Here are the four most common mistakes that gardeners make when growing fall transplants. These are key things that you want to keep an eye out for and know how to address.
In the fall, I love to start seedlings on this northeast part of the property under a large jacaranda tree. It's cool and shaded over here. Even still, I'm running into some issues.
1:27 INSECTS
In zones 9 and 10, we start our cool season crops in the fall (usually months before people in colder zones). We can usually do it outside which comes with some risks.
Because insects are still around, seedlings can fall prey to hungry pests. When your plants that are still in trays (ex. not in the ground) get eaten, it's probably due to the cabbage looper caterpillar or a similar insect.
Keep an eye out for droppings, and sometimes you can even find the perp. They love hiding on the bottom sides of leaves and working their way all the way around eating the young leaves.
This is one reason why it's super important to keep an eye on your plants. So if you see this happening, here are some things you can do:
-Bust out the BT
This is an organic insecticide spray that you can use to target cabbage loopers, hornworms, tent caterpillars, gypsy moths, bagworms, and more. Used properly, it does not harm birds, earthworms, or beneficial insects, such as honeybees and ladybugs.
-Get Physical
Sifting through your plants and picking off the caterpillars is 100% organic and chemical-free. It just takes some time. If you have a small garden, that's no problem. This can be a fun activity for kids, especially if you use a black light flashlight at night.
As another preventative measure, you can use a cover too so the moths can't even land on your plants.
6:14 OVERCROWDING
I talked about this a little bit already, but this is a key thing to keep an eye out for, and it's something you can entirely control. This means you need to thin and transplant.
Typically, you only want to have one plant per tray. As they grow, the plants and roots will get tangled.
As plants grow, they need adequate space to grow. Roots shouldn't be going way out of the cell, and they definitely need to be cared for properly if they did grow too far.
This is all about planning and being on top of your maintenance as your seeds pop up.
9:01 NOT ENOUGH SUNLIGHT
Even though your seedlings are small, they need as much sun as possible without burning them. That means you have to think about shade from structures, other plants, and even other seedlings!
Seedlings that aren't getting enough sun will become leggy as they search for the sun. Be very aware of where your plants are situated and how much sun they are getting.
10:06 NEGLECT
You might have picked up on a theme here. All three of the above things could have been prevented if I was more careful with my plants.
Just general neglect can lead to all sorts of issues. Seedlings can suffer from too much or too little sun, water, and nutrients. You want to check in on them at least once per day and pay attention to the signs your plants are giving you.
Regular watering (but not soaking) and fertilizing plants in a sunny & ventilated open area can make a big difference.
If your seedlings are looking anything like these, all hope is not lost! You can totally remedy things, and there is plenty of time to start more seeds too.
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