Pricking out

Pricking out is the moving of seedlings from the tray or pot in which they were sown to other receptacles where they can be spaced out individually.

Some seeds are sown in trays or pots very close together and once they have germinated, the individual small seedlings need to be 'pricked out' and moved to give them more 'growing space' - normally the plants will again be transferred when they have grown further to another pot or into the garden.

Pricking out needs to be done when the seedlings have reached the 'true' leaf stage, this is normally the second pair of leaves (the first pair being the 'seed leaves').