By this point in the season, I'm usually asking myself if maybe direct seeding isn't the way to go after all. This business of starting seed indoors has been a lot of work... Stuffing cells with mix, planting tiny seeds once at a time and then watering on a schedule takes a bit of a toll on a guy my age! But, then again, I was able to take a seed that cost less than a penny and (magically) turn it into a small plant that is ready for the rigors of the outdoors. And, I know my plants have been organically grown and that any fruit they bear will be pesticide free. So, onwards I go...
Weather considerations
I'm going to assume that you have now hardened off your plants for a week or more, insuring they will not drop dead the day after they go into the garden. If you did your planning earlier on, you also should have a good idea of where they are to be planted. Now, before you actually commit the plants, is a good time to take a look at what the weather is going to do in the near term. You're looking to see if you can transplant on either a cloudy or rainy day if at all possible. Try and avoid a really windy or sunny day as this will only add to the shock the plant will experience big time. (You can always leave your starts in the cold frame until conditions improve). In a similar vein, if the soil in your bed is saturated with water, wait for a dry period before going on. (Digging in it now will only serve to compact the soil which destroys soil structure). If you have to, take a tarp and cover the area to prevent more rain from getting in. Once again, gardening is all about adapting, improvising and overcoming!
Hold off on fertilizing
Prior to transplanting, you also will want to cut back on adding any fertilizer either on the plants themselves or in the soil where they're destined to go. Your starts will have enough on their hands (roots) getting adapted to their new home in the soil without suffering potential root burn from improper applications of nitrogen to the soil around their roots. You want the root ball to got after the nutrients on their own. (The faster new roots are established, the brighter the future for a good harvest).
Look for some worms
Now, if you prepared the bed correctly (last fall) and have been adding homemade compost to the soil from your compost bin, when you dig down just a few inches, you should see some earthworms. As many as ten or more per square foot indicates a healthy and well balanced soil medium. Earthworms will not hang out in soil that is nutrient poor or which is too acid or alkaline. They're like little chemical engineers in that respect. If you don't see any at all, it might be a good idea to check the pH of the soil to see if it is out of bounds for good growth. The soil should be on the slightly acid side of the scale. Say about 6.7 with neutral being a 7.0. If that checks out and still no worms, then consider getting a soil analysis done to see if there might be other problems going on and move the starts to another location. Just remember that by composting your own scraps and adding them to your raised beds on a regular basis, you can correct most problems naturally. Compost helps to adjust the pH and adds all important humus which improves the soil crumb structure. (If your garden is really large, then consider getting compost from reliable local sources. As a last bet, buy commercial compost from local garden outlets).
Maintain the root ball
Assuming that everything is a go, the act of transplanting usually goes very rapidly. If you have your starts in one of the reusable plastic trays, just take a kitchen spoon or knife and carefully dig them out. If you have used peat pots, then plant out the entire pot and if you used peat trays, then break these apart being careful to remove a portion of the bottom of the cell to allow the roots to 'escape'. Peat pots will break down on their own, so you really don't have to worry about the roots getting trapped. In the case of the reusable trays, but make sure to try and disturb the root ball as little as possible. Make a small opening in the bed and then plop the plant into it. Try and avoid burying the stem up to the leaves and don't over compact the soil when replacing it around the plant. Also, just add enough water to dampen the soil, don't super saturate it as this will only serve to decrease the all important air spaces in the soil around the roots. (Yes, roots also need air to breathe). So go easy greasy.
Keep a diary
That's all there is to transplanting as far as the essentials go. Just make sure to keep an eye on everything for a few days to make sure they are happy in their new home. You might also want to cover them with a cover of reemay to help add a little bit of protection in the early going.
I also like to keep a daily diary on the garden in which I keep notes on anything and everything that comes to mind. This can become invaluable on those years where you achieve either great success or have what amounts to a disaster. Fill it with diagrams, soil comments, what worked and what did not. That way, come the following season you will hopefully enjoy even better results!
My next topic will cover Step Five – Pests!
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