Blog / How-to

Potting on spring seedlings the simple way

Seedlings tell you when they have outgrown the tray: roots circling the drainage holes, growth stalling, lower leaves yellowing. Potting on — moving them to the next size up — buys several more weeks of strong growth before they face the garden.

Water the tray an hour beforehand so the mix holds together. Fill the new pot with fresh seed-raising or potting mix, make a hole with a dibber or pencil, and lift each seedling by a leaf, never the stem. Set it at the same depth, firm gently, and water in with a fine rose.

Aftercare matters more than technique. Keep fresh pots out of direct midday sun for a few days, shelter them from Canterbury's spring nor'westers, and feed lightly once true leaves are growing strongly. Harden them off — a week of days outside, nights in — before planting out after the last frost risk, usually mid to late October.

General guidance only. Call 03 381 1008 if you would rather have beds planted for you.