Sowing from seed can be a great way to grow your garden, but for many of us it can be difficult to find the right space, temperature and light inside for successful germination. Buying young or small plants is a great alternative to growing from seed or taking cuttings as all the initial work has been done for you. Another plus is that you only buy what you need rather than having 50 tomato plants germinate successfully that you don’t know what to do with!
Seedlings
Seedlings are the early-stage growth of a plant and tend only to be purchased through mail order although some garden centres do have them. They will need potting on (moving into a slightly larger pot) as soon as you get them. Ideally use module trays where each seedling has its own space and where they can develop their own root ball. Which will make planting out easier and more successful.
Always use a good peat free multi-purpose compost such as Miracle-Gro® Peat Free Premium All Purpose Compost rather than a seed compost for this stage as this will ensure strong, healthy plants that will perform well in the garden. Keep them inside somewhere warm and in good overall light, but out of direct hot sunlight, and keep the compost moist, but be careful not to overwater.
As they grow, they might need potting on again before they can go outside and always harden them off before planting out. This means exposing them to outdoor temperatures by putting them outside during the day and bringing them in again at night for about 10-12 days.
Plug plants
Plug plants are more mature and are larger than seedlings. They can be purchased from most garden centres but like seedlings, won’t be ready to go outside until the danger of frost has passed and will also need hardening off.
Depending on their size (different suppliers provide various plug plant sizes), they should be potted up individually into 7.5-10cm (3-4in) pots using a good multi-purpose compost.
Grow them on indoors with the right temperature and good light until they’ve filled the pot with roots and they’re ready to plant out into their permanent position. If the weather is not right, you might need to pot them on again. Keep the compost moist, but don’t overwater.
Bedding plants and vegetable plants
These plants are larger again and have been grown on for longer and are normally ready for planting out into their permanent positions – whether that’s beds and borders, containers or hanging baskets. They’re usually supplied in 7.5-10cm (3-4in) pots, and you will find a wide variety of choice from garden centres and DIY stores.
Although more expensive than buying seedlings and plugs, all the hard work has been done for you and there should be no hardening off needed and success is much more likely.
If you do buy bedding plants during a cold spell, then you will need to protect them until the weather warms up but always wait until the end of May before planting out any size of young summer bedding or vegetable plant. Try not to be tempted by the displays in the garden centres if frosts are still likely before the weather warms up.
If planting in containers, always use fresh compost such as Miracle-Gro® Peat Free Premium All Purpose Compost and if planting up hanging baskets it’s a good idea to use a moisture retentive compost such as Miracle-Gro® Peat Free Premium Moisture Control Compost for Pots & Baskets.
Water in well and never allow the compost to dry out. Although a good quality peat free compost will have plant food added, it’s recommended to start supplementary feeding after 6 weeks or once lots of flowers, fruit or veg are being produced.
If planting veg in the ground its recommended that you enrich the soil with organic matter a few weeks before planting or add a granular feed such as Miracle-Gro® Peat Free Premium Fruit & Vegetables Compost with Organic Plant Food after planting. Water in well and make sure they don’t dry out.
