What's the BEST way to do this without shocking (where it "wimps" during the day, and recovers overnight, only to repeat the next day) the removed one? The Gotch

This may seem counterintuitive, but have the soil on the dry side before you separate, the roots will separate out easily and more cleanly than if they are clinging to soggy soil which will break them off when you pull. Bury them up to just below the cots when you replant them. Then you can water them heavily after they are in the new pot. If any of mine wilt, they usually recover within an hour or two at the most, and do not wilt the next day.

I use a fork to gently separate the seedlings and remove most of the original seedling soil. As far as the "Shocking" goes a lot of that has to do with the type of soil mix you transplant into. Also it helps if you give them "a rest" for 24 hrs. after transplanting which means low light and moderate moisture. Those seedlings need to go deep into a tall pot.

slightly dry is the way to go, NOT bone dry mind you.
just dry enough so when i pinch the bottom of the cell pak, the seed starter that they are in
basically falls apart and leaves mostly roots once i work it with my fingers. i have almost derooted
a plant, accidentally and the plant survived without any issues. when seed starter is moist, is when
roots start getting ripped off, but generally speaking once seedlings shake off the shock, they bounce
back after a couple days. maybe keep farther away from grow lights if the lights are throwing off heat. that may help.
still have to transplant cherry tomatoes, and some late started plants here aways.

in addition, i try to separate once plants have their first true leaves. stems are strong enough to handle manipulation.
your plants look rather large. i would suggest separating them sooner. that should speed up recovery time.

keith

I can never separate seedlings without using my bare hands. Makes it easy to be gentle. I never had any wilting, as long as I use my bare hands. Otherwise I'm too clumsy.
I fill the new pot completely, then make a hole in the middle, with a finger or two or three depending on the size of the transplant. Scoop out your transplant and let the dirt pull the root down into the hole, then close it in. These could be planted deep, so make it a deep enough pot if you have one. As deep as you can is a good idea.
I used to always water in as soon as transplanted but depending on your temperature and how moist your potting mix, it can be quite okay for tomatoes to wait a day to be watered in. If I have any doubt about soil leaving air pockets around the little roots, I water them in with a mister, and just mist them hard and deep enough to get some dirt around all those little roots without compacting the new potting mix.

fingers and plant deep right up to the real leaves.

I rip the root ball into halves or thirds, depending, drop each seedling into the next pot on a half inch or so of mix, steady the stem while I add mix up to the seed leaves firming as I go, water, and forget about them for a few days.

Yak54 wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 3:38 pm Also it helps if you give them "a rest" for 24 hrs. after transplanting which means low light and moderate moisture.

Appreciate you's bringing that up; I'd always thought that, with cautious optimism...I'm a gonna try it!

The Gotch

Yak54 wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 3:38 pm I use a fork to gently separate the seedlings and remove most of the original seedling soil.

Any FORK in particular...? https://www.google.com/search?q=many+di ... s-wiz-serp

The Gotch

DriftlessRoots wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 5:26 pm I rip the root ball into halves or thirds, depending, drop each seedling into the next pot on a half inch or so of mix, steady the stem while I add mix up to the seed leaves firming as I go, water, and forget about them for a few days.

In previous years I would buy store bought plants that were 2 in a pot for extra value and separate them like that as soon as I got home.

I use either my fingers or fork depending on circumstances and my whim. It doesn’t have to be a special fork. I sometimes use one from my kitchen and sometimes a sturdy plastic fork that I saved from takeout food.

Cornelius_Gotchberg wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 7:01 pm

Yak54 wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 3:38 pm I use a fork to gently separate the seedlings and remove most of the original seedling soil.

Any FORK in particular...? https://www.google.com/search?q=many+di ... s-wiz-serp

The Gotch

I likewise use an ordinary dinner fork at times if needed.

Hey Gotch, ever watch Craig Lehoullier pot up his seedlings? Every time I'm doing this, I think of how "carefully" he handles the seedlings.

https://youtu.be/nLbeZEcz3sw?feature=shared

I use a small 3 prong meat fork. And I agree what has been said about having the soil on the dry side. All of this is helped out if you are using a very light fluffy seed stating mix which makes it easier to separate the seedlings.

If I remember Craig used to use Metro-Mix which is light and fluffy and makes it pretty easy to separate seedlings. Looking at the first picture you posted of your seedlings the soil mix looks to be very dark and possibly heavy. If it is heavy then your problems are magnified. If it isn't then forget what I said and chalk it up to the rantings of a borderline senile old man and pay no attention to anything I may say.

rdback wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2024 10:40 am Every time I'm doing this, I think of how "carefully" he handles the seedlings.

Hey Zeus Alou...if it's good enough for Lehoullier, it's good enough for me!

While I couldn't treat my babies like that, mine are farther along and it's good to know that they're more resilient than I thought.

The Gotch

Cornelius_Gotchberg wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 7:01 pm

Yak54 wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 3:38 pm I use a fork to gently separate the seedlings and remove most of the original seedling soil.

Any FORK in particular...? https://www.google.com/search?q=many+di ... s-wiz-serp

The Gotch

I use this little homemade plastic fork gadget on small seedlings that usually have their first true leaves.



It gently lifts them out really well with a little soil still on the roots. As @bower said, the weight of that little bit of soil pulls the seedling right down into the hole. Flip the fork around and use the other end to pull more soil to the seedling to fill in the hole.

Cornelius_Gotchberg wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2024 11:05 am

rdback wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2024 10:40 am Every time I'm doing this, I think of how "carefully" he handles the seedlings.

Hey Zeus Alou! While I couldn't treat my babies like that, it's good to know that they're more resilient than I thought.

The Gotch

You have to remember that He used to grow 1500 seedlings and if he took the same amount of time you and I take to pot up the 3 dozen or so we grow it would take him 2 weeks to get the job done so he developed production methods to speed things up.

Here are a few I did recently...

Yak54 wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2024 11:26 amHere are a few I did recently...

Coupla mine are way bigger than that.

The Gotch