|
All plants receive some shock or setback
when transplanting as it is a great advantage of transplant carefully
to minimize this shock.
Seedlings that have been kept in containers
indoors, or even kept shaded for a few days, are likely to wilt and
shrivel if planted straight out into hot sunlight.
It is therefore an
advantage to condition them to sunlight before planting out by giving
them:
-
A few hours direct sun the first day
-
Half a day's full sun, etc.
-
At the same time being conscious of the
fact that in this situation they will suddenly use a lot more water and
dry out a lot more rapidly.
It is essential to plant out immediately
and if there is doubt about the seedlings being conditioned, the ideal
time is on a dull day or late in the evening. The latter is good
practice in all cases. It also helps the seedlings overcome
transplanting shock if they are shaded for a few days until the
disturbed or injured roots are again able to function properly. A few
twigs, especially dry twigs, provide a good type of shading.
During very hot conditions terracotta pots large enough to comfortably
cover the foliage of the seedlings are excellent, because after
watering the evaporation from their porous surface cools the inside air
around the seedlings.
To prevent the seedlings from becoming too drawn:
they should only be
applied during the heat of the day.
Also, it is possible to buy plastic shade cloth that can be supported
on wire hoops above the seedlings or even to make a few tunnel-shaped
covers of wire netting and drape the shade cloth on the sunny side of
the seedlings.
These same wire netting shapes can double as protection
from cat or bird damage.
The actual process of transplanting or introducing the seedling into
its permanent position may seem rather basic but numerous trials have
shown that the way this is handled can make quite a difference to the
progress of the seedlings.
This applies particularly to lettuce and
other seedlings with a fibrous root system.
The conventional practice has been to dibble a comparatively deep
cone-shaped hole, suspend the seedling with the lowest leaves or crown
at about ground-level, then press the soil evenly inwards from all
sides to firm the seedling into position.
The objection to this rather conventional
method is that it pushes all roots into a central column or close
around the tap root and then the seedling makes little progress until
it regains a spreading root system.
Development has proved much
quicker, especially with fibrous rooted plants, when a comparatively
wide shallow depression is made, almost with the same action drawing up
a small hump of soil in the centre and spreading the roots nearly
laterally over this before raking in the disturbed soil to cover them,
then firming downward gently.
It is also important to have the soil just damp at transplanting time.
If surface mulching is available, place it around the seedlings
immediately after transplanting and before watering. This prevents the
inevitable surface caking in heavy soils and in very light sandy soils
keeps the shallow roots of the seedlings much cooler during summer as
well as preventing the loss by washing of organic particles in the
sand.
|