Keep It Close To Home Take The Stress Out Of Transplanting Have you ever taken a trip to someplace new and different, maybe gotten dinner, seen sights you've never seen and breathed air that you've never breathed before and before long, it hit you. That feeling of being tired, listless and an overwhelming need to find a restroom? Many of us have. This is stress. Unfamiliar surroundings, strange food, water and air can often trigger defense mechanisms that cause us to want to shut down. This phenomena is common among all living things and plants are no different. We get used to familiar surroundings, food, water and our environment. Mammals get listless, tired and tend to "go off their feed" (colloquial term for not wanting to eat). All we want to do is rest while our bodies attempt to adjust to the unfamiliar. Plants go through much the same when faced with changes to their surroundings to one degree or another. They will sit and sulk, leaves often droop and the last thing they want to do is grow. This is known as shock and can last from a few days to terminal is extreme cases. Just like mammals, this phenomena will vary from species to species and sometimes from individual to individual. For some, the change may not be noticeable at all and some even seem to thrive on the change. However, for others it can be very pronounced and yes, some do die. This is a fact of life that can not be changed. However, there are some things that can be done to minimize the effects of change and the associated shock: Buy locally grown plants when possible.
Plants get accustomed to a particular set of environmental conditions. Prevailing winds, barometric pressure and humidity norms can vary greatly from one area to another. Water is not simply water either. Rains act as a solvent to carry away airborne elements that can vary greatly from one region to another to the ground where they are deposited into the soil and becomes a part of the local environment. Hose supplied water is normally even greater in this regard when it comes to shaping an environment.
The basic water itself will be heavily saturated with the minerals and other elements that are indigenous to the area and if the water is from a local municipal water supply, you now have to contend with the added chemicals of chlorine, sometimes fluoride and others. Nearly all municipalities add these chemicals for various reasons and to varying amounts but they are always detrimental to plants. In fact, in some cases and concentrations, these chemicals an be deadly to some plants. When you buy locally grown plants, the environment, water, weather and etc. will be similar to your own, thus reducing shock.
Reduce watering.
When plants are new to a particular area and/or when root damage is present, such as in transplanting, vascular activity (circulatory activity) decreases. This is also often compounded by a reduction in the number of hair roots available. These are the tiny hair-like roots along the main roots that take in water and nutrients. This reduces the amount of fluids the plant can use and move through its system. To much water during this period of decreased activity can cause root rot and further aggravate stress in the plant.
When you first place your new plant in its new home, water the plant thoroughly. After this initial application of water, allow the soil to dry slightly before thoroughly deep soaking the soil around the plant again. Drying slightly means the soil is dry about an inch down in the soil. Never allow the soil to dry out completely as this will only aggravate the condition. Continue this soak-and-dry regimen until new growth appears. At that time, start increasing water slowly until you have reached a normal watering regimen and the plant is able to use what you offer.
Don't Feed Them.
Just like most mammals, plants don't want to eat when they're sick. If possible, withhold supplemental feeding 2 or three weeks prior to planting or digging plants so that growth and metabolism will slow. After new growth begins, start feeding again but at a reduced rate and slowly increase feeding as the plant responds until a normal regimen is achieved. This is a good time to use compost tea as a supplemental food source because of its gentleness on plants, the fact that it does not burn and compost tea will provide many valuable beneficial bacteria that will help aid the plant in getting established.
At this point, it would be a good time to discus and consider your gardening methods. By this I mean whether you are a "chemo-gardener" or "bio-gardener". When it comes to the two choices, both work and there are solid arguments to both if both are done correctly. With "chemo-gardening" (using chemical fertilizers and controls), chemical fertilizers are the primary choice for supplemental feeding and they tend to force growth, regardless of the physical state of the plant. Using chemical fertilizers will force growth regardless of the physical state of the plant and will produce increased yields for the short term in the plant. However, the overall physical state of the plant will be weaker.
Organic feeding on the other hand or "bio-gardening" (biological feeding and controls) will promote growth, but at a slower rate as the plant is physically ready and able to grow, by providing conditions that are favorable for the plant to grow as opposed to forcing it to grow when it is not ready. Organic methods will, on the other hand, promote healthier growth overall even though the growth may be slower and yields may be smaller. For the home gardener, this may be preferable as overall yields may not be as critical as one involved in commercial production where yield translates more greatly into a physical income.
Use transplanting fertilizers.
Transplanting fertilizers are not your typical plant food and should not be used as such. Planting solutions (at least reputable brands) are a carefully formulated blend of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and hormone stimulators that bolster the plants immune system, reduce shock and encourage root formation and growth.
All transplant solutions recommend how and when to apply them at planting time, but in general, they will be used at the time of planting and again in about 2 weeks after planting. I have also found it is often helpful to provide an application to the plants approximately 3 - 7 days prior to planting. This allows the components to get inside the plant and start working before a shocking stress is placed on the plant and the root system is still intact. and undamaged.
