I Transplant *Almost* All Of My Seedlings...Here's Why

In today's video, I discuss why I transplant, even though it's very easy in my climate to direct sow most of the year. There are some significant benefits to transplanting that I don't want to give up. Hopefully this video gives you some insight into my methods, and as always feel free to chime in down in the comments.

00:00 - Intro
00:35 - Example Transplants
02:30 - Healthy Seedlings
04:20 - Overgrown Seedlings
04:57 - Protection From Pests
05:51 - Easy Planning
07:24 - Saving Water
08:49 - Planting Through Compost
09:41 - Plants I Direct Sow
11:54 - Outro

IN THIS VIDEO

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DISCLAIMER

[patriciamiller]

I am a 73yr oldster and have tried over many years to have a garden. First was a small area that had been a driveway and I treated the soil (again no experience) babied it and wow a real garden! Really pretty tomato plants zero fruit, radishes are easy for me and turnips. Broccoli was wonderful in my tiny spot of oil abused soil. Now I am further out in the desert with only raised beds and I am now finally trying seed starting. Costs a small fortune buying plants worse these days so I am following you and Kevin I will give it a shot. Thank you for all you are teaching this old woman!

[mammalitts]

Hey Jacques, great video! I pretty much follow the same guidelines you’ve laid out for yourself, except for corn, and my reasoning is this: I want to grow both sweet and flint or popping corn, and when they cross pollinate, it leads to poor quality end product. Since I don’t have adequate distance to separate the varieties by space, I separate them by time instead. First, I look for the shortest possible season sweet corn (which I need anyway here in the PNW); I’ve found a couple very tasty varieties that are only 70 ish days to maturity, Then I select my other corn variety, looking for an 85-95 day maturity. I then start the sweet corn about 3 weeks before I plan to plant in deep starter cells so I can get the seed nice and deep. On planting day, I plant out my sweet corn starts and my flint corn seed. Between the sweet corns shorter maturity window and its head start, sweet is all done pollinating and well on its way to fattening ears before the flint corn even tassels. And in this way, in my average size garden, I can have my corn and eat it too!

[DawnRK]

I have so much more control when sowing in cells rather than direct sowing. Sometimes the critters dig up my sown area. Sometimes I don’t maintain proper moisture. Sometimes I forget I’ve actually sown something and I cover it with compost or leaf mulch. (Happened this year already). Sometimes where I want something to grow is currently growing something else. I use these Lifetime adjustable tables that fold in the middle. I raise them to their highest setting. Four seed pack trays (which each hold 12 of the 6-cell packs) fit on them perfectly. Critters stay off the tables. I have a portable greenhouse my husband built that I keep the trays in until the seeds have germinated. This keeps the birds from snagging those surface-sown seeds (which they have done before).

[overratedprogrammer]

I still remember transferring and watering the transplants in my pap's greenhouse when I was young. Nice memories and taught me a lot

[HS-qfof]

Your content is excellent. You do well with details without getting bogged down. Also, your presentation skills are first rate. No word whiskers or searching about to clarify your point. Nice job.

[Mars]

I've never tried transplanting carrots, however last year I had two full beds corn. One was direct sown and one was sown using a root master system, it's essentially like the epic cells with the aeration ports, however they open up like a clam and have a felt, or cotton ribbon running through that pulls water up from a reservoir that you fill once a week. It's an incredible water saver but also keeps the soil perfectly hydrated moist for seedlings. So what I found was that the test bed with the 'transplants' took off faster and out paced the direct sown and produced marginally better come harvest time. The biggest difference was during the growing period. The transplants performed seemingly better and slightly better harvest, however they were more prone to the wind storm and I did have some pushed over I had to use twine to bring them back to ordered rows. The direct sown recovered from the wind storm without intervention.
This year I'm going to test both method again, plus a third! -In a larger single bed.
For the third method I'm going to try what I have found the best success for sunflowers... The paper cups! (I will simply place the direct sown in the front, because the indoor sown outpace the direct seeded in initial growth.)
In the past the jiffy type cups/cells were made with peat.. nowadays they are made from cellulose fibers and/or Coco coir. I've also tried the Coco coir pucks and as soon as I get a germination in the mini greenhouse I can drop it into a larger cell. There's no transplant shock similar to soil blocks. The roots grow right out of the jiffy pots, and it breaks down in the soil once planted. I've had best success with sunflowers using that system, because when direct seeded the seeds tend to be eaten by birds (something might have nabbed some of my direct seeded corn last year as well, but it could have been just a non-germ 🤷).
If I'm not witnessing birds digging up the sunflower seeds, bugs will munch the seedlings; very few make it. With already established plants, they're much stronger 💪... So the only way I found is to use those jiffy style pots ( this year I'm trying out square 8cm⁴ type instead of the circular ones. I use those bigger ones because tp rolls are two small for the sunflowers. ... We'll see how corn does and compare the three methods - this year doing golden bantam, commonly available Sorte I've never tried. Great tips Jac! Thank you.

