To earn THE GERMINATOR:
- You should be able to list the basic needs of seeds (i.e. what they need to start to grow, or germinate) and provide those needs for your seeds.
- Air
- Water
- The perfect temperature
- You should be able to determine the basic planting depth for most seeds.
- In general, you should plant a seed in a hole that is 2x the size of the seed. Most seeds are small, which means your hole should be pretty shallow.
- You should be able to determine the basic amount of spacing for most seeds.
- Most often, you can reference the back of the seed packet for the information.
- Alternatively, you can Google “square foot gardening” for different spacing considerations.
To earn TRANSPLANT EXPERT:
- You should be able to identify the basic parts of a seedling.
- Roots
- Stem
- Leaves (e.g. cotyledons and true leaves)
- You should be able to remove a seedling from the tray for planting.
- Loosen the roots by squeezing the cell of the tray gently.
- Pull the plant out of the cell by its leaves or use a fork to gently lift it from the cell.
- You should be able to transplant the seedling into the soil.
- Use a trowel, or your hand, to make a hole deep enough to fit the entire root system of the plant.
- Cover the roots with soil up to the first leaves of the plant.
Download coloring sheets for The Germinator & Transplant Expert once you’ve earned your badge!