When to put germinated seeds in the sun?

Although it is hard to believe, preparing the seedbed, filling it with soil, placing the seeds and then putting them in an area where they can germinate, is the easiest. The complicated and, from my point of view, more exciting, comes later, when it comes to maintenance tasks to get the seeds to germinate.

I think that at some point we should all sow, whatever, flowers, vegetables, or whatever we like the most, because there is nothing like doing everything possible to get ahead. Now once they sprout, When do you have to put them in the sun?

Table of Contents

  • 1 What are the plants that need sun?
  • 2 When to put the germinated seeds in the sun?
    • 2.1 When to put seedlings that already have leaves in the sun?
  • 3 Tips for caring for seedlings

What are the plants that need sun?

There are many plants that need sun

Before answering the initial question, it is important to be clear that not all plants are sunny, nor are they all shade. Although all the seeds are in an area where there is clarity (some more than others), there are some that must be put in sunny places and others on the contrary in protected areas.

Starting from this, we have to be clear about what we are sowing, and what their needs areSince, for example, if we sow carnations in the shade, the future seedlings will not grow well unless we expose them to the sun as soon as possible. For this reason, and so that problems do not arise, below we will tell you some sun plants:

  • Ornamental trees and shrubs: rose bushes, viburnum, lilac, linden, jacaranda, love tree, brachychiton, flamboyant, fotinia, etc. 
  • Edible and aromatic: almost all: lettuce, parsley, pepper, tomato, spearmint, mint, lavender, thyme, etc. Also practically all fruit trees, only some, such as chestnut, can be in semi-shade.
  • Palms: almost all, except Chamaedorea, Chambeyronia, Howea (kentia), Archontophoenix, Dypsis, Cyrtostachys. 
  • Flores: carnation, sunflower, calendula, impatiens, gerbera, gazania.
  • Succulents (cacti and succulents): almost all succulents sold in nurseries are sun, except Haworthia, Gasteria, Sempervivum, Sansevieria, Schlumbergera or Epiphyllum. 
  • Climbers: jasmine, bougainvillea, wisteria, virgin vine

When to put the germinated seeds in the sun?

The seedbed must be put in the sun as soon as possible

On the basis that seeds of plants that really need sun have been sown but that for one reason or another the seedbed has been placed in a protected place, such as inside the house, we will have to pass them to the sun as soon as possible. Furthermore, it is not necessary to wait for the cotyledons -they are the first leaves-, but they can be from much earlier, even from the day of sowing.

I have been growing plants of all kinds since 2006, and after having participated in the odd Internet forum, and since I started working on this website, I think that sometimes not all the information is given, something that can create confusion or make us make mistakes. Why am I saying this? Good because It is said that the seeds have to be a bit buried, which is true because otherwise the sun could burn them, but that does not mean that we have to put the seedbed in the shade.

In my area, south of Mallorca, Washingtonia seeds that fall to the ground germinate extremely quickly after the rains, and often only the leaves of their parent give them a little shade, as well as being covered with a little soil. that has been blown away by the wind. Therefore, and from my own experience, I think that it is not good to pamper the seeds so much.

When to put seedlings that already have leaves in the sun?

This is a touchy subject, because leafy seedlings are very, very tender. If they are put in the sun directly, without having accustomed them before, the most likely is that the next day they will wake up with the fallen stem and / or with significant burns.; If this happens, it will be very difficult to recover them.

Therefore and to prevent that from happening, what we will do is the following:

  1. Take the seedbed outside if we have it at home, and put it in a place where there is a lot of light but no direct sun.
  2. We will leave it there for a week, so that the seedlings have time to acclimatize.
  3. The following week, we will put the seedbed in a sunny place, but only for half an hour or, at most, 60 minutes each day. We will do it early in the morning or at sunset, when the sun is no longer so strong. Then we’ll take it back to where it was.
  4. In the third week, we will put it between 1 and 2 hours in the sun.
  5. And from the fourth, we will continue to increase the time of exposure to the sun by 1-2 hours each day.

We must have patience with this because otherwise we risk losing the seedlings. And, by the way, speaking of keeping these plants alive, to finish I will give you a few tips so that all, or most of them, can get ahead.

Tips for caring for seedlings

Seedlings allow you to grow many types of plants and can be kept at home

Sowing seeds is easy, but getting all of them past the first months of life not so much. Therefore, here is my list of recommendations for you:

  • Place the seedbed in the right place, taking into account the light needs of the plants: that is, if you plant ones that need sun, put the seedbed in the sun.
  • Use a new, lightweight, high-quality substrate: it can be a specific one for seedbeds, or universal substrate like this for example.
  • If you plant trees and palms, treat the seeds with a fungicide that contains copper: During their first year of life they are especially vulnerable to fungal infections, but if they are treated with fungicide every 15 days, the mortality rate of the seedlings is greatly reduced.  
  • Put the seeds separated: do not pile them up. It is much better to plant one or two in a pot, than 20. Think that, if many germinate, then when pealing them not all will survive.
  • Keep the substrate moist but not waterlogged: the earth always has to be humid, but never waterlogged. The seeds need moisture to germinate, so irrigation must be controlled a lot. And for that, a humidity meter is of great help, such as this, since you only have to stick it into the ground to know if you have to water it or not.

I hope you find it useful.

When to put germinated seeds in the sun?

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