Carallel Corner

Gardening Transplanting Tips

Before you know it, the greenhouses will be opening up, and spring will be in full motion.

Some tips for transplanting from nursery stock are as follows:

1.) Once the flats of new plant babies arrive at your home, they need to go into the garden right away. The soil they have been living in is probably depleted, and leaving them around even for two or three days can be traumatic.

2.) I always check the moonsign to ensure optimum growth.

1. first quarter of the moon is best for above ground plants

2. second quarter continues to be good planting.

3. full moon is not a good time for activities in the garden.

4. last quarter accommodates root crops like carrots or beets
   
   

3.) Soak the flats in water for a while first. This gets the roots loose and ranging around nicely. I don't go with the recommendations of scraping or digging into the roots for loosening up the root ball. Salty fingers and scraping on delicate roots seems all wrong.

4.) A mild solution of liquid fertilizer strengthens the nursery starts and bolsters them up for growing in the new garden location. Loosen the soil where the planting will take place. Dig the hole and add lots of the diluted fertilizer before putting the starts into the ground. Replace the dirt, gently pat down, and soak the area again once in the ground. Water them every day for a couple of weeks.

5.) While in this process, always say god bless you when moving the plant babies. I shared this transplanting ritual with my Catholic girlfriend who changed it into a chant - . . . .godblessyou godblessyou godblessyou.

When it's harvest time, your plant babies will be grown up and ready to return your blessing with the bounty of flowers and/or vegetable produce from your very own garden.