Reduce the light.
When you are sick, one of the things you do not want is to be surrounded by bright light. But then again, you don't want to be plunged into total darkness either. Either extreme puts additional stress on your otherwise compromised system. Plants are no different. Bright light encourages growth, which is something a newly transplanted plant does not wish to do.
Whenever possible, plant late in the evening, on overcast days and provide some shade for your new transplants. At least during the hottest and brightest part of the day. Black fiberglass window screening works well for this purpose. As stated earlier, bright light encourages growth and transpiration. When plants are newly planted, the root system is generally damaged and reduced to one degree or another, which reduces its ability to take up water and replace moisture lost to normal transpiration processes. Couple this with a general systemic slowing of metabolic processes and increased growth can not occur.
Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Just as we humans like to curl up under a cozy blanket when we are sick in order to stabilize our temperature, plants also benefit from a cozy blanket of mulch (preferably an organic mulch). Mulching helps to stabilize and cool soil temperatures and help to conserve soil moisture. Mulching also has the added benefit of suppressing weeds and conserving soil nutrients by reducing nutrient leaching from supplemental irrigation.
Be patient.
When you place new plants in the ground, be patient and don't expect to much to soon. Most of the time new growth will not occur for several days to a few weeks and in some cases, with some varieties and especially with mature plantings, extensive new growth may not occur for a year or more. Repairing and establishing a healthy root system is the first thing that must occur and this takes time. So be patient, continue the steps outlined above and usually new growth will return in due time. But also bear in mind that success is never guaranteed and occasionally plants do succumb to the stresses of transplanting and die. However, with care and using proper techniques, death of a beloved plant should be few and far between.
Avoid the heat.
Heat can be one of the most destructive elements in nature when it comes to transplanting. Just as your body sweats in order to cool itself, plants transpire in order to cool themselves. As the temperatures increase, so does the transpiration of plants. When plants are newly planted, the roots system is diminished and often is unable to keep up with the demands of the top growth regardless of how much water is provided. The result is that plants can, and often do, die from dehydration even though the ground is quite damp. If the temperatures are expected to consistently be in the upper 80's (30 C and above), avoid transplanting and avoid transplanting all together if temperatures are to be over 90 degrees F (32.5 C) unless it is an emergency that can't be avoided. If this is the case, follow the steps of mulching, shading, pruning and watering faithfully. But when watering, don't let the ground dry out as much and even then, it is advisable to expect 50% losses.
Other tricks.
As with most sets of instructions, there are a few tricks that are important but applicable but to a smaller percentage of your efforts: Remove some top growth.
When transplanting any plant that has grown large, it is advisable to remove up to 1/3 of the top growth. This brings the top growth more in balance with the diminished root system and reduces the demand on the roots. When removing top growth, always try to prune in such a way as to keep a pleasing shape and whenever possible, remove entire branches to thin the plant. This allows more air to circulate through the plant while reducing root demand. Use transpirants.
Transpirants coat the leaves with an oil or wax-based coating that limits the amount of moisture lost to evaporation. This technique works especially well on evergreens and any plant that retains its leaves throughout the winter. However, transpirants should only be used during periods when the temperatures will remain below 80 degrees F. (27 C). Higher temperatures will cause the leaves to burn from retained heat. For this reason, transpirants should only be used during late fall and very early spring plantings. Transplant while dormant.
Transplanting while the plants are dormant is always preferable when possible and shock is rarely a problem. However, finding plants during dormancy at your local nursery may be nearly impossible. This is not because your local nurseryman doesn't know better, it's because the average person buying plants is not as knowledgeable as you are and equates warm temperatures with plant buying. Therefore, it would be to your advantage to develop a relationship with your local nurseryman and ask for dormant plants before the regular buying season begins. You might need to explain why you want dormant plants, but in the end he or she might just be impressed by your knowledge of plants and proper planting times. Get in the ground early.
Whether you order your plants from a nursery or grow your own, don't try to hold them inside for any longer than necessary. Even if you are not ready to plant them in their permanent location, at least get them "heeled in" in a temporary location that is sheltered from the elements. Of course this only applies to perennials that can withstand the cold. In the case of annuals, you may need to pot them into larger containers and move them outside until you are ready to plant. Make sure to protect them from freezing temperatures or bring them in at night.
With all of the above said, the above information should never dissuade you from buying from reputable mail-order nurseries. With the vast array of plants offered, it is an impossibility for any local nursery to carry more than a handful of offerings and these are generally limited to what they believe they can sell. For this reason the ardent gardener and landscaper will need to purchase many plants from non-local sources and most of these work very hard at guaranteeing that your purchase arrives in good condition and ready to grow. By using the above techniques, your chances of success will be greatly increased. With the above information in mind, grab that trowel and start planting. Look forward to bountiful harvests and a beautiful landscape. But always bear in mind that life is full of surprises, some good and occasionally a disappointment. Good Luck And Good Gardening the "Hillbilly Gardener" |
