We start hardening off seedlings early, encouraging them to become their strongest, healthiest selves from a very young age. After planting, watering with dilute seaweed extract can also help reduce transplant shock. We amend our beds with rich aged compost, worm casting, and just a light dusting of mild kelp meal and alfalfa meal – less than the package calls for, just to be safe. When planting, don’t ruffle the roots too much on the seedlings.Īlso, don’t over-fertilize the soil they’re going in to, which puts them at risk of “burning” and shocking too. If they are looking overgrown for their current containers, roots sticking out the bottom and all, but aren’t yet ready to go outside – pot them up into larger containers as needed. Photo courtesy of HouzzĪnother tip to prevent transplant shock is to not allow your plants to become too root bound before planting out. Pecknold, Purdue UniversityĪ tomato seedling in a state of transplant shock. When several stresses are being experienced, the plant may no longer be able to function properly.” Paul C. Plants suffering from water stress may be more susceptible to injury from other causes such as the weather, insects, or disease. New transplants do not have extensive root systems, and they are frequently stressed by lack of sufficient water. It involves failure of the plant to root well, consequently the plant becomes poorly established in the landscape. “Transplant shock is a term that refers to a number of stresses occurring in recently transplanted seedlings, trees, and shrubs. They could be permanently stunted and therefore won’t reach their true potential during maturity. It may not or may not kill them, but it can set them back. Transplant shock is a state of shock or trauma that a plant could experience after being transplanted. Even if it isn’t done “perfectly”, every little bit of hardening off helps tremendously! There is really no reason to rush and skip it. It is a simple, free bit of insurance to provide your plants. The act of hardening off seedlings to help prevent transplant shock is very easy to do! It just takes a little planning in advance. If you take them from stable, temperate conditions and quickly plant them out in your garden, they could experience transplant shock or easily get damaged. They likely haven’t been exposed to extreme temperature swings, strong winds, rain, or even direct sun. Up until this point, indoor seedlings have been very protected babied even. This is particularly true if you start seeds indoors. They could bend, snap, wilt, fry, or otherwise die. If your seedlings haven’t been adequately exposed to the types of conditions they’ll encounter in the “big bad world” of the garden, they may flounder. By hardening off seedlings, it helps them to become stronger and more resilient, and thus reduces stress and increases success in the garden. It is taking slow, methodical steps to get them accustomed to the great outdoors. Hardening off seedlings is the process of preparing indoor-raised seedlings to be planted outside. This post will discuss what hardening off is, why it is important, and how to do it.Īt the end, you’ll find a video of our greenhouse seedlings that are currently going through the hardening off process, for all you visual learners! Hardening off seedlings helps to ensure they make a smooth, successful transition to their new home – your garden ! This is a very important step, especially if you started your seeds indoors or in otherwise protected conditions. The next step in your little plants journey is to harden them off. So you have a bunch of seedlings that need to be planted outside soon, huh? Well congrats on successfully starting seeds and raising new babies! But hold tight! Do not take your seedlings and plop them down outside without a proper adjustment period to prepare them first. Share on Pinterest Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Email Share on Reddit
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |