Pricking out your seedlings

Pricking out your seedlings

In this lesson, I'm going to show you how to prick out seedlings.

It's the middle of March now and it's time to prick out these salvia seedlings which were sown at the beginning of the month.

You can tell that these seedlings are ready to be pricked out because they have formed their first set of true leaves. These are the second set of leaves that appear once a seedling has germinated and they are the same as those on the parent plant.

How to prick out your seedlings:

• use a label or stick to get under the roots of your seedling and gently ease it out
• hold your seedling by the seed leaves (the first set of leaves) and pull gently to remove it from the seed tray
• make sure to avoid pulling the seedling by the true leaves or by the stem
• pot this on into its own individual pot and firm in

Where to place your seedlings

Once I've pricked out my seedlings it's time to find a place to keep them.

Ideally, I'll put these seedlings on a bench in a polytunnel or greenhouse, but if there isn't any space then a bright indoor space that isn't too hot. These plants are itching to get outside, so they will become stronger if they are kept in cooler conditions at this point.

Avoid placing them near a radiator and make sure to keep them moist, but not too wet. They should also be put in the brightest place possible, so ideally an east-facing situation.

Once all risk of frost has passed, put them out in the garden.

Heating the base of your seedlings

We put our seedlings on a horticultural electric blanket, which is a commercial-scale version of a propagator.

This gives our seedlings and cuttings basal heat, which means that the roots are getting the heat they need to grow a strong root system.