[sherrybrown]

This answered a lot of questions I had - with answers I hadn’t come up with yet. Thanks, Jacques!

[waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

Your insights on water preservation when starting seedlings made a lot of sense! Especially if you want to grow a lot of plants!

[robinfitzgerald]

I grew my marigolds — yellow and orange — from seeds from last year’s plants transplanted from indoors. Also propagating their leaves before transplanting. As well as torenia plants. Our heat wave in 8B (South Mississippi) caused many of my marigolds to bend over and crack at the stems while we were away on a trip. I made clean cuts and are successfully replanting them. Have had good luck rooting more marigolds in water from some that are growing very well in a waist-high plant stand my husband built. I’ve also planted leaves and transplanting them as new plants. I’m growing mini bell powers that I started indoors and have successfully planted. Also growing herbs from existing plants and propagating them indoors in water until they have good roots. I’m with you on transplanting! Enjoyed your video.

[robertamiller]

I am new to seeding. I live in Michigan and have had a garden a few years buying starter plants from garden stores. Its March, hopefully not too late to start my seedlings. Both your soil prep and transplanting info have been very helpful. Thanks again!

[karenyhogan]

learned a few new things about why not to just sew a plant into the garden. Thank you Jacque for this class of the day.

[Neenerella]

I never had the space to start such a large variety of seeds as you guys. Direct sewing into two dedicated seasons in the low desert of southeastern Phoenix was the more successful plan for my 25 years: fruit and flower bearing sewn in April for June harvest, root and green bearing sewn in November for February cut n come again greens and late March for roots. I keep trying for my new digs in northern New Mexico, but once again, the direct seeded beets, green beans, pumpkins, Asian eggplant, indigo tomatoes and kale yielded more than the romaine lettuce and broccoli started indoors. I'll keep watching, to see what I can do better. Loved the chicken coop episode.

[clarencesmith]

Great video Jacques! Loved the chill vibe and seeing your garden and the beautiful produce. Appreciated the pros and cons discussion also. Looking forward to more of your content.

[mumstheword]

Love the music choice. Very calming video. Great job!

[biffnolan]

In my short time gardening ( I literally started in August 2023) I’ve realized I like transplanting for the majority of things because I have such rocky soil in my yard. My soil also seems to lack a lot of nutrients, which I’m working on but for the time being it is what it is. Starting seeds in trays and transplanting to bigger pots over time allows me to control the conditions they are being put through, it allows me to control the nutrients in the soil I’m using, I can keep everything in one area so it’s easy to tend to my daily tasks and when the time comes for my plants to go into the ground they’re developed enough that I don’t have to “baby” them so much. Love your videos man, truly been such a help in starting this journey. Keep up the awesome work! God Bless 🙏🏼

[kathrynmettelka]

In "Cool Flowers" Lisa Zeigler has a table where she tells readers what to start indoors and what to direct sow. A lot of seed packets also have this information. Makes it easier for a neophyte.

[caitlinkellar]

The visual examples were so helpful! Thanks Jacques!

[siphomabusela]

Direct seeding on the compost was a huge challenge for me. I initially thought it was a watering issue but later realized the surface area (soil:seed) during germination wasnt enough and the germinating seed would just die before it breaks the soil surface due to dehydration. I suppose it was a watering issue albeit indirect.

[gavinvonmeyer]

Regarding butternut squash... In a small little garden bed, I had some volunteers that grew in there, as the compost I used in the bed had seeds in it... And at about the same time there were also butternuts that I direct planted in the ground... Of which, council workers who came to inspect a drain near the garden area trampled several of the ones in the ground and some others got eaten by birds as soon as they started sprouting... But I had spare wheel butternuts (the volunteers, which I successfully replaced in the same spots of the damaged ones)... So yeah, transplants are can be used as spare wheels too.

[grannygct]

Jacques, thank you for the wonderful video on transplanting seedlings and direct sow. You were so helpful on this topic and really made sense. Perfect video!