Little Garden seedlings are a fun way to start your gardening journey. Once your seeds have grown into seedlings, you can start to think about planting them outside and watching them grow even bigger! If you don't have a vege patch already, or if space is short, pots or growing bags are great portable options.
Below are some of our top gardening tips to help you grow, but remember to have fun!
The top 4 things you'll need for a healthy vege patch
Planting Calendar
Getting your seedlings ready for the outdoors
When the seedlings are taller with at least 2 sets of leaves, they will soon be ready to move into a bigger pot or garden. If more than one little plant grows, you can thin it by choosing the strongest looking one and removing the others.
Seedlings are delicate, so it’s best to get them used to being outside before planting in the garden. Put your seedlings in a warm and sheltered spot outside for 1-2 hours a days for 5 days, leaving them outside for a little longer each day before you shift it out into the garden forever.
How to prepare your vege patch
Dig over the garden space to lift up any hard soil and to help you remove any old plants/roots that might be hidden underneath. This will provide a soft and welcoming garden bed for your seedlings to enjoy.
Tips for re-potting your seedlings
Most vegetables, herbs and flowers are suited to being outside in a vege patch, but most can grow well in large pots too – just make sure the soil is kept moist and that the pot is deep enough for the roots. Repot your seedlings early in the morning or late in the day so the plants aren't exposed to the hot sun straight away.
- Water the soil before you repot, this makes transplanting seedlings easier.
- Use a small trowel to dig a small hole in your garden or pot. Remember to put a stake in the ground for plants that will grow tall, like tomatoes and capsicums.
- Use a teaspoon to gently dig out the seedling. The roots and stems are delicate, so don’t pull or grab the seedling by the stem.
- Place the seedling into the hole and the give your newly homed seedlings a gentle water to help them settle.
Tip: If more than one seedling has grown close together, gently tease the roots apart to separate them. It’s important give each seedling enough room to grow.
Tip: You can place the whole Little Garden pottle into the soil, as this will break down letting the roots grow. If you do this, make sure to thin the seedlings, otherwise they may not have enough space apart to grow. Make sure the pot is completely under the soil and the top lip is not left sticking out of the ground.
Tui tips for caring for your seedlings
Well watered, well nourished plants will not only produce tastier crops, but will have a better chance of keeping insect pests and diseases at bay.
Plants use up nutrients as they grow so make sure to replenish these over the growing season. Using a nutrient rich mix like Tui Vegetable Mix along with some compost will help with this.
Bugs, slugs, snails and birds love to snack on veges and their leaves! Be vigilant protecting against these pests. Keep an eye out and pick them off plants when you see them. You can also try some easy, homemade pest repellent.
Keep on top of weeding as weeds can harbour overwintering insect eggs and fungal spores. Weeds also use nutrients from the soil that your plants could be using.
Keep your garden well watered. Regular deep soakings are better than shallow watering. Water early in the day or later in the evening, taking care to water the soil not the foliage where possible, to limit encouraging disease. Collect rainwater in buckets or barrels to help save on water.
Thanks to Tui Garden
More gardening tips
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Growing from seeds FAQs
How long will the seeds take to sprout?
With the right care and attention, most seeds should sprout within 1-2 weeks of being planted, though some may take longer.
Do I have to put the whole seed mat in the soil?
Yes, the seed mat is only small. Fill the little pot with the soil to almost the top. Place the whole seed mat on the soil and then fill the pot with the rest of the soil, covering the seed mat.Do I have to use all of the seeds in the sachet?
No you can plant a couple at a time if you like, but for better results plant all of them and then separate them when re-potting them into a bigger pot or garden.Where should I put my seedlings to grow?
Place them on a tray or plate in a spot inside with plenty of light and good airflow, but not in direct sunlight.
How do I prevent mould on the Little Garden seedling tray?
This product is made out of natural sugarcane material. It is water resistant not waterproof. Due to the natural material used, mould could appear on the product. To avoid this happening ensure that the tray is placed in plenty of sunlight, with good airflow and away from humid conditions.
Can I put the seeds in a green house?
After you've planted the seeds into the little pots you can put the pots in a green house and this should help the seeds to sprout. Please water the little pots frequently at the beginning.
Can I put the seeds directly in the soil outside?
For the best results it’s recommended that you put them in the little pot first until they germinate and sprout. When the little plant is big enough, provided the conditions are warm enough to grow that Little Garden crop outside, you can shift it into the garden, but don’t plant it anywhere that’s too cold or windy, and you’ll need to take steps to protect the seedling against pests e.g. snails.
Can I use potting mix instead of the soil tablet?
Yes, but it’s recommended you use the soil tablet because it’s been specially formulated to grow seeds.
Do I have to remove the seeds from the mat?
No, you shouldn’t remove the seeds from the little seed mat. The seeds should sprout from the mat, which is made from biodegradable paper.
How many times do I have to water them?
While the seeds are sprouting into little plants, mist with water once or even twice a day. It's important that the soil isn’t too dry or too wet.
Do I have to use compost or plant food?
No you don’t. When the plant is growing in the garden or a pot, you might want to use compost or plant food. But it’s not necessary until then because all the food the plant needs is in the soil. -
Re-potting and re-planting FAQs
How do I know when to re-pot the plants into a bigger pot or the garden?
You can find the right time to plant each seed variety on their specific cardboard wrapper and in the table on the Little Garden collector tray accessory if you have one. Most of the seeds should have sprouted into plants that are a few centimetres high and have some sets of leaves before you need to re-pot or re-plant and sometimes the roots may also have grown too big for the little pot supplied.
What do you mean “re-planting”?
Once the seedlings have sprouted and grown too big for the little pots we have provided as part of the Little Garden seedling kit, they will need to be re-planted in bigger pots or, if it’s warm enough, in your garden.
How do I re-pot my plants inside?
1. Find a bigger pot with holes in the bottom for drainage.
2. Prepare some potting mix by loosening and slightly wetting it.
3. Dig a hole about 5cm deep (or 3cm deep if removing the seedling from the little pot).
4. Put the entire little pot with the seedling in the hole. If removing the seedling from the little pot to re-plant, handle with care.
5. If planting multiple plants, leave enough distance between them.
6. Make sure the original little pot is completely buried under the soil if you have left the seedling in the little pot to replant.
How do I re-plant my plants outside?
1. Wait until the weather outside is warm enough for what you want to plant (there are full details on when each seed type can be planted outside on LittleGarden.co.nz)
2. Find a spot that’s not too exposed to the weather.
3. Prepare the soil by loosening and slightly wetting it.
4. Dig a long hole about 5cm deep (or 3cm deep if removing the seedling from the pot).
5. Put the entire little pot with the seedling in the hole. If removing the seedling from the pot handle with care.
6. If planting multiple plants, leave enough distance between them.
7. Make sure the original little pot is completely buried under the soil if you’ve left the seedling in the little pot to replant.
Can I put the re-potted plants outside?
Yes, as long as the temperature is warm enough for that Little Garden crop.
When can I put the little pots in the garden?
The best time for re-potting is set out on the cardboard wrapper for each Little Garden seedling kit. Some plants will grow slowly and might even die if you plant them outside when it is too cold.
Does it matter what sort of pot I use to re-pot the seedling?
No, just as long as it has drainage holes.