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Notes From the Garden

In the Garden

Planting Seedlings in the Garden

By Kimberly Christensen


Buying organic plant starts at the Seattle Tilth Edible Plant sale. Organic starts are also available at area nurseries. Sara Longley photo.
May 09, 2002 -- Whether you've been nurturing tiny plants from seed or you are planning to head to the garden store, May is Seattle's best time for transplanting many seedlings. Longer days, warmer nights and higher soil temperatures help young plants make the adjustment from pot to garden.

If your plants have been raised indoors, it will be necessary to "harden" them before you transplant them. Indoor temperatures, indirect sun and artificial light do not adequately prepare seedlings for life outside. Transplanting them without helping them adjust to different weather and temperature conditions can cause sunburn, windburn and shock, none of which will help your plants thrive.

Dealing with Slugs
Slugs and snails are hard on plants, no matter how old they are. However, they can particularly devastate newly planted seedlings, especially if you follow the suggestions to transplant in the evening and water liberally. Preparing your garden and keeping up with "slug management" can help you avoid some of the heartache of losing seedlings to slugs.


  • Encourage other wildlife to spend time in your garden. Ants, beetle larvae, earwigs, birds, snakes, toads and turtles all enjoy slugs for dinner.

  • Harvest slugs at night in order to reduce their numbers. Use a flashlight and follow their slime trails to find them. Make sure to check foliage thoroughly! Handpick the slugs and put them into a bucket of soapy