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Planting small seeds: |
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1. Stratify the seeds as described above. After 2 weeks, they should be ready to plant. |
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2. Use a moist seed-starting mix to fill your containers. |
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3. Sprinkle the small seeds on top of the soil. (Like you would sprinkle salt or pepper on something.) |
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4. Use your fingers to gently firm the seeds into the surface of the soil. (You don't need to totally bury small seeds.) |
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5. Keep the soil moist until you see new seedlings start to sprout. Some people cover their containers with plastic to make a little greenhouse for this step. |
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6. Once the new green seedlings start to grow, take off the plastic and give them as much light as possible. |
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7. When they are about 2-3 inches high, you can thin them out so they have enough room to produce good roots... see transplanting directions below. |
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Separate crowded seedlings: |
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1. If all of your seeds sprout, your container will be crowded with seeds like this ------------> |
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2. Eventually, they will compete too much for nutrients and prevent each other from growing well. |
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3. Tap the root ball out of the container and gently separate the tangled roots into smaller groups. This is easier if the soil is moist, but not totally wet. |
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4. After separated, these smaller groups can be repotted into their own container where they will have more room to grow. |
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Transplanting seedlings: |
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1. Prepare new containers for your seedlings by filling them to the top with soil mix and poking a hole into the middle of each one with your finger. |
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2. Gently take 1 or 2 seedlings that you separated (see the |
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<-------picture) and place their roots in the hole that you prepared for them. |
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3. Be sure to handle the little seedlings by the leaves, NOT the stems. (They are too fragile) |
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4. Put some new soil mix on top of the roots and firm it up all around the stem. |
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5. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings adjust to their new surroundings. |
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6. Eventually, you should thin them down to one strong seedling per pot. |
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Transplanting the seedlings to the garden: |
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1. Our wild plants are generally ready to go into the garden sooner than the tender annuals that you buy at the garden center. I have had good success putting them out in mid-April (Here in the Chicago area, that is about 1 month before the last frost.) |
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2. Transplants are gently popped out of their plastic containers and placed into prepared holes. They don't need fertilizer. |
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3. Keep the new plants watered for the first month (and through any surprise droughts that might dry them before they develop their root systems) and they should reward you with surprisingly vigorous growth the rest of their lives.... |
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4. Special note: many of our wild plants spend their first year producing strong roots, so don't expect lots of flowers or top growth until their second year. |
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Home |
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Restoration work at Swallow Cliff Woods, |
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G.Kerkstra school garden |
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How to start a school garden |
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Earth Day presentation at the Field Museum |
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Free Seeds |
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Environmentally friendly crafts |
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Favorite Links |