I'm starting my seeds in a covered container, but I've been struggling with transplanting them into small pots. As soon as I move them, they go limp and ultimately die. This happens with every vegetable I've tried so far. I'm located in Nova Scotia, Canada, and I'm wondering what I might be doing wrong. Any advice?
3 Answers
Have you thought about acclimating your plants to the open air before transplanting? Gradually exposing them to indoor air can help them adjust better. Instead of going from covered to open all at once, just slowly introduce them to the outside climate.
You might be dealing with too much humidity if you're keeping the seedlings covered for too long. I usually take them out of the humidity dome as soon as they germinate because the leaves need to breathe. Too much moisture can suffocate them, even if they seem okay initially. It's worth checking if the transplanting process is the real issue or if the humidity levels are affecting them more.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's going wrong without seeing your method, but there are a few things to consider. Have you tried it with tomatoes? They're usually pretty tough, and even the ones that end up in my compost pile tend to survive! Make sure when you're removing them, you're being gentle – flipping the container over so the seedling slides out can help. Also, check if you're pushing the soil too hard around the roots or maybe forgetting to water it promptly after transplanting. Handling them too much during the transfer can also stress them out.
I find tomatoes to be the most delicate too, haha!