Last week we learned which plants are easy, difficult and impossible to transplant. Once we had an understanding of how to start our seeds that will be easy to transplant we can begin starting fussy plants. Plants that are “fussy to transplant” don’t like their roots to be disturbed. By transplanting when they are still young we can avoid disturbing the roots. In the next few weeks we will release a Secret of Seeds episode detailing transplanting our fussier plants. If you want to refresh your memory of the easy, difficult and impossible plants to transplant you can read our previous blog post Starting Seeds Indoors. Let’s begin starting fussy plants such as cucumbers, beets and squash seeds in this episode of the Secret of Seeds Series.

Timing is critical to planting your fussy plants. You should transplant 2-4 weeks after you start them to avoid the roots winding tightly at the bottom of your pot. Their are three pots that I would recommend for starting your seeds in. Peat pots are biodegradable so you can plant the entire pot when you transplant. This is the best way to start fussy plants. You can make newspaper pots as well. These are also biodegradable and make transplanting easy. In this Secret of Seeds Episode I demonstrate rolling the paper pots. All you need is a tin can the size you would like your pot to be and a strip of newspaper about three inches tall and two feet wide. The third option is to use nursery flats for starting fussy plants. In the next couple of weeks I will show you the trick to transplanting from nursery flats and pots in a way that doesn’t disturb the roots.These three options will all work beautifully for your seeds. The secret to success is your soil mix.

Your seedlings will need oxygen and moisture. The biggest mistake you can make is to use the dirt from your backyard. This soil is not conducive for starting fussy plants (or any plants for that matter)! There are some seeds that will not germinate if certain nutrients are present. I will show you my families secret seedling soil mix that allows for the oxygen, moisture and eventually nutrients that the seedling will need. The seedling soil mix is three parts peat moss or coconut coir to one part sand and one part perlite. At the bottom of the container place a layer of organic compost about 1/4 inch thick. Once the roots of the seedling reach this layer of compost is the exact timing they will need to have those key nutrients.

When planting your seeds their is a general rule to help you know the depth to plant them. Seeds generally like to be planted at a depth that is three times their width. I prefer to drop my seeds into the pot and then sift my soil mixture in my hands over the seeds. Water your pots by placing them in a tub of water so the soil can wick up the moisture and not disturb the seeds. Create a tag for your pot recording the date and type of seeds planted. Then cover with plastic wrap with holes poked in the top to allow for the soil to breathe. Most seeds prefer to germinate at 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the best places to germinate seeds is on top of your refrigerator.

You can discover our germination chamber that holds up to 143 trays of seedlings at a time below.

Starting your fussy transplants should be easy now that you have watched the training video. Please leave your questions in the comments or email your questions to me at thelivingfarm@tds.net. I want to see your high performance garden succeed! How is your garden doing? Send me some pictures of your seedlings and how you are preparing your soil? Once you have started your fussy to transplant seedlings share this with the struggling gardeners in your life. There are so many people who desire the gardening support that you can easily give them!

Until the next High Performance Garden Training Video may your garden be easy, fun, productive and always organic!

Lynn Gillespie

Email me your fussy transplant questions. It would be an honor to help you get your garden started.

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