By Shannon Osorio, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteers
I love spring! There’s that fresh fragrance in the air. The beautiful early flowers and the new bird songs added to our winter bird songs. But best of all are the plant sales! Nurseries, greenhouses, home stores, garden clubs, master gardeners, plant swaps, and even your neighbor down the street. So many enticing plants, so little time. It is hard to buy (or swap) just one! But how do you choose and handle a transplant for the best chance of success? Here are a few tips:
First up, what to look for when choosing a plant. Look for a healthy plant. Compact growth, firm stems, and healthy green color are important. This indicates a good root system. Then get in and look closely at the plant, the soil, and the pot. Are there tiny flies you scare away? Do you see signs of scale or other pests on the stems? Are roots forcing their way out of the bottom of the pot? All these suggest that you should move on and pick another pot. If you are buying flowers or fruits/vegetables, too many flowers or set fruits can slow growth when you get the plant in the ground. Your transplants first job is to grow many more strong healthy roots. When a plant is trying to make flowers or fruit, it’s not concentrating energy where it needs to be when planted.
Which leads me to one last tip. Look for the smallest size healthy plant you can find. This is particularly true for perennials, shrubs, and trees. It’s natural to want a new transplant to fill up maximum space, but keep in mind the end goal. We want a perennial that will be big, beautiful, and healthy for years to come. If we choose that two-gallon pot over the quart, we will see more of the plant the first year, but it may not look as great the second year. It’s the roots again. They need to establish in new ground and grow enough to support healthy maximum growth of the plant.
Once you get those transplants home, treat them with care. If they have been growing in a protected location, such as a greenhouse they will need to acclimate to more sun, wind, heat, and cold. Set them outside in morning sun and afternoon shade for several days. Cover them or bring them in if it gets down into the 30s. Wait to transplant heat-loving plants (many bedding plants, tropical plants, exotic bulbs, tomatoes, peppers and more) till nights are consistently in the 50s.
Another suggestion if you buy or swap plants from several different places is to put your new acquisitions in quarantine for at least a few days. If you have inadvertently imported a bug or disease that you don’t want to set loose in your garden, this gives you an opportunity to catch the problem and remove it before it spreads. Keep them at a good distance for a week or two and inspect them again to be sure there has not been an uninvited guest.
Ready to transplant? Ideally, choose a cool cloudy day, or perhaps an evening. Your soil will be moist but not saturated with water. Dig a hole slightly larger than your pot. If you add amendments, put them in and mix them well. Treat your transplant carefully. Loosen the roots by applying pressure to the pot or running a knife around the edge. Gently grasp the stem and loosen the roots slightly. Put your transplant in your prepared hole. Generally, the soil you tamp down around your transplant should be at the same level as the soil in the pot. Add water to moisten and don’t forget to label. Be sure to join us tomorrow, Saturday, May 9 from 9 am – 2 pm at the Portage County Soil and Water Conservation District in Ravenna for a wonderful selection of annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, herbs, flowers, vegetables and more!
Planting and transplanting trees and shrubs
Ohio State University Extension Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer program. As OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, our articles will never endorse specific products or companies. Questions/comments/suggestions/want to find out more/become a PCMGV: 330-296-6432 • OSU PCMGV web • portco.mgv.oh@gmail.com • FB PCMGV • PCMGV Speaker’s Bureau