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If you've been following along, we've been starting seeds for the cool season, and the seedlings are starting to get a little bit bigger. I hope yours at home are too! It's time to send them out into the world, though.
This is a big change for your plants, and there are some common problems that gardeners run into. A lot of these can be avoided, and you can have better success if you know what to look out for. This is especially important for milder climates (zones 9 and 10) or milder weather (planting in the spring or summer).
No matter what time of year you're starting seeds, this info is critical. I'm going to cover the four most important things to remember as you move your plants from pots to the ground.
1:51 Pre-Water
You NEVER want to put your transplants into dry soil. The moisture is going to get sucked away from the plant and harm the roots at a critical time.
This isn't as simple as transplanting and then watering the area, though. Soil needs time to soak up moisture, so you need to water the soil beforehand. You can run your drip system or put a hose on a drip for quite a while, even hours!
If you have ever transplanted into the garden and your plants wilted without bouncing back, it's very possible they didn't get ample moisture. Even though my garden has been in transition with no plants in the ground for weeks now, I've been running drip irrigation to keep the soil wet and alive.
If you're wondering if your soil is wet enough, give it the hand test! You want to squeeze a handful of soil and let it more or less hold its shape. If it oozes out water, then it's too wet.
5:45 Plant At The Right Time
We're all busy, and it can be tempting to get in the garden and do things whenever it's convenient. Most of the time, that's great! When it comes to transplanting, you really want to be careful.
Especially if it's a warm day, you want to avoid planting in the middle of the day. The morning is okay, but I really recommend the evening. That means it's going to be cooler, and the plant has several hours to acclimate before getting hit with sunlight.
Also, check the forecast. If you see hot days coming up, delay if you can. If you can transplant on a week that won't get above 80, your plants will do much better as a result.
Sometimes, that's just not possible. That's where you can give your plants a little extra help.
7:54 Use Protection
Small plants are vulnerable. Too much UV light from the sun can burn them, but some shade cloth can protect them and allow them to keep growing. They get enough light, but it will be filtered. I recommend using 40%.
For more heavy-duty protection, you can use a row cover. It usually blocks out a little more light and wind, but it also helps regulate moisture and temperature. This is a great product for extreme weather days.
11:41 Water Frequently
To bring things full circle, you need to water your transplants frequently. This means you might need to water a little more than usual. In this case, I'm going to run the irrigation system every 12 hours.
At this stage in a plant's life, it's too young and small to go without water. That means you need to provide readily-accessible moisture at all times. Otherwise, you're going to get wilted plants and run the risk of losing them.
On top of that (literally), you want to mulch heavily. This will further help the soil retain moisture.
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