I finally got my first 50 native plant seedlings to sprout this spring

After three years of trying to grow milkweed and goldenrod from seed, I hit 50 healthy sprouts this week. I used a mix of cold stratification in my fridge and a cheap heat mat from Amazon. It surprised me because I usually kill everything in the propagation stage. Now I'm wondering if anyone else has tips for moving them to bigger pots without shocking the roots.

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan_brown301mo ago

Hold up on the spoon method, I actually had better luck just dunking the whole pot in a bucket of water for a few minutes so the soil slides out easier without tearing anything.

vera1951mo ago

Oh yeah, soaking it first makes the whole root ball slip right out...

angelarivera1mo ago

50 sprouts is legit for a first real go at it. I'd say use a spoon or fork to lift the whole root ball out gently. Less shock that way, just keep the soil clump together.