Tips for successful transplants into the garden

Seedlings hardening on porch

Sunday, March 27, 2022

With the arrival of fruit and vegetable plants at the garden center and indoor seedlings ready to start their new life in the garden, there are a few things to keep in mind to have successful transition to the outdoors.

Prepare the planting spot

SMake sure your garden bed or pot is ready for your transplants.  In the garden, do a soil test and add your fertilizer and compost then cover with mulch.  You don't want to be trying to mulch around new plants.  For pots, refresh the potting soil, adding fertilizer and compost or use new potting soil for the season.

The next step in garden production and your nutrition-soil minerals

Weed free, self fertilizing, till free garden beds

Re-energize your potting soil!

 

Plant at recommended time and plant size

Some of the transplants coming into stores may not be ready to plant before your last frost.  Most of the transplants are ready to plant now, but check before you plant.  Invariably, stores will put out summer herbs and vegetables like basil and tomatoes before your last frost date.  Just check the label for when it is safe to plant.  It is typically given in terms of your last frost date.

Frost date look up 

For the seedlings you have started indoors, let them get at least 3 sets of leaves and a sturdy stem before transplanting.  Since it is chilly right now, waiting a week or two before transplanting won't delay your harvest time.  Growth really revs up once it is nice and warm.

"Harden off" your transplants

If you are buying your transplants, they have undergone some treatment to make them strong against current conditions so that they survive outdoors on an unprotected rack.  For those that you have grown indoors, you will need to ease them into the outdoors.  Begin this process after the time the seed packet says you can start the veggie or fruit outdoors.  Start by putting them out during the day in a shady spot and increase the amount of sun they get gradually.  It is the sun as much as it is the temperatures that your indoor babies must get used to.

"Hardening off" seedlings

Handle with care

Store bought transplants have sturdy stems as they are grown under conditions that promote stocky plants.  The ones that we grow at home can be more spindly with weaker stems.  If possible, don't handle the plant at all.  If you do, you will need to handle with care as you remove the plant from its temporary pot.  Grab by the lowest leaves, not the stem when you need to handle the plant itself.  

Before removing from a pot, take a butter knife and go around the inside edge of the pot to make it easier to remove.  Push the bottom of a plastic container upward to move the plant out of the pot if possible.  Lift the transplant the rest of the way from the pot by the soil.  Put on a spoon or trowel to move to final garden spot or pot.

If you grow in a peat pod or peat pot, handle just the pot or pod itself.  If you grew several in a single pot, use a tablespoon or trowel to dig out the seedling and carry to its final home in the trowel or spoon.

One trick I learned recently is to brush your newly sprouted seedlings with your hand, gently, every morning.  This will stimulate the plant to strengthen its stalk.  You can also put a small fan, blowing gently towards your seedlings to do the same.

Pick the right weather conditions for transplanting

The best weather conditions for transplanting are cloudy, warm and still.  I always look for a cloudy day to transplant.  If you have a few forecasted, all the better.  Even though you have hardened off your transplants, moving them is stressful for them.  

Make sure the soil is moist before transplanting.  I like to mix in fertilizer, worm castings, mycorrhizal and biochar in each planting hole.  Water in the new transplant with a weak seaweed solution.  Make sure they keep moist, but not waterlogged for the first week after transplanting.

Provide protection if needed

Keep an eye on the weather.  If there is a sudden, unseasonal cold snap within the first couple of weeks, you can provide some cover to give the plant some protection.  If for just overnight, an upside down pot or box will do the trick.  Just be sure the cover is secure.  If for longer cold snap, you can use cloche's or row cover.  Remove as soon as the weather returns to normal.

Extend the season with protection for plants

Indoor seed starting time for corn, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes

 
Saturday, March 26, 2022

If you want an earlier harvest of summer these summer veggies, now is the time to start corn, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes indoors.  Summer lovers require soil temperatures of upper 60's to germinate.  You will transplant after all danger of frost has passed and the garden/pot soil has warmed.  Summer lovers do not appreciate cold feet!

You can sow corn, eggplant, pepper and tomato seeds indoors now to transplant outside in mid-April, beginning of May in our Zone 7 garden.  All can be grown in the garden bed or in a pot.  If sowing seeds outdoors, they should be sown about 2 weeks before your last frost date., giving the soil time to warm up.  Starting summer vegetable seeds outdoors too early in cold soil will result in the seeds rotting in the ground.

