by Sowed seeds with the expectation that not all would sprout, and suddenly the germination rate was almost 100%? Excellent result! But what to do with unnecessary vegetable and flower seedlings now?
The first thought is to compact the plantings and get more harvest. But do not rush, not all plants will agree with this arrangement. If you sow seeds too densely, especially of delicate varieties of plants, healthy seedlings will very quickly begin to suffer from a lack of nutrients and poor air exchange. And its absence is an ideal environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora and harmful insects.
In general, we immediately reject this option, it can be fatal for all plants and the future harvest. In extreme cases, it is better to use option 10 instead, which is at the very end of our list. But we are sure that in the process of reading you will definitely find another, more suitable alternative.
1. Set up a greenhouse for extra seedlings
Extra plants can be grown separately, getting more harvest. But since there will be no room for them in the greenhouse, try to quickly arrange a simple film greenhouse. It is advisable to plant the most undemanding crops in it, which are not afraid of some compactness and the special microclimate of the greenhouse.
A slightly denser planting of the following unpretentious compact varieties and hybrids is allowed:
- tomato seedlings – Betta, Alenka F1, Besrassadny, Dei Juanchi, Novichok, Nepas and etc.;
- pepper seedlings – Big Mama, Atlant, Gnome, Gypsy F1, Gemini F1 and etc.;
- eggplant seedlings – Japanese dwarf, Epic F1 and more.
2. Plant some of the seedlings in open ground
Carefully review all the sown plants: perhaps among them there are some that will feel great not only in a greenhouse, but also in open ground? Then the problem is solved: plant them in the beds! Such daredevils can be found among early varieties of tomatoes, and among standard tomatoes, sweet peppers and even among eggplants.
3. Create a container garden
No room in a greenhouse, hotbed or garden bed? Then it’s time to try planting in containers. Yes, such vegetables will require more frequent watering, but they will look aesthetically pleasing and will yield a harvest. And you will be able to move the plants to any part of the plot. But again, do not forget to clarify whether the plants of the chosen variety will withstand container planting.
4. Set up a vegetable garden on a balcony or windowsill
If your balcony or loggia is not too full of things, and the windowsills are not too overloaded with houseplants, leave the excess seedlings at home or bring them back from the dacha to set up a home garden. All you need is high-quality soil and spacious containers, sufficient lighting, watering and fertilizing. If the balcony is open, it is also worth strengthening the protection against pests. This way, you will not have to throw away some of the unnecessary seedlings, the cultivation of which took time and effort.
5. Plant extra vegetable seedlings in the flowerbed
Why not? You will be surprised, but some summer residents successfully practice such plantings when they have an excess of seedlings. Of course, you will still need to find a place for new plants, but if you have it in your flowerbed, try planting there, for example, white cabbage or cauliflower, broccoli, hot pepper. It will turn out original, aesthetically pleasing and appetizing!
6. Sell excess seedlings
Now let’s move on to the options when you have to say goodbye to unnecessary flower and vegetable seedlings forever. And the first of them is to sell them at a local market or through an ad in a newspaper or on the Internet. The most difficult thing is usually to set an adequate price. And here it is important not to overdo it, overstating the cost. Of course, you can calculate how much money you spent on growing these plants. But do not forget that time goes by, seedlings stretch out, take up space. Focus on the average market price, and then buyers will definitely be found.
7. Give extra seedlings
Neighbors in the country and friends who keep a vegetable garden will certainly be happy to receive seedlings as a gift. Seedlings presented with all their heart will definitely take root and yield a harvest. But if you are offered a coin for them, do not refuse. Such are the beliefs of many plant lovers.
8. Exchange extra seedlings
You can offer your gardening acquaintances an exchange of seedlings for other plants, for example, perennial seedlings, shrubs, trees. Or exchange unnecessary seedlings for preserves and pickles, fertilizers, containers for plants, etc. It is also useful to exchange seedlings of different species and varieties.
9. Give away unwanted seedlings for free
Why not give away some of your unwanted plants for free or for a symbolic fee? Of course, they are all grown with great difficulty, but no good deed in this world remains unanswered, you just have to try. If you have no desire to do charity work, there are special applications for mobile phones where free exchange of things allows you to accumulate virtual currency, which you can use to take unwanted and liked things from other people. This is very convenient and also allows you to save the planet’s resources.
10. Put into compost
Of course, you won’t have the heart to put strong, healthy seedlings into the compost heap, but perhaps you’ll still have to send some of the unnecessary and already rather weak seedlings there if you still haven’t decided what to do with them.
Summer cottage forums are full of messages about where to put extra seedlings. Now you know the answer to this question and will be able to successfully place the plants. But we hasten to warn you: there are still possible spring return frosts ahead, the onset of which some plants may not survive. Therefore, you should not immediately get rid of unnecessary seedlings, they may still end up in the beds, replacing their less fortunate “comrades”. Well, and, of course, you should not say goodbye to the seedlings until you have completely planted the entire garden and are sure that some of the plants are definitely unnecessary.
And also, if you keep domestic rodents or other pets and decide to feed them surplus plants, remember that the stems of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants are poisonous and should not be given to animals as food. But cabbage seedlings can be safely used for this purpose. As for seedlings of flower crops, it is better not to experiment here.
