How to Choose Healthy Seedlings

The most important part of growing is the day you visit the garden center 

and select what you are going to plant.  

Are you going to get a 'leg up' on the season or will you 

end up with 'leggy' seedlings that don't perform?

Did you know that much of your success (or lack thereof) in the garden is not even up to you?

Mother Nature notwithstanding, unless you know what to look for 

and how to select the best bedding plants, you could come up short at harvest time. 

How the plant was grown and handled during early growth will determine that plant's health 

and the eventual outcome, ie. your results in the garden.

You will never, ever know the plant's early history.  But you can use some of these

 guidelines we recommend to ensure the best seedlings make it into your shopping cart.

The first thing to know is whether or not you should 

even be buying that transplant.

 No No NO NO NO NO you do not purchase root crops in transplants.

Root crops do not transplant well, and it's unnecessary anyway.

A garden center selling carrots in 6 packs is banking on your inexperience. 

The exception here is members of the onion family, which can be purchased as bulbs or seedlings.

When transplanting, the soil may fall away from onion, shallot, or bunching onion seedlings.  

This is OK and in no way affects the growth.

Rutabaga, parsnip, radish, turnip, daikon, and 

similar root crops should be planted from seed.

Radish seeds can sprout in as little as three days.  You don't need anyone to help you start them.

Peas and beans also are best from seed; peas can be sown early, while

beans need warm soil to germinate and thrive.

Indeed, there are benefits to purchasing transplants vs. seeds.

Read more about selecting seeds or transplants 

HERE 

 Try to find yourself a garden center with a large enough selection of vegetable bedding plants to offer an organic section because here's where you'll most often find a diverse selection. 

Also look for a garden center that grows their own seedlings and bedding plants,

has a knowledgeable staff that gardens and grow themselves, 

and the employees are able to answer your questions. 

If you're thinking that 'big box stores' don't have these perks,

you're absolutely right.  You'll get what you pay for, and sometimes less.

It can be hard to know if plants have been properly cared for when you

are looking at a sea of tomato plants.  It's not always evident.

Sometimes it is.

These poor little plants have been grown warm and fast, may have struggled for light,
and probably over-fertilized to get them big and green for early sale.

Seedlings that are grown too warm suffer tremendous transplant shock, are susceptible to 

wind damage, and are less likely to grow into healthy, robust plants.

Or, it's late in the season and they've outgrown their pots, and are too tall to stand upright.

At this stage, they have no doubt been subjected to drying out and wilting, which
results in a stressed plant that will struggle to regain health before producing.
Not exactly what you had in mind, for sure.

What you are looking for is BALANCE between 
the size of the plant and the size of its container.

These little tomato babies have been grown cool so are stocky and compact.

It takes longer to grow salable sized tomato plants in cool temps but the result 

is a superior product that will transplant and perform well.  

There is more to a potted plant than meets the eye.
Be on the lookout for poorly rooted or root-bound plants.

This illustrates a poorly-rooted plant, and these roots, if planted out,

will struggle to sustain the top growth and the plant's progress would be set back.

 

This photo illustrates a well-rooted plant.

You want to see a network of white roots that are distributed evenly.

Here is a  severely root-bound plant.  

It's hard to see if the plant is in a pot, but it's easy to slip a plant out of its pot to see the roots.

If you're going to check the roots, please be respectful to the garden center and future customers

by asking for assistance.

Another hint that a plant, tree, or shrub may be root-bound is the evidence of 

moss growing on the top of the soil in the pot.  It's common in the nursery business to over-winter perennials and trees.  But not everyone pots up their nursery stock to larger containers, which results in root-bound plants.

This is not to say that you can't cut the roots and refresh the rootball, but you need to know how to recognize a root-bound plant and take the necessary action to ensure its growth and success.

Look also for vegetable plants that are flowering or starting to go to seed.

They're taking one..last..shot..at..producing..seeds before they die in their

plastic pot prison.  Women especially tend to be nurturers.  Unless you have money to spare and
want a project, take a pass on these plants.

Obviously, look for healthy plants with no sign of insect infestations or disease.  

Downy mildew, aphids, or spider mites (shown above) will be happy to come home with you and take up residence with you.   Don't let them.

The same rules apply to purchasing flowers.  

Buy compact plants, and don't worry if it does or does not have a bloom or two on it already.
If it does, you're sure that the color matches what the tag says this way, but once you get it home, pinch the flowers off to let the plant get established in its new pot.  

Flowering annuals that have been grown hot and fast are weak and spindly.  

Sometimes flowers are grown too cool or are over-watered, making them susceptible 

to rot and dampening off.  Above is an example of an overgrown petunia basket.  

It's one thing it if you've not taken care of it properly and it looks like this in late August.
But it should not look like this in May.

Far better to buy a basket that has been taken care of properly, is full and mounding and in a container big enough to allow the plants to grow over the summer months.

It's money better spent and you'll be happier.

And more successful.

Happy Gardening,
Kathy and Patty