve already disturbed their roots by pulling them up. Plant them in their new location pretty deeply—right up to their crown for good soil support. Water them immediately after replanting. Then watch them over the next several days to see if they make it.
Is gradually exposing the seedlings to full sunlight at least a week before transplanting?
The process of transitioning seedlings from protected indoor growing conditions to outdoor realities of wind, cold and direct sun is called hardening off. Tackle this process slowly, over the course of a week or two, and you’ll have sturdy seedlings ready to withstand whatever nature throws at them.
How do you transplant seedlings after germination?
Spoon out the seedlings to avoid damaging the stem by lifting them. Use a good sterile soil again and water them well immediately. You can use any container, but peat pots and other compostable materials allow for easy insertion into the garden bed without damaging roots.
How do you transplant plants without killing them?
Remove the plants from the ground: do not uproot your plants by pulling. Instead, use a hand shovel and form a ring around each plant. Then, gently use the hand shovel to remove the entire plants’ root bulbs together with the soil that covers the root bulbs.
