Growing one's own garden can be so incredibly satisfying. Though for many people, starting with seeds can be extremely difficult and quite often, unsuccessful. For those who have had no luck with the germination process, starter plugs for plants of all types may be the perfect solution and the beginning of making a gardening dream come true.
A plug is a germinated seed or rooted cutting that has been started in an individual growing compartment of a seedling tray. They have been raised in soil conditions that have just the right nutrients, aeration, and moisture retention, required for the most efficient growth of healthy root system. They can be made from many materials, including mineral fibers, peat, cardboard, or organic substances.
Whether wanting to grow flowers, greenery, vegetables, or succulents, it can be advantageous to begin the garden in this manner. To start with, things come together a lot faster because the most time consuming and crucial growth period is done before it is ever placed into its final container or bed. No time is wasted on seeds that fail to germinate, or those seedlings that are substandard and unable to thrive.
These pods need to be handled with great care until the plant has become well established. When the time comes to move them from their germination tray into their growing pot, this needs to be done with consideration of the tender stage of growth it is currently going through. The move begins with soaking the root ball with water.
The maturation container needs to contain a peat based potting mix that has little to no soil but does use either vermiculite or perlite to help encourage proper drainage. The seedling is them placed in the center at a depth that is the same as the size of the pod so that the root system has room to expand. The mixture is then firmly packed around the stem, being careful not to be rough, and then watered well.
For the next few weeks, the plant should stay in this pot and be provided with the necessary attention that will ensure that it grows strong enough to tolerate outside conditions. Part of the care includes making sure it receives adequate lighting, turning it often to make sure each leaf receives an ample amount of sunlight. It is important that the young seedlings also be protected against extreme temperatures and receive regular feeding of a water soluble fertilizer.
After a few weeks in a protected environment, they need to be hardened off - or conditioned to being outside. For about 10-14 days they need a couple of hours exposure to the outdoors to allow them time to adjust and acclimate to the way they will soon be living full time. After the seventh day, if the plant has done well, it can be left out overnight for the first time.
When they are ready to go into the ground, remember that the stem should be handled as little as possible. A proper planting mix should be used to fill in the hole around the ball to ensure that the root system will be surrounded by proper nutrients, and then thoroughly soaked to encourage the soil to settle into any air pockets. For best results, water with fertilizer initially, and every two weeks after, until well established.
A plug is a germinated seed or rooted cutting that has been started in an individual growing compartment of a seedling tray. They have been raised in soil conditions that have just the right nutrients, aeration, and moisture retention, required for the most efficient growth of healthy root system. They can be made from many materials, including mineral fibers, peat, cardboard, or organic substances.
Whether wanting to grow flowers, greenery, vegetables, or succulents, it can be advantageous to begin the garden in this manner. To start with, things come together a lot faster because the most time consuming and crucial growth period is done before it is ever placed into its final container or bed. No time is wasted on seeds that fail to germinate, or those seedlings that are substandard and unable to thrive.
These pods need to be handled with great care until the plant has become well established. When the time comes to move them from their germination tray into their growing pot, this needs to be done with consideration of the tender stage of growth it is currently going through. The move begins with soaking the root ball with water.
The maturation container needs to contain a peat based potting mix that has little to no soil but does use either vermiculite or perlite to help encourage proper drainage. The seedling is them placed in the center at a depth that is the same as the size of the pod so that the root system has room to expand. The mixture is then firmly packed around the stem, being careful not to be rough, and then watered well.
For the next few weeks, the plant should stay in this pot and be provided with the necessary attention that will ensure that it grows strong enough to tolerate outside conditions. Part of the care includes making sure it receives adequate lighting, turning it often to make sure each leaf receives an ample amount of sunlight. It is important that the young seedlings also be protected against extreme temperatures and receive regular feeding of a water soluble fertilizer.
After a few weeks in a protected environment, they need to be hardened off - or conditioned to being outside. For about 10-14 days they need a couple of hours exposure to the outdoors to allow them time to adjust and acclimate to the way they will soon be living full time. After the seventh day, if the plant has done well, it can be left out overnight for the first time.
When they are ready to go into the ground, remember that the stem should be handled as little as possible. A proper planting mix should be used to fill in the hole around the ball to ensure that the root system will be surrounded by proper nutrients, and then thoroughly soaked to encourage the soil to settle into any air pockets. For best results, water with fertilizer initially, and every two weeks after, until well established.
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