How to Transplant Starter Plants to Your Garden

You started your plants indoors during the late winter or early spring. You have faithfully nursed them through the germination and seedling stages. Now, the spring season is warming up, your plants are growing well, and you think it's time to move them outside. What do you do?

Though you might be tempted to haul them out to your garden, dig a hole and drop them in on a sunny day, fight the urge! Transferring plants is a process that must be completed gradually in order to prevent transplant shock.

Transplant shock is the term for when a plant dies or is significantly damaged after transplantation. Up until now, your plants have been growing in pretty ideal circumstances. They have been kept at a constant temperature, watered faithfully, received a few hours of sunlight per day, and have experienced no wind. Plants acclimate to their environments, and your starter plants are used to your house. They must be trained to adapt to the outdoors before they are set in the ground to fend for themselves.

Here is the process for successful transplants:

When your plants are established and healthy, and the weather is conducive to gardening, start the process by setting your plants outside for 30 minutes. You should set them in a place that is protected from the wind and direct sunlight. The next day, repeat the process and increase the duration to 1 hour. Increase the time your plants spend outdoors by 1 hour each day until you have reached 8 hours. If your plants are doing well, on day 9, leave your plants outdoors all night.

When you are ready to transplant, pick the right time. The best time to transplant is in the late afternoon or evening, when your plants will not face direct sunlight immediately. Days that are cloudy with only a light wind are ideal for transplanting.

Before you remove your plant from the container, ready the hole. Place some compost, manure, or a transplant solution (available at your local nursery) into the hole. Some gardeners also suggest putting a handful of sand into the hole. The plant should be set about 1" deeper than it was set when it was growing in your house, as this will make a sturdier, stockier plant and will set the roots more deeply into the soil. Move the plant quickly to the hole in order to expose the roots as little as possible. Avoid any unnecessary handling of the roots. Once the plant is in place, water gently around it in order to let the water soak in and settle the roots around the plant. Finally, gingerly fill in the hole with dry dirt.

If a period of very hot weather ensues after the transplant, you may need to use some cardboard or boards to shield them from some of the sun. You will also need to watch your plants carefully and water at the first sign of withering. Plants dry out more quickly in the elements than they do indoors and enough water is essential to keep them growing well.

As a general rule, younger plants adapt more quickly to transplanting than do larger plants, so don't wait too long to move yours outdoors.

With a little patience and planning, you will be able to transplant your plants to your garden successfully. You will then be able to enjoy all of your hard work as your plants continue to grow and bear the vegetables you have been waiting for.