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Mistakes When Planting or
Transplanting
by James Ellison
Remember those beautiful warm March or April days when we are tempted to
go out and start our gardens? Why not, the stores already have the
plants for us to transplant so it must be time. Early planting can lead
to money out of your pocket.
Even if we plant the seeds like corn and beans too early they will go
bad before they have a chance to germinate. The seedlings may be hit by
a last frost or low night temperatures. Gardening takes a lot of work
but also a lot of luck.
We can not hurry spring, mother nature sees to that.
Know what plants will take some cool weather and what plants won't take
cool weather. Eggplants, melons and peppers need warmer temps to survive
and grow. Plants like impatiens and begonias will not survive the cold.
Ideally wait till night temps are at least 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).
We just can't rush spring.
We can plant too close to each other. If you are planting annuals then
plant close but if you are planting permanent shrubs or trees don't
plant too close. In the future years it will show in the health of the
plant and the looks that they have grown too close.
Air circulation plays a vital factor in the health of a plant. If the
plants are too close bad circulation will affect the plants and it will
show. This will, especially, favor fungal diseases. Your plants don't
deserve to get sick from our mistakes. Know your plant's height and
width at maturity.
In vegetable gardening we all want the most out of our plants. You won't
get that good production if you plant too close or too much. Keep the
seedlings at recommended spacing and when putting transplants in keep
their distance. Would you plant 1 tomato plant 1 foot from the other and
expect to get a good crop that season, of course not.
Don't buy plants and let them set a long time before putting into the
ground. Again we are tempted to buy on impulse plants that we take home
and let set for weeks. They get dried out, stressed out and root-bound.
The most forgotten purchase of plants is bulbs, tubers and corms. Some
need to go into the ground immediately, some can wait. Best to be safe
then sorry--plant them. Your bulbs will not bloom if they don't have a
chance to established their root system first.
The roots have to be taken care of properly also. If we have containers
with root-bound plants in them we need to be careful not to break off
the roots when transplanting. When planting, take the roots and untangle
and straighten them as much as possible.
Some good tips for root-bound plants are:
Circling roots of shrubs and trees. To avoid these types try buying a
smaller plant in a larger pot.
If the roots can't be straighten then score the root ball. The ends then
will grow new roots and re-establish itself.
Most smaller plants can have their roots straighten by just brushing the
roots with your hand.
About the author
This article is provided courtesy of
www.basic-info-4-organic-fertilizers.com. You may freely reprint this
article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy
notice and the URL remains intact. Article Source:
www.homehighlight.org
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