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How to Separate Seedlings After Germination

April 9, 2022 by Stephanie Leave a Comment

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All your garden seeds were started a couple weeks ago, and you just started seeing seeds pop up! It’s such an exciting time! Now it’s time to separate seedlings when more then one has germinated.

If you missed my video on how to start seeds at home, make sure to check that out.

Since I always put 2 seeds in each container, just in case one doesn’t germinate, there is some added work when both seeds germinate. You don’t want to keep both of them in one container or you won’t get strong roots as they compete with each other.

how to separate seedlings pinterest cover

You can simply snip one plant and let the other keep growing, or you can do what I like to do and separate them to their own containers!

Why do I need to separate them?

When you have more than one seed germinate in the same container it is very important to separate the seeds. This will ensure that your crowded seedlings have plenty of space to grow.

If you allow your seedlings to remain crowded together, they will eventually end up competing with each other. Meaning that as they mature, their growth will be stunted.

small seeds just sprouting up

If you want good strong plants, you need to give them a proper place to grow and get strong!

When is it time to separate my seedlings?

When your seedlings grow their second set of leaves, it is time to separate them. This ensures that they are strong enough to be handled. I explain in the video below, what I mean by the second set of leaves.

seedlings in a tray

You want a good root base to be in place before handling your tiny delicate seedlings. Which is why it is important to wait for your plant to get its second set of leaves.

This usually takes about 2-3 weeks depending on what you are growing and if you are using lights. It seems the grow lights makes the seeds germinate faster, which then means they are ready to be separated faster.

Come take a look at how I separate my seedlings here:

Disclosure: My posts contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You won’t pay a penny more, but I will receive a small commission.

When I separate my seeds, I like to separate them into bigger cups, so I don’t need to mess with them again before transplanting. These seedling cups I got on Amazon are a great size and I save them year after year. You can also use red solo cups with a hole drilled in the bottom for drainage!

Separating seeds is so simple and a good way to not waste seeds! One thing to remember is, be gentle with your little seedlings. They are very delicate at this stage, and you want to give them the best opportunity to grow big, strong, and healthy!

Make sure to follow along with our journey on Instagram for daily life on the ranch!

Filed Under: Garden Tagged With: garden life, gardening, homestead garden, seedlings, separating seeds, starting seeds

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Stephanie is a simple living mom of 3 girls, a ranchers wife, and a gluten free from scratch cooking enthusiast. For the past 5 years she has been on a journey of creating a simple, healthy, sustainable life for her family. Using what she can grow, raise, and preserve on her own land to provide what her family needs is a passion she loves to share.   Read more about Stephanie  here.

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