This is part two for this first post.

My seeds germinated. I turned on the overhead light just as soon as I saw green coming up. After a couple of days, I went ahead and transplanted the seedlings to containers.This was nine days after I seeded them. My peppers were slow: I did those five days later.

To transplant, I filled containers up with loosely packed potting mix. I poked a hole in each cell where the plant would go.

From the seedling tray, I worked my finger underneath the soil, loosening the roots and pulling the plant up from the bottom. If I would have pulled on the top it rips the plant from the roots. (So don’t do that.)

Then I placed one seedling in prepared container and pressed the potting mix back in the hole.

They looked very wimpy and sad at first. But I kept them moist the light on and in a couple of days they were perky again. I had 100% transplant rate at this point, unless you count the couple that my baby got into and I had to re-plant. Here they are today:

Final steps for transplants:

• Keep the light on, about two inches above the plants. I’m actually going to go ahead and double up on my lights because some of the plants are getting a bit long and leggy. I turn off the light at night.
• Keep the soil moist, but not soggy.
• Fertilize as needed. My potting mix has a bit of fertilizer in it, I’ll probably put on some slow release granular fertilizer I have on hand in a week or so. The nursery fertigates about one a week…and there are organic options too. If the plants ever have yellow leaves, fertilize.
• Once a transplant has 5-6 leaves, and the weather is right, it is time for hardening off and transplanting.

Just a little note. I actually did a lot of this process this way because of the supplies I have on hand. If you don’t have anything on hand,  you can use different methods, like soil blocking, organic fertilizers, etc. I love to try new more sustainable methods, but it makes sense to use up the materials I already have first. And I’m also a bit lazy.

I just noticed that taking pictures is invaluable. My son ripped out the tags, but there they are, all labeled in the picture.