Do you have to start plant seeds in small containers?
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JLeslie (
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June 24th, 2022
from iPhone
I just transplanted my lemon tree plants. I felt like it was stressful for them. They are about 18 inches high now. I started them from a lemon I bought in the supermarket. I put the seeds into a pot that used to have basil. I think the plants have been growing for over a year (I haven’t kept track) and the small pot was way to small when I finally transplanted the plants today. The plants are very close together and eventually it’s not going to work well I don’t think with the plants so close.
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4 Answers
No you can direct sow into the soil in your garden or wherever. It’s always stressful when you move a plant & they might look sickly for the next several days. Just keep them watered well. You might lose one due to the stress, but don’t go crazy trying to fix the problem. They will settle in to their new environment soon.
DON’T move any of the trees to fix the being too close together problem as that will probably be more stress than they can handle this soon or you could lose ALL the trees you move!!! Give them some time to acclimate to their new home & then you can go back & move to a more acceptable spacing. Let their ability to grow determine when is the safest time to make that move.
In general, transplanting is a manageable but significant stress on plants. I know nothing of growing lemons, but if you’re somewhere warm enough for them, you can probably direct sow them to better results. I only transplant when I’m trying to get a plant started while there’s still a chance of frost. That said, if the plant does well and gets established free from competition and doesn’t mind being inside all year, they’ll probably be strong enough to thrive through the transplant.
Agreed that you don’t move them, at least not this year, and even then, it’s fraught. Picking your best plants and thinning may be advisable before they get in each other’s way.
I might put it outside for a week or two so it gets more sunlight.
Kudos for growing for seed – when life gives you lemons, make more lemons! I’ve done it with jalapenos and wax peppers with mixed results. Sometimes I wonder if the jalapenos are sterile hybrids with intentionally dud seeds.
I don’t have a huge amount of experience, but I have transplanted seedlings and shrubs and sod with success. Not fruit trees, but a friend of mine does it with 5 foot tall pear trees.
In all cases, I give the transportee LOTS of water and sun. When you say they are close together, can you distance them? I do that with herbs and flowers, where I pull one tangle of roots into separate plants. Obviously a much larger scale, I don’t know what young lemon tree roots look like.
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