which seedlings can be earthed up when repotting

[smilingshoe]

Hi all

I'm quite new to this propagating lark, but have thrown myself into it. I've potted on my aubergines and tomatoes, to the first leaves in order to try and make them a bit stronger. However I've also just done this to my chillis too and now I'm not sure whether I should have or not heres a photo



Have I done the wrong thing ? and is this an ok thing to do for all my seedlings ?, at the mo I'm looking at my incredibly leggy italian flat leaf parsley.

I don't want to have spent all these hours and then kill all the different flowers, herbs and veg by doing something wrong

thanks ever so much for your help, I'm learning more with each post I make and read, it' s a great site

[Shadylane]

Chillies I think your safe with - I have done and if I recall correctly they send out roots from the stem as toms do. Dunno about parsley. Maybe try it then sow some more next moth when there's more light

[Kristen]

You can prick-out any seedling and bury it up to its seed leaves, but I am cautious about doing that with Cucumbers and their siblings as they easily suffer from stem rot.

Varieties that are happy to be buried deeper than the seed leaves is much more rare. Tomatoes are fine.

But if you are burying them that deep on pricking out you are putting their existing roots right at the bottom of the "pot" you are planting them in, and they will not grow away as quickly as if you were able to plant them shallower. So its better to raise seedlings which are not leggy to avoid that scenario. Also, if they still don't have enough light after pricking out their will continue to be leggy (the distance between new leaves will be greater than normal) and you won't be able to bury that when you pot on (potting on from 3" to 5", say, only gives you and extra half-inch, or so, depth - so even for a Tomato its not much opportunity to bury them deeper.

[smilingshoe]

Thank you both thats really useful.... Kirsten I was thinking, its a bit late for the chillis I've already transplanted, but what about if I make longer paper pots for the other things, this would give more depth to the "plug" than the normal plug making thingys I've been using. Your right the roots were right at the very bottom of those. In fact do you thing I should transplant all those I've already done into my theoretical longer paper pot plugs ?

[Two_Sheds]

I haven't sowed parsley yet, although now it's March it won't be long. To avoid leggy seedlings, you need to provide enough light.

If you can't, then you need to wait until the days are longer ... sit on those hands!

[smilingshoe]

I know.... I've got ants in my pants, as my grandma would have said. I just can't wait. Can I start my artichokes yet ? I'm not sure whether they should start off in the house or in my very cold unheated greenhouse?

I have a covered enclosed lean to at the side of the house, which is very good for light, but very cold , all the light comes from above though. I know I should hang on a bit but I just can't wait. I think I may have killed my aubergine seedlings this morning with my "upto the the first leaves " malarky, they look very sad and wilty

[Florence Fennel]

Bit more patience needed SS. Pretty sure your transplanted seedlings will be fine and if they're not, it's early enough to sow some more!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Cumbers like toms will throw out extra roots, if you grow in pots you will see the extra roots. I set my cumber seeds in the bottom of very tall pots 6" dia and just over 12" tall. Then as they grow I top up the pot with compost as I find this gives me very strong plants.

I find most problems with cumbers are caused by over watering to early or they are planted without good drainage.

Colin

[bramble]

There is no need to repot your chili plants as they are not as deep-rooted as tomatoes.

[Newton]

How about sweet basil?

[Shadylane]

Well you can propagate basil by sticking a cutting in water until roots grow from the stem, so I don't see why not.