Seed packets will give indoor and outdoor starting times and planting instructions for that specific variety.  Some varieties are developed to be able to start earlier or later in the season to extend the harvest.

Frost date look up

Indoor seed starting tips

Outdoor seed starting tips

Corn

Corn is a large seed that is planted 1-2" deep so I would start it in a 3" peat pot.  Seeds emerge in 7-14 days.  Transplant after all danger of frost has passed in fertile soil, pH 6-7.  Corn is wind pollinated so plant several together 8-12" apart.  Fertilize when transplanted, when 8" tall and again when plants are 18" tall.  Days to harvest is 70-120 depending on the variety.  Worms are the biggest pest issue.  

The one drawback of corn is you typically only get 2 ears per plant so plan accordingly.  There are even varieties that can be grown in pots these days, too.  

Growing corn

Surprising veggies that can be grown in pots

Eggplant

There are so many varieties of eggplant you can purchase seeds for these days.  My favorites are Turkish Orange, any white variety and AO Daimaru.  All stay sweet without getting tough skins in our hot and humid summers.  You can now also buy different varieties at the big box stores and local nurseries.  The sky is the limit on seed varieties!  I love Baker Creek Heirloom for so many unique eggplants.

I have found eggplant seed doesn't always germinate great for me.  Soak the seeds for 24 hours in warm water before planting to help germination rates.  Eggplants are true heat lovers so I do recommend using a heat mat under them.  Sow eggplant seeds 1/4" deep.  Seedlings should emerge in 5-17 days.

Eggplants do best in fertile well-drained soil.  Add fertilizer to planting hole when transplanting into the garden or pot after all danger of frost has passed and nighttime temperatures are in the 50's.  I grow all my eggplant in pots but they do just fine in the garden bed.  Plant 2' apart in the garden bed or a single plant in a 18-24" pot.

Days to harvest is 45-90, depending on variety.  The only pest issue I see with eggplant are flea beetles.  They are more of a nuisance, but if they are eating all your foliage, insecticidal soap works well.

Eggplant-add this native from India to your garden  

Peppers

Peppers are from the mountains of Mexico so they are more hardy in cooler temperatures than eggplants from India.  Sow seeds 1/4" deep.  Seedlings emerge in 8-25 days, depending on variety.  Peppers grow best in composted well drained soils with a pH of 5.5-6.8.  Extra calcium and phosphorous will boost yields.

Transplant after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed.  This is the end of April, beginning of May in our Zone 7 garden.  Mix fertilizer into soil with a side dressing of compost when transplanting.  Fertilize again when plant begins to flower.  I grow all my peppers in pots.  They seem to grow better in pots but do fine in the garden bed, too.  I have had no pest issues with peppers.  Days to harvest are 53-100 days.  Most are ready in June, right before tomatoes.

Peppers are for every taste and garden

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are Americans favorite vegetable to grow.  There is just no comparison between a store bought and fresh off the vine tomato.  There are an endless variety of tomatoes you can buy seed for.  The first consideration is what you use your tomatoes for.  If you like small ones for salads, go for cherry or grape varieties.  If you like the slicers for burgers and sandwiches, look for beefsteak types.  If you enjoy making sauces and soups, paste tomatoes are the ticket.  Then there are storage types that will keep for months indoors.

Choosing which tomatoes to grow

Tomato seeds are planted 1/4" deep.  Seedlings emerge in 6-14 days.  Tomatoes grow best in fertile, well drained soil.  Transplant seedlings after all danger of frost has passed 4' apart.  When you transplant, mix fertilizer and a handful of bone meal into each hole.  Fertilize with a liquid fertilizer very couple of weeks or slow release once a month.  I transplant into the garden and pots at the end of April, beginning of May.

Tomatoes are susceptible to fungal disease so good spacing between plants and using supports are important to keep disease down.  Never plant in same spot or pot back to back.  Optimum is rotating so that they are planted back in the same spot every 4 years.  Usually, I only have an occasional hornworm snacking on my tomatoes.  Last year, I have lots of hornworms and even fruit worms.  BT works well on worms.

Tomatoes 101, everything you need to know to grow great tomatoes

I grow my tomatoes in pots and in the garden.  When growing dwarf varieties, the plant will be smaller and so will the harvest.  You get the biggest harvest with traditional tomato plants in the garden bed.  Next best thing is a very large, self-watering pot for traditional plants.

Compact tomato plants for small spaces 

My go to every year are Cherokee Purple for slicers, a dwarf cherry in a pot, and Red Pear paste tomato for making sauces and canning.

