Repotting Tomato Seedlings

Today is a mizzly (that's a word, right?) overcast day and while it's cool, it's not cold.  Perfect weather for repotting tomato seedlings.

Health Kick tomato seedlings ready to be repotted.

I seeded them 2 months ago and nearly all the seeds have come up.  They're a little on the leggy side but that's just fine.  Tomato seedlings should be replanted to just below the first seed leaves.  They'll develop roots on all the reburied stem sections, making the plant stronger in the long run.

Tools assembled

My potting shed is a bit of a mess after a winter of neglect, so the first order of the day was to tidy up the bench and assemble all the things I'd need for the job.  The repotting tray is one of a pair I picked up on sale at Lee Valley for $5 each.  The labels were cut from a milk carton and will be marked with a grease marker.  I fill recycled pots with a purchased potting mix and wet thoroughly with a 20-20-20 solution.

tomato seedling ready to put in the pot

With the invaluable plastic knife, I make a good-sized hole in the pot and slip a seedling in, firming gently in place.

Firmed in - ready for backfill

Then I carefully add more potting mixture around the seedling covering the stem to just below the seed leaves and tuck in a label.

Repotting complete

Finally, all the seedlings are repotted and the bench is tidied up.  There are still onion, leek, kale and lettuce seedlings, but they'll all be replanted outside in April.

Seedlings waiting for the sun to come out

Now we just wait for the weather to warm up.  There'll be lots of plants for me and leftovers for friends.  I hope I can remember everyone I promised plants to!