How and When to Transplant Seedlings | The Old Farmer's Almanac

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If you get small “starter” plants from the nursery or grow seedlings yourself, you’ll need to transplant them from their container into the soil correctly. It’s critical to transplant correctly so that your plants grow and thrive. Here’s when and how to transplant your seedlings.

When we refer to “transplanting,” we mean the act of moving your starts or seedlings from their containers to the garden soil.

Keep in mind that some vegetables (and flowers) are NOT cut out for transplanting or being moved; they are best and most easily sown by seed directly in the ground. See seed-starting preference by plant.

When to transplant depends on the plant. Some plants, such as spinach, are cool-season crops, which means that they should be planted before outdoor temperatures get too warm. Others, like tomatoes and peppers, are warm-season crops and will be weakened by too-cool temperatures. The temperature of the soil is important, too!

→ Check our Planting Calendar, which lists when to transplant each type of vegetable based on your local frost dates.

Don’t rush it! Earlier isn’t necessarily better, and cold temperatures will slow growth rates. Heat-loving plants shouldn’t be outside until nighttime temperatures remain consistently above 60°F (15°C). Keep an eye on local weather forecasts as you prepare for transplanting. If a serious cold snap is imminent, hold off on transplanting until temperatures are more agreeable.

If you start your plants from seed, it’s a good idea to keep track of when you start them and when you transplant them. This will help you plan in future years!

When the weather looks like it’s improving, start getting your garden ready for transplanting into the soil!

If possible, transplant on a warm, overcast day in the early morning—this gives the plants a chance to settle into the soil without being instantly exposed to the intense midday sun.

After you transplant, keep the soil bed moist, never allowing it to dry out. Water gently with a watering can at the soil level (NOT from above). Until the plants are well established, water often enough (usually about once a day) so that the soil surface never dries out but remains constantly moist.

Check out this video to learn how to move your seedlings from a potting tray to a garden plot step-by-step.

Now that your young plants are in the ground, learn how to care for them for the rest of the season! Our library of 100+ Plant-Growing Guides provides instructions for planting, growing, and harvesting all of your favorite crops and flowers.

Find more information on planting. Visit our complete Gardening for Everyone hub, where you’ll find a series of guides—all free! From selecting the right gardening spot to choosing the best vegetables to watering them the right way, our Almanac gardening experts are excited to teach gardening to everyone.

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John Paul Garrison (not verified)

3 years 10 months ago

My dad taught me that a small "tent" made of leafy twigs helps shade tender seedlings and protect from harsh, drying winds. Leave the twigs in place about a week. Gives them a chance to get adapted to the soil and put their roots in. I use this method for tomato, pepper, sweet potato and other transplants.

johnvictor (not verified)

4 years 5 months ago

Ideally....thin single seedlings from a community pot each separately to a small pot - too large and the soil stays too damp. Then move to a larger pot after the small pot shows roots at the bottom. Some plants are exceptions - if they resent disturbance or are root crops like carrots where the main root needs to be left undisturbed. My max for a seedling is a 4" pot, then usually to ground or final destination. In your case if you are going to have several plants in a Large pot, I would direct sow and thin to desired spacing, unless the large pot needs to be outside and you want to sow inside etc.

Mary Smith (not verified)

4 years 10 months ago

What a great post! So many people are dipping their toes into Veg gardening and seed starting pots.

Mary W. (not verified)

7 years 9 months ago

Best pumpkins and squash we ever had came when the seeds hadn't germinated in their little pots, so in disgust I took them out to an area we call No Man's Land and just dumped the lot. Seeds and dirt just helter skelter. Guess what germinated, grew like mad, and gave us so much produce we set boxes along the road with "Free" signs posted. Lots of fun, so -- I happily agree with Jeff. No Molly coddling!

Jeff (not verified)

8 years 11 months ago

I have gone through all this trouble several times ...however ,what I have found is that I get great results from sowing directly in the ground,after all farmers do this and don't Molly coddle ...just get to it...key is soil prep, weed eradication and I sieve my soil in small beds after adding manure. I water to keep uniformly moist (crucial) I start very early ...in Georgia Piedmont zones7-8 ground rarely freezes so one can soil prep in January and plant mid March

James S Cooper (not verified)

5 years 11 months ago

In reply to Seedlings by Jeff (not verified)

When I set out my cukes, melons, zukes and tomatoes I plant each one inside its own little green house. I take the kitchen catcher garbage bags and slit each one and using some sticks that are as long as the bags , use the sticks to hold the bags around the plants. The tops remain open so that when temperature rises it won't cook the plants. This way works great in areas of winds that are destructive on new plants and can be left on while plants grow and folded down or cut off at a later time.

Lois B (not verified)

9 years 6 months ago

I bought the 2015 Almanac. I want to grow an indoor lemon tree, I have good seeds. I also want to grow an indoor Avocado tree. I see schedules for veggies, not citrus or avocado. Am I correct that the next above ground time will be approx the 13th-16th?

The Editors

9 years 6 months ago

In reply to I bought the 2015 Almanac. I by Lois B (not verified)

The best days to plant above-ground crops is in "the light of the Moon", between a new and a full Moon. The Moon will be full on Sept. 27. You can plant the seeds any time before the full Moon date. The very best days are Sept. 16-18.

Sherry todd (not verified)

9 years 6 months ago

In reply to The best days to plant by The Editors

In the best days to plant calendar, is this to plant the seeds or actual seedling plants? We plant mostly seeds so I wasn't sure how to apply these dates. Thanks.

The Editors

9 years 6 months ago

In reply to In the best days to plant by Sherry todd (not verified)

The planting by the Moon calendar is for planting outside. If you have started seeds indoors move the seedlings outside on these dates. If you sow the seeds directly in the ground use these dates to plant the seeds.almanac.com/content/planting-moons-phase-gardening-calendar

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