Planting Annual and Perennial Seedlings: A Complete Guide

Nursery-grown seedlings give you a head start over direct-sowing seeds. Timing depends on plant type and your climate:

• Frost-tender summer annuals (marigold, petunia) and warm-season vegetables (tomatoes, peppers): plant after last spring frost.
• Hardy annuals (pansy, calendula) and cool-season vegetables (lettuce, broccoli): plant 3–4 weeks before last frost, or in late summer for fall/winter harvest in mild climates.
• Perennials in pots or cell-packs: plant in spring or early fall.

Selecting Healthy Plants

Choose stocky plants with good leaf color. Avoid those already in bloom—younger plants establish better. Keep plants moist until planting time. Prepare soil as for seed-sowing; it should be moist but not soggy.

Removing Plants from Containers

Cell-packs

Turn upside down and push plants out from the bottom of each cell with your thumbs.

Pots

Turn upside down, holding the plant between fingers; it should slide out easily.

Flats

Use a putty knife to cut straight down around each plant.

Peat Pots

Plant pot and all—roots grow through the pot, which decomposes. Soak pots in water several minutes before planting. Cover the entire pot with soil; exposed peat wicks moisture away. If covering would bury the plant too deep, tear off the rim to just below the soil level inside the pot.

Planting Steps

1. Dig a hole the same depth as the container and 1–2 inches wider.
2. Gently tease apart matted roots. Cut or pull off any dense mat of coiled white roots at the bottom.
3. Place plant so the root ball top is level with the soil surface. Firm soil around roots and water gently with a fine stream.