We continued planting right up until the second we got skunked by a major thunderstorm! We’re getting 1/4 inch hail at the moment. We’re not super concerned, we’ve ridden hail storms out many times! Sure, it can shred up your plants pretty good, but it’s usually nowhere near as dangerous as a frost!
Since we’re now house ridden, let’s talk about some of the immediate things we’re doing, right after we transplant plants into the garden. The first week or so after you transplant is a critical time frame!
First, when we transplant into the ground, we usually prefer to give our plants an immediate dose of a water soluble fertilizer. We use these fertilizers a lot, mostly because they are immediately available to our plants with minimal conversion required by the plant. We find this heavily reduces transplant shock and also sets the plant up for immediate growth.
Second, watering is of critical importance. Remember, our transplants have minimal root structure and a whole lot of soil around them now. Water that we apply gets wicked deeper into the soils. So, regularly watering our plants (typically daily) is something we want to practice for about the first week after transplant.
Depending on your season and region, you may also be getting rainfall during this time. We find this can be a bit iffy to rely on and often plan on watering anyway. A light rainfall might not be sufficient, we really need to get the water down into the soil to encourage deep root growth. Then again, a deluge will be just fine.
Once our plants become established, usually after a week or so, we can let up on the watering cycles a bit. We still need to address it somewhat frequently though, typically once every 2-3 days until the plant is quite matured.
If we get a heat wave and draught conditions any time in the first month, we absolutely have to step things back up with our watering efforts. Heat will have a tendency to really dry out those soils. Younger plants have less ability to survive those heat waves, since they can’t (yet) pull water from deep underground.
Also, sadly, not every transplant will make it. We like to say, “They can’t all be winners!” Sometimes a transplant or two just doesn’t take. It’s a good idea to keep some plants in reserve, just in case you need to replace a failed transplant.
That’s pretty much it. Oh, and definitely feel free to marvel over your efforts and take some time to appreciate your plants! We’re not sure what to think about “plant whispering,” but it definitely can’t hurt!
