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06 Sep 11 sarah (Australia - temperate climate)

I tried growing bell pepper capsicum from seeds, they were about 10cm big with about 2-3 sets of leaves and i tried to move them to a bigger container. i lost 3 out of 4 as they seem to wilt as soon as i moved them. i fertilised them and watered them in but what could i have done wrong, have i damaged the roots?

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09 Oct 11 Farm R Tim (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Capsicums do have very large sensitive root systems, it is best to do the final transplant as soon as possible. (:

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09 Sep 11 Roberta (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Sarah Your timing seems OK, size wise and leaves etc. It’s hard to know what you did without being there, but here's a few transplanting tips to help you figure it out: - a week before you transplant, harden them off a bit by moving them out, especially if you've been raising the seedlings in a protected place i.e. shade house. Maybe also boost them with a light liquid feed first, not too much nitrogen - water them first so the soil or potting mix is moist, otherwise all the soil will just fall way, exposing and disturbing the roots - wait for the soil to be moist, not too wet, when you take them out, and tease the roots out gently, disturbing them as little as possible. It’s the fine root hairs at the ends of the roots that take up water so if they break off they can’t take up water - the hole you plant them in should be big enough to accommodate the roots without scrunching them in - after planting, don't fertilise until they've settled in, say a week or so. You can water them in with seaweed solution as this helps them settle. Protect them from wind and direct sun for a few days until they adjust - basically it's all about reducing transplant shock as much as possible Roberta

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