Transplanting Vegetables Successfully

 

photo courtesy of: Daily Hampshire Gazette

Transplanting can seem like a daunting task for a beginning gardener. Perhaps the most common fear about transplanting is that the dirt will crumble and the plant will die. While that can happen to anyone (beginner or veteran gardener), it shouldn't be the reason behind not trying to transplant. 

The basics behind transplanting successfully starts with a healthy plant and good weather. 

A non-healthy plant (yellowed, wilted, stunted, ect...) will have a small chance of survival after transplanting because transplanting creates a certain level of stress on the plant. In the case of an unhealthy plant, transplanting could finish the plant off. In some cases, I like to apply a liquid fertilizer to the plants if they are looking yellow (nitrogen deficiency), especially if they are past due for transplanting (usually because the weather isn't good:) This gives them a small boost until they can get transplanted. 

Weather, weather, weather.....  this always seems to be the biggest limiting factor in farming/gardening. Some years are better than others, but good weather is essential for transplanting. Ideally, once the danger of frost is gone, and there's no heavy winds, transplanting can start! 

Note: make sure to "harden" the plants off before transplanting, that way they don't get shocked by the sudden environmental change. You can do this by setting the plants outside during the day, then putting them inside for the night; doing this will increase your success rate significantly!

Once you've checked the "healthy plants," and "good weather," boxes, the "tricky" part of transplanting shows up! How to get the transplants out of their pots without killing them?

One factor that I've noticed is that the condition of the potting soil the plants are in plays a huge role in soil and root retention during the transplanting process. Freshly watered or bone dry potting soil is how transplanting gets messed up. I've found that watering the plants a few hours before transplanting is best because the plants get a drink, and the potting soil is not too dry come transplanting time, but it's not too wet either. The slightly moist soil keeps everything intact, which makes for successful transplants! 

When it comes to getting the plant out of the pot and into the ground, try pushing the plant out from the bottom of the pot instead of squeezing it out from the sides. Sometimes a gentle "tapping" on the pot's side is necessary to relieve the surface tension of the soil. Think of building a sandcastle; generally, you tap on the top of the bucket to get the perfect sandcastle (in my experience anyways). Make sure one hand is bracing the soil on the top of the pot just in case there's some loose soil. Always do this with the plant tilted or upside down, as it's not a good idea to pull the plant/root/soil combo out. Let gravity do the pulling for you:) 

Once you've successfully removed the plant from the pot, put the plant gently into the hole or furrow that it will spend the rest of it's life in. Next, fill in the hole and cover a small portion of the stem (stimulate more root growth), then lightly press the soil in around the base of the plant. After that, your new transplant is ready for water! Fertilizer can also be applied at the transplanting stage to limit stress. By making nutrients readily available for the transplant, there will be less stress involved in finding nutrients to start growing in it's new environment, which means (a) a healthier plant, and (b) more yield potential/time to first-fruit.

Tangent:  The transplanting stage is really the only time any kind of fertilizer is used on the farm. Fertilizer should be treated like an antibiotic, since it may help prevent plants from disease at certain stages, or give sickly plants a boost in the right direction, but making plants dependent on fertilizer isn't good for the long term health of the soil, or the value of the plant itself. Naturally, plants exchange carbon with the soil microbes for nutrients. However, with fertilizer (mainly artificial), the microbes "lose" their job because the fertilizer stands in the way of natural exchange. Essentially, the soil gradually becomes more and more lifeless the more artificial fertilizers are used because they (microbes) get replaced. While there are other factors that go into soil depletion, fertilizer use is one cause. It's a good idea to feed the soil to keep it in good working condition, not replace the soil's purpose with artificial nutrients. 

As always, feel free to comment, share, or ask a question! If there is any topic that you'd like to learn more about, just ask!