Strong seedling root growth

4th March 2024 blog post

blue peter bean seedlings just before plantingblue peter bean seedlings with strong roots just before planting

This is just follow up from a previous article on protecting seedlings to prevent transplant shock. I put all the advice into practice. The seedlings of the first bean alley planting seem to be surviving our daily gales thus far. But something else interesting has happened in the meantime.

desperate for planting spacedesperate for unused planting space
32 bean plants in a row32 bean plants against the garage wall

I was watering the bean seedlings with a mix of nutrients made up of fermented kelp and hive residue, because I heard that a very weak sugar solution can stimulate root growth.

5 Days after the first planting I planted up the second bean alley. I hope it will do better as its protected from the wind and the wall is soaked in early winter sunshine, so I may get the last late bean crop out of it.

bean seedling showing strongly developed roots bean seedling showing strongly developed roots

As you can see in the header photo, the seedlings were looking pretty strapping. When I popped them out of their pockets to plant them, they had the most wonderful root growth I've seen on such young seedlings. We seem to have a solution here. The plan is to reduce transplant shock by inducing strong root growth, hardening off and thorough watering before and after.

When I planted them today they had been watered daily with a weak honey and kelp ferment for about 10 days in total. The root growth was gratifying. I see this is the first time I've ever written about roots. I hope its a sign that I'm maturing as a gardener.

close up of strong seedling roots

I will get back to you about the progress of these seedlings and the ones I planted with protective leafy twigs as soon as there is something to report, or else, routinely on the 4th of every month. 

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