For all transplants, be sure to harden off before putting into the garden.

"Hardening off" seedlings

I looked back at my gardening notes to see when my garden was the most productive.  Those years, I added mycorrhizal, biochar and worm castings to each planting hole when I transplanted out my new starts.  I am going to try that again this year.  Using a combination of fertilizers can be beneficial.  A liquid kelp is a good add after your seedlings have 3 sets of leaves.  I like to do kelp and fish emulsion when the plants really get going in the garden as well.

Veggie transplants have arrived in stores!

Transplanted spinach and lettuce

Sunday, March 20, 2022

For those that don't have a lot of time, are just getting started in gardening or just want a jump on harvests, transplants have arrived at the big box stores!  I start seed and buy transplants every year.  This time of year, I will purchase spinach plants and lettuces.  This year, we have been so busy with our addition, I have not had a chance to start many seeds.

There were many herbs, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onion sets, and lettuce plants in the outdoor nursery racks yesterday here in our area.  There should be many more coming in the next couple of weeks.  Chard and spinach should be next.  The transplants you buy should be hardened off and ready to plant in the garden.

Inside the stores are racks of seeds and barefoot edibles and flowers.  You can buy onions, asparagus, all kinds of berry bushes and fruiting vines bare root.  Be sure to get any bare root plants into soil as soon as you can.  You can put them in a pot until your garden is ready for them.

I have been buying any shallots I see that are sprouting in the grocery store and planting those in the garden.   Root crops in the produce section are treated to not sprout so not all will grow.  The exception is organic; they aren't treated with chemicals.  If you buy ones that are sprouting, you have a good chance they will continue growing in your garden.

It's time to get planting!

Sow seeds for kohlrabi now

Sunday, March 13, 2022 

Kohlrabi is a cool season lover and great for spring gardens.  It is the oldest member of the cabbage family so it is sown at the same time as cabbage.  It has a similar taste as broccoli.  All parts, including the bulb, are edible. 

You can sow kohlrabi seeds outdoors now (4 weeks before your last frost date) when the crocus is in bloom or you can start seeds indoors to transplant outside when there are 6-8 true leaves on the plant and temperatures are staying above 40 degrees.  Kohlrabi is usually sown in place outdoors in its long term spot.  It can be grown in the garden bed or in a pot.  

Kohlrabi has low fertilizer needs and tolerate a wide range of soil types.  Sow seeds 1/4" deep, 3-8" apart from one another.  If growing more than 1 row, space rows 12-18" apart.  Seeds germinate in 5-17 days.  For extended harvest, succession plant every 2-3 weeks.  

Kohlrabi is ready to harvest in 42-70 days on average.  Harvest bulbs are 2-4" in diameter.  As temperatures warm, larger bulbs will get woody.  Kohlrabi can also be planted for the fall garden.  It can be left in the ground longer in the fall as the temperatures are getting cooler.

Kohlrabi leaves and stems are best sautéed or in stir fry.  The bulb can be eaten raw, roasted, sautéed, steamed or boiled and mashed like a potato.  Kohlrabi is full of nutrition so is a great add to any garden.   kohlrabi nutrients

Time to plant asparagus

Sprouting asparagus in spring

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Asparagus is a spring time treat, and a perennial vegetable as well.  It grows tall in the summer with pretty, lacy foliage   Asparagus came to the States in colonial times.  It dates back to Egyptian times 3000BCE and is thought to have been domesticated by the Moors in Spain.  In the wild, the spears are about the width of a pencil.  The type we enjoy today was developed in the 18th century. 

Asparagus has good nutrition, being low carb with moderate protein, fiber, vitamins A, C and E, iron, folate, riboflavin, and thiamine.  It has 70% of daily recommended vitamin K.   Asparagus nutritional profile  

Asparagus will last in the garden for 15 to 20 years.  Asparagus is a hardy perennial and will survive winters even in Zone 3.  The mature plants will be 4-5 feet tall.  It takes 2-3 years after planting to be able to harvest.  The plant needs time to fully establish its root system.  Establish new plants in spring or fall.  Buying crowns to plant may accelerate your first harvest.  In our Zone 7 garden, now is the time to plant asparagus crowns.

It is the first shoots of the plant that are harvested in spring and eaten.  Once the plant begins to fill out, they become woody and don't taste that great.  Asparagus plants grow quite large so should be planted in rows 6 feet apart.  The plants themselves can be planted 1 foot apart in the row.  Asparagus plants have fernlike foliage.  You can either plant them off by themselves or along the back of the garden bed.  Just be sure to have a way to get to them for harvesting and fertilizing in the spring.

