Plant out young plants

Learning objectives

Seeding | Planting | Spacing | Rootball

The roots and accompanying soil when a plant is removed from a container or lifted from the ground.

| Soil | Trowel | Watering | Growth

Preparation

Gather tools and plants, water plants well so they are easy to remove from pots.

Check the plants have been ‘hardened off’ and are ready to plant out (usually about 5–10cm tall).

Check bed is prepared (weed free, dug over and raked level).

Equipment

• Seed packet of plants
• Trowels
• Dibbers
• Spacing rulers
• String
• Kneelers
• Labels
• Pens
• Watering can
• Seedlings
  

  A seedling is a young plant grown from seed.

  to plant

1. Find out the correct spacing to plant out the young plants along the row and between the rows by looking at the seed packet of your plants
2. Using a ruler or string, mark out the row by drawing the edge of the trowel along the ruler
3. Using a trowel or dibber
   

   A small stick used to make holes in potting compost for sowing seeds or transplanting small seedlings. Various items can be repurposed as dibbers, including pencils, plant labels and chop sticks.

   , dig a small hole in the marked row, being careful to place the soil next to the hole. If the soil is very dry, water the hole
4. Gently remove the young plant from the pot or module by squeezing the bottom of the pot to loosen the root ball, then inverting the pot so that the young plant gently falls from the pot into your hand
5. Place the young plant into the hole, making sure the plant is not too deep in the hole. Back fill around the plant with the soil excavated. Gently firm around the plant
6. Work along the row and continue planting by digging the next hole at the correct distance along the row
7. Water the plants in and don’t forget to label the row

• For small plug plants
  

  Seedlings or young plants grown singly in small modules, with the advantage that they can be transplanted with minimal root disturbance. Bedding plants and young veg plants are often sold as plug plants of various sizes, with smaller ones requiring more aftercare. They usually need to be potted up and grown on indoors until large enough to plant outside.

  with small root balls use a dibber
  

  A small stick used to make holes in potting compost for sowing seeds or transplanting small seedlings. Various items can be repurposed as dibbers, including pencils, plant labels and chop sticks.

  to make the planting hole
• Use the length of the trowel or dibber to measure spacing between plants