Are your tomato seedlings getting a little leggy? Do you still have some time before your last frost date has passed? Here is how and why I transplant my tomato seedlings in the spring.
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At this point in the season, my tomatoes are coming along nicely. They have actually outgrown their 3.5" pots that I transplanted them to from the starter trays. It is still a little too early to put them into the ground, so instead, I transplanted them into 6" pots.
Why You Should Transplant Tomato Seedlings
Transplanting tomato seedlings a couple of times throughout the spring can actually be really beneficial. If your plants are getting leggy, no problem. The deeper you transplant them, the more opportunity they will have for growing new roots all along the stem that is in the soil. The root system gets stronger each time you transplant.
How to Transplant
I used organic potting soil for this transplant to larger pots. When I first started my seeds, I used seed starting mix because it has a light and fluffy texture. At this point, the tomato roots are strong enough to handle a regular potting soil.
You can use a butter knife to loosen the seedlings from the pots. I use a small pot that is flexible so it is pretty easy to get them out.
Put the tomato seedling into the bottom of the larger pot. Fill the pot with potting soil. You want to cover the stem all the way up to the bottom leaves, if not further. You can always pull off the two bottom leaves to get the plant a little deeper into the soil.
Don't forget to add your plant marker so you don't forget what variety of tomato you have planted.
Make sure to water, and you're all set!
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3.5 inch pots I really like these flexible pots for my first transplant. After starting seeds in starter trays, my seedlings go in these.
6 inch pots Any pot around this size will work. These particular pots seem really durable and sturdy. They have plenty of depth for transplanting tomato seedlings.
Plant Marker Don't forget to mark the variety of plant!
Soil Scoop If you don't want to get your hands dirty, a soil scoop is a great tool.
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