Repotting Seedling Plugs from the Garden Tray

After pricking the seedling plug from the garden seedling tray, the next thing to do is repot it. For most garden plants, repotting is fairly straightforward. Take a stick or use a finger to create a hole on the ground or the pot's soil. Put the seedling's root ball in and backfill with garden soil.

Some garden seedlings though have a more delicate root system where the roots break off easily if mishandled. Sometimes an unintentional sudden tap on the main stem may break young brittle roots. Such is the case for Bougainvillea seedlings grown from cuttings.

Picking Seedling Plugs from the Garden Tray

The use of a garden seedling tray is a practical way to grow garden plants from seeds and cuttings. A garden seedling tray has multiple cells where one can sow seeds or stick cuttings for propagation. Each cell has its own drain hole to let out excess water. Seedlings can be watered with light spraying or sprinkling or even by soaking the entire tray in a soaking tub.

But the most practical use of the seedling tray is the convenience in picking seedlings mature enough for transplanting. Because cells are partitioned in a seedling tray, it's easy enough to harvest seedlings without disturbing the other seedlings in the adjacent cells.

Custom Garden Dibber for Seedling Plugs

Wikipedia defines a dibber or dibble or dibbler as "a pointed wooden stick for making holes in the ground so that seeds, seedlings or small bulbs can be planted. Dibbers come in a variety of designs including the straight dibber, T-handled dibber, trowel dibber, and L-shaped dibber."

Actually, it doesn't have to be made of wood just like the one in the thumbnail. Unlike the usual pointed tool, you can even customize the tool's shape.

The idea behind a customized dibber is simple. Unlike ordinary dibbers, this dibber has a customized head that has exactly the same shape and size of the seedling plug or root ball. In other words, it provides a perfect fit for the seedling's root ball and the hole that will accommodate it.