My seeds have come up, what do I do now?? Stage One

Growing plants from seed is one of the most satisfying processes in gardening. There is little more exciting than watching a small brown speck start to sprout and develop green leaves. The variety of leaf shape and even colours is amazing. But getting the seed to germinate is only part of the process. In fact you can get many seeds to germinate by placing them on damp kitchen paper for a few days. But getting them to grow into strong, healthy plants does require a little more tender loving care.
That might seem a bit odd when seeds, especially weed seeds are sprouting in the garden from spring until autumn, but remember that many of the seeds we try and grow as gardeners hail from far distant shores and have very specific needs. It’s not difficult; you just need to pay attention to their needs. Most seed packets spell these out in great detail and even if you don’t have a packet you can check online and glean most information from websites such as the RHS or other informative sites.
So, the seeds are up, but now you are faced with keeping them alive. If you’ve used fresh quality seed compost then you’ve already taken huge steps to ensure their survival, anything less risks disease problems that can cause damping off or other problems. It’s essential to keep them watered but not too wet, a bit of a juggling act when the temperature can fluctuate hugely, especially in a greenhouse. Never use rainwater on seedlings as it can harbour all manner of problems that can affect your delicate plants. Sometimes it is better to water seedlings from below by standing the pot in a saucer or tray of clean tepid water and allowing the compost to absorb the moisture. Don’t leave them standing in water for days on end, a couple of hours is fine and try and avoid self watering systems for seedlings as they can keep the compost too wet.
Your seedlings need light; ideally even light or they will grow towards the light source and become wonky. Not enough light and they will grow tall and leggy and become chlorotic (yellow). They need good airflow to avoid fungal problems but you need to keep them free from frost (most seedlings). If you’ve had a propagator lid over them then this can be removed or you can take the pots out of the propagator, bear in mind that this can be a shock to little seeds, and so be ready to cover them with fleece if it gets cold.
Any seedlings that collapse start to go mouldy or just die need to be swiftly removed from the greenhouse. Keep a close eye on any others growing nearby. You can start again and resow the same seeds in clean pots of fresh compost.
The first leaves that form are the seed leaves, the second set are the first true leaves and after that the seedling will become a small plant. Once your seedlings are large enough to handle you can prick them out, pot them on or thin them.
To know more about greenhouses and growing plants in your greenhouse visit http://www.growhouse-greenhouses.co.uk/greenhouses.php