Hit the Dirt; Sensitive Transplanting

Hit the dirt. Number three for April 23rd 1902. Hello and welcome to hit the dirt. Well the start of the transponding season is now upon us. Mid to late April is usually when I set out ceilings of onions leeks and the earliest greens into the garden. The early are waiting in the cold frames and will follow soon after Weather permitting for garden plants. As with people leaving home for the big world out there is a challenging and often scary though important stage in life. Given the right start with proper and careful preparation from the gardener the young seedling will readily adapt to its new conditions sending roots deep and branching out in full glory. But just what is the right start. Basically it is a transition that involves the least amount of shock or sudden change for the planet.

And there are a number of techniques and strategies. A gardener can employ when transplanting out seedlings to minimise that stressful shock. It helps to put oneself in the place of the plant viewing life first from the perspective of the greenhouse or the windowsill and then from the garden bed in spring. What kind of changes will the plant be experiencing. First there is a significant difference in temperature both of the air down in the soil next partly related to the temperature difference is a difference in the availability of nutrients. Many of which are tied up and slow to be released in the cold or garden soil. Then there is a level of air movement a strong gusty wind can quickly dry out and or damage a plant used to still air. And of course there is the availability of water both in the air and soil so there are lots of differences. Some pretty drastic. To help the plant slowly adjust. It is critical to harden off the plant that is to slowly expose it to outside conditions in a cold frame or other protected

spot over the course of one to two weeks perhaps exposing the seedlings to the full unfiltered sunlight and outside air starting during a stretch of warmest slightly breezy days for a few hours per day and gradually increasing the time per day. Except perhaps covering up or keeping the plants inside are particularly stormy or cold days and nights and told the seedlings are staying out all the time. At the end of the hardening off period going light on the water in the good fertilizer during this time will help to harden up the plant. The other pre trans planning strategy is to listen to the weather forecasts and time your activities so that nature is working with you to help the young plants get off to a healthy start. Hot sun dry air and strong winds all act to stress a newly set out seedling robbing it of vital moisture. So if you can wait for a cloudy damp calm day to do your transplanting. However such a day is at hand but a major rain storm is impending. You might still want to wait until after the storm passes as the heavy rains can batter the tender plants. Light rains and drizzle on the other hand are kind to young

transplants. If for some pressing reason you can't wait for the ideal conditions. Some branches stuck in the ground around a newly setup plant can provide some welcome shade and wind protection. Now when the day comes to actually set the plants out there are a few techniques I like to employ that if you'll give my seedlings an extra boost in making the transition. First I prepare oversized planting holes much larger than the size of the seedlings root system. I find a post hole digger works well for this as it allows me to do it standing up. No stressful bending over stooping. Plus I can move right along scooping up the holes for a whole bed or roll very quickly. Next I add a good bit of compost or manure and perhaps some bone meal or wood ash depending on the crop into the hole. This gives the seedlings a rich source of nutrients close at hand to tap into while the ground is still on the cool side. I then sprinkle in some of the roof soil and water the whole well. Then I carefully remove the ceiling from the flatter container being as careful as I can not to break or disturb the root system. Next they place the ceiling gently into the hole and surround the ripple with more of

the soil which I had removed when making the hole. As a replace the soil I don't pack it firm as this would compact it especially if it is moist. Thus inhibiting the growth of the seedling roots. Instead I just finally water the newly set out sealing well to gently settle the soil around it and ensure that its roots stay damp and not experience water stress. If the transplanting days a nice damp drizzly one I would go light on the water. Given this kind of treatment I found that my seedlings take quite nicely to life in the garden. I hope yours do too until next week happy planting.