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thinning your seedlings when they develop their first set of true leaves. These are the second set of leaves the plant will develop. Now is the time to give them a little room to grow.

You can move them to cells, pots, or flats, but be sure you keep them 2-3 inches apart. Fill your new container with your growing medium and make holes for your seedlings. You are going to keep only the best seedlings. Don't pluck or yank on them and avoid handling the roots. Try to keep as much of the root ball intact as possible. Handle only by the leaves.

Move your seedling to the new hole and pack the soil around it. The hole should be deep enough to place the seedling in up to its first set of leaves (not the true leaves). Pack the soil around the roots and stem. And gently water. Now, give it time to recover. It is going through transplant shock, and may look a little puny for several hours.

HARDENING OFF

A week or so before that magical planting day, you need to get the plants ready to be in the great outdoors. This is called hardening off. It is a transition stage between the bubble environment of the indoors to the unpredictable Mother Nature. Start by putting your plants outside 1-2 hours per day. Be sure to keep them protected from extreme heat and wind. They are still babies. Also, because of wind and heat, they will dry out quickly. Keep an eye on the moisture levels. Gradually increase the length of exposure over time. If your plants don't appear to be handling the transition well, reduce the time and let them recover.

TRANSPLANTING

Once your average last frost date arrives, weather permitting, of course, you are ready and clear to plant your seedlings. Pick a day that is cloudy or try late afternoon to plant. This will help you avoid too much transplant shock. Remember, the roots are still fragile, so try to handle the root ball as little as possible. Try to handle by the stem. Dig your hole deep enough to cover the plant up to its first set of true leaves. Put your plant in and pack the soil around to ensure there is good contact with the root and stem. Having it submerged up to the first set of leaves will encourage root growth on the buried portion of the stem.

Learn more about this author, Jenna Marshall.
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