The Art of Transplanting Vegetables

By Susan Sides
(This article will appear in the May issue of the Fairview Town Crier)


Transplant: 1.) To uproot and replant 2.) To transfer from one place of residence to another, resettle, relocate.


You first have to be unsettled to be resettled. Many of us have been unsettled transplants at one time or another, moving from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Many of the folks The Lord’s Acre serves are transplants as well, whether that refers to residency, illness, or occupation. Sometimes all any of us needs is a little orientation and kindness to get our bearings in a new setting, while other times factors beyond our control make getting established much more difficult. Transplants of the vegetative kind aren’t really all that different. Thinking in these terms can make the difference between plants that thrive and those that adjust poorly to their new surroundings and continually struggle.


Whether your plants hale from your windowsill, greenhouse, or a nearby nursery, a little attention to their needs as they are settling in can make all the difference in how well they grow. The first step in doing this is to let the transplants get to know their new surroundings slowly. They need to get used to the fact that the garden is quite different from the greenhouse. To do this, set them outdoors some each day so they can experience direct sunlight, dew, light rain, light breezes, and changing temperatures. If frost or inclement weather threatens, be there to welcome them back in again. Once they’ve had a week or more of ‘hardening off,’ it’s time to transplant. That nurturing task is best done in the evening. A drizzly or “it’s going to rain tomorrow” evening is best. If you’re used to transplanting in the daytime, this tip alone will make a huge difference in how well your garden does.


As you’re gently transferring each young veggie-to-be into its newly troweled or dibbled hole, pay close attention to the roots. A C.A.R.E. package of compost and whatever soil amendments you’re using can be worked directly into the ground around where the plant will reside. Think of it as yourself as being the type of friend who brings meals over when someone who’s just moved is too overwhelmed to fix their own food. Next, loosen any tightly bound roots by pulling at them a bit from the sides and bottom (kind of like helping them unpack). Handle one plant at a time so young roots won’t dry out while waiting their turn. Some folks wrap the roots of a dozen or so transplants in a wet cloth as they work down the row for just this reason. Brassicas and tomatoes particularly appreciate their bottom leaves being pinched off and most vegetables like to be snuggly placed up to these lower leaves. I often make a little well with my fingertips when filling in the hole to create good contact between soil and roots and to create something of a shallow bowl for holding water.


If the soil is particularly dry, you’ll want to water the plants in after each half dozen or so are planted. If the soil is moist and the weather is cool, you can wait to plant the entire row or bed before watering them in. “Watering in” should consist of a long drink around the base of the plant, one that soaks the ground thoroughly. Leaves that remain wet overnight are more likely to get and spread disease so water the soil and not the leaves. Take care the water isn’t scalding if the hose has been in the sun all day. Continue watering daily if needed for a week, then let the roots ‘reach’ for deeper water before again soaking the ground with at least an inch of water per week.


Transplanting is one of the most tender of all gardening acts. It’s almost like that moment in parenting when you send your little babies off to the real world. And as with our own children, we want to do everything we can to help them. That way they’ll be better prepared to meet whatever comes their way.