Mature asparagus plants

Asparagus prefers a light soil, rich in organic matter that is well drained.  Loosen the soil to 6" deep and mix with organic matter (compost) when planting the original bed.  In subsequent years, apply a top dressing of compost in the winter months. It is best to get the crowns in soil as soon as you get them.  Crowns can be planted 4-6 weeks before last frost (early March for our Zone 7).  It is best to create a small mound to lay the roots out around the mound.  

You can start seeds indoors as early as 60-90 days prior to last frost and transplant seedlings outdoors as soon as danger of frost has passed when daffodils are fading and soil temperature reaches 50 degrees F. 

Baby asparagus plants

April is prime asparagus harvest time.  You harvest the spears when they are 6-10" tall, cutting about an inch above the soil surface.  You can store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  36 degrees F and 100% humidity are the ideal storage conditions.

The first year of planting, you will not harvest spears.  You can harvest for 2-3 weeks in the second year and 6 weeks the following years.  It is best to leave the smallest spears to help support the roots and leaves of the plant to give stronger harvests year after year.  Fertilize early in spring and again after harvest each year.

It is the male plant that produces the larger, thicker spears whereas the female plants produce small berries (seeds).  Each asparagus plant is dioecious, meaning they are both male and female.  That is why you will see in the description of the variety what percentage of the plants will be female and what percentage will be male.  To have a productive asparagus bed, remove the female plants.  Be sure to take this into account when you plant your bed as you will need to plant more than you will end up leaving in the garden.

Berries on female plants

Pests of asparagus are the asparagus beetle, slugs.  You can use pyrethrin for the beetles and slug traps or baits to keep the slugs under control.  I recently saw wool pellets that you sprinkle around your plants that are susceptible to slugs and the pellets will expand into woolly balls that slugs won't cross so that is another option.

Asparagus is susceptible to fusarium wilt and stem, crown rot, and rust.  This is why it is important for them to be in loose soil that is well drained.  If your garden conditions aren't ideal, be sure to look for varieties that are resistant to these diseases.

Time to start cabbage seeds

Potted mini cabbage in spring

Sunday, March 6, 2022

It is time to start cabbage seeds indoors for spring harvests.  There are 3 different types of cabbages-heading, conical, and loose.  Cabbages come in shades of red, purple and green.  I do love the blue green color and crinkly leaves of savoy cabbage.  A new favorite is Chinese Hilton cabbage with its sweet leaves that are great for salads or to use as wraps spring, summer and fall.  

Cabbage is a member of the brassica family.  They all enjoy cool weather and are biennials.  They are grown as an annual.  Most produce a head the first year that is harvested and we eat.  If the head is not harvested, the plant will flower the second year.  Both the leaves and head of the plant is edible.  

You can chose varieties that have different days to harvest to get a continuous harvest of cabbage from early to late spring.  If growing the heading type of cabbage, you want the cabbage to produce a head before the heat of summer to maximize flavor and minimize pests.  Cabbage is easy to start from seed indoors. Cabbage can be grown in pots or in the garden bed.

Start seeds 4-6 weeks prior to last frost indoors or direct sow March for spring harvests.  Seeds should be sown 1/4" deep.  Seeds germinate in 5-17 days.  Soil temperature for germination should by 55-75 degrees F.  Make sure to harden off your transplants before planting in the garden.  You'll want your seedlings to have put on the first set of true leaves (the second set of leaves that grow) and are stout.  4 weeks before your last frost or when the crocus blooms is a good time to start transplanting for spring harvests.  

Indoor seed starting tips 

Outdoor seed starting tips 

"Hardening off" seedlings

Cabbages like a rich, organic soil with a pH of 6.5-6.8.  Place in a location that gets full sun to slight shade, 18-24" apart.  Since cabbage is a 'leaf crop", nitrogen is important.  Take a soil test to see what you need to add or use a balanced fertilizer at planting and a liquid fertilizer when the head begins for form.  Maintain consistent moisture through the growing season during dry spells.

Be sure to rotate plantings to minimize pests.  You do not want to plant any broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage in the same spot for at least 2 years as they share the same pests.  Ideal rotation is every 4 years.  Crop rotation made easy for small gardens  

For more on growing cabbage, including for fall and winter harvests and preserving, see Cabbage is nutritious and easy to grow