• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

seeds How Do You Separate Seedlings?

B

Bigoledude

I purchased some seeds. And some of our very generous members have blessed me with some incredible varieties. A couple of my friends tasted some of Shane's (stc3248) powder and, they now want to grow peppers.

If I can gently separate the ones that have two or more seedlings in a cup, I will have more than enough to give my friends some plants. The "cut down the middle" method just seems very harsh to me.

How do y'all separate nice healthy seedlings without damaging them too bad?
 
It's not that hard.
Dipping in water helps untangle roots while removing soil. Shaking soil off and removing with your hands before works to get to that point. The plants might stall out for a week afterwards, but they have a will to survive and most likely will. Just go for it.
Press the new soil around the base a bit, leaving loose everywhere else when replanting. Then water very well. They need a good watering at that point.
Any roots torn will branch out, so it's not a totally bad thing, just don't break the main tap root and you will be good.
More plants to share is a good thing!
 
That is very close to how I do it Vegas, though I will start up to 6 per starter cell. I just work my way from the outside in like you were doing. Just be careful bigoledude, if you go slow you will be fine. I do think they recover quicker if you don't wash them off too, try and keep the soil around the roots intact if possible, it shocks them less.
 
poypoyking said:
That is very close to how I do it Vegas, though I will start up to 6 per starter cell. I just work my way from the outside in like you were doing. Just be careful bigoledude, if you go slow you will be fine. I do think they recover quicker if you don't wash them off too, try and keep the soil around the roots intact if possible, it shocks them less.
Click to expand...

Yeah what he said LOL. Well explained. The less you mess with the roots the less shock. I never experienced shock from any of the ones I've separated.

Poypoyking: I got crushed seed from the mail, and I decided to just dump em in the soil and I got about 7 come up and I separated every single one and they're still growing like mad. I'll post pics later of pre and post surgery as well as actual pics. I used this same method.

Tip #1: when I water I wait about 2 days before attending and that leaves the soil moist,but not soggy and I makes things a lot easier.

Tip #2: I recommend you do this when you get first set of true leaves so the roots won't be so tangled up.

,Vegas



 
I dug chopsticks into the soil an inch away from the smallest plant a few inches deep and levered it out, before placing it into damp soil in a new pot.

Worked well for me.
 
georgej said:
I dug chopsticks into the soil an inch away from the smallest plant a few inches deep and levered it out, before placing it into damp soil in a new pot.

Worked well for me.
Click to expand...

I use a butterknife in one side of the starter cell and just "pry" the whole thing up.
 
I've washed the roots off completely and it doesn't seem to bother them at all. Like said above just dunk them in a bowl of water repeatedly untill all dirt is removed and replant them. Ha, i have a plant from last season that had aphids and i took it in the shower and hosed the shit out of it and scoured it clean. Roots, branches and leaves... Repotted it up and then all the leaves died. I thought i killed it. Lol to my surprise it bounced back and its fine and has no bugs! You'll be fine!
 
Hey Vegas, the video was perfect! Your video and the advice of the other guys has given me the confidence to separate these little suckers. I sure thought there was gonna be a lot more to this.

I don't think I'll ever just cut and throw away any more seedlings that survive. Pepper seedlings are not hard to find a home for. My friends even offered to buy some of the components I use for my seed-starting mix.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top