Never do this: common mistakes that kill your seedlings

Growing seedlings is a fun activity and the first step to enjoying fresh vegetables from your own garden. However, sometimes gardeners make mistakes that can result in plants' disease and even death.

Anyone can grow healthy, strong and vigorous seedlings because all it takes is knowledge and desire. The publication Zemlyak shared a selection of the most common mistakes at the seedling preparation stage that prevent gardeners from getting a good harvest.

Low-quality seeds

It's always nice to save some money. However, you shouldn't buy low-quality and cheap seeds because they won't grow into strong plants, not to mention successful germitation.

Wrong choice of soil

Poor quality and wrong soil can not only slow down the development of the plant but also lead to its death. Don't use soil from your garden or orchard for seedlings as it may be infected with diseases and pests.

It is better to prepare the soil mixture yourself or buy it in a specialized store.

Wrong container

Using pots for seedlings that are too small or too large will have a bad effect on the development of the plant. Even if you are lucky and some of the seeds germinate, the seedlings will probably still get sick because the root system will be in unfavorable conditions.

Unprepared seeds

Pre-sowing treatment is very important, especially if you use material of your own production.

Treating seeds that do not need it

If you have purchased high-quality seeds that have already been treated by the manufacturer, then you should not treat them again.

Failure to comply with the terms of cultivation

If the seeds are planted too early or too late, the plants will be underdeveloped and will not take root after transplanting them into the open ground.

Planting the seeds too deep

If you sow the seeds too deeply, there is a high probability that they will not germinate. Therefore, follow the planting instructions that are usually indicated on the package.

Sowing too densely

Dense crops are much more likely to be affected by diseases. In addition, due to lack of space, they develop unevenly, so you can get weak and leggy seedlings.

Improper watering

Do not water the soil immediately after sowing the seeds as they can sink deep into the water.

The seedlings themselves should be watered with settled water at room temperature regularly but not excessively. Waterlogging the soil can lead to root rot and the development of fungal diseases.

Insufficient lighting

Seedlings need a lot of light for normal development. If the seedlings grow in the shade, they will stretch out and weaken.

Since the best daylight hours for plant development are 12-14 hours, seedlings need to be supplemented with special lamps. This is especially important for early sowing.

Incorrect temperature conditions

The optimum temperature for growing seedlings is from 18 to 20 degrees for cold-resistant crops and from 20 to 25 degrees for heat-loving ones. Excessive cold, at best, will slow down the development of seedlings, and heat will cause them to stretch.

Lack of fertilization

Regardless of what kind of crop you are growing, it needs to be fertilized in any case. For this purpose, you can use fertilizer solutions in low concentration.

Failure to transplant in time

Transplanting of seedlings into more spacious containers should be done in time. If this procedure is not carried out at the right time, the plant will be cramped and it will begin to develop poorly.

Most seedlings need to be transplanted when they have two full leaves.

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