Transplanting Success
We all do it. We get excited and throw things into our gardens and watch as they slowly shrivel up, turn yellow, drop leaves, you name it.
It’s not you, it’s them and their need to acclimate to your climate and space. Most of our plants start indoors in a controlled environment. Whether in our homes or in a greenhouse, they are watered the same time almost every day, they receive even sunlight, and in some cases they have their own little tray of family members with the same light and water requirements.
That is just not reality once they encounter the wild outdoors.
What is ‘hardening’?
Hardening off our plants is an act of slowly acclimating our indoor plants to the outdoors. This practice can go for ALL plants - house plants and veggies alike. Here’s a basic schedule to get your plant babies happy and thriving in the great outdoors:
Day 1-3: take the plants out, in shade, and bring them in at night
Day 4-6: slowly expose your plants to sun, but be mindful to not throw them directly into full sun on day 4. The key is to work up to full exposure to minimize sun scold. You can also start leaving them out overnight assuming you no longer have the threat of frost. If you do have frost threats, bring them in this early in the process.
Day 7-9: go for it! Set them free! Let them see what it’s like to bask in 6+ hours of sun and take note of their reaction. Droopy? They likely need water. Yellowing or discoloring? May be too soon and/or too much sun for now. Extend this practice until you see no change in the plants general appearance.
Once you have hardened off your plants, they are now ready to be transplanted into their seasonal or forever home 🌱
How do I transplant?
Most plants can be transplanted as follows:
Prepare your new plant container with fresh soil in the base, creating a ‘well’ of dirt that carries up the sides of the container walls.
Gently squeeze the sides of the nursery pot to work the plant out, then carefully loosen the root ball with your fingers - I call this “tickling” your roots.
Ensure the hole in the new container is slightly larger than your root ball and drop your plant in, back-filling with fresh soil.
Gently press around the base of the plant to ensure that the roots are making contact with soil, and not air. If the root ball has pockets of air around it, it will hinder growth.
Water the new transplant into the soil, and voila!
You have successfully hardened and transplanted!
Now for some of us, it’s not that easy. We may begin overwhelmed at the thought of moving plants in and out, or even knowing WHAT to plant. I want to take the worry out of it. Gardening is one of the best stress relievers and I am here to make it more accessible to all! Have no fear; I can help you determine what to plant and how many. Schedule your garden consult, or feel free to send a message letting me know your needs and we can curate a custom plan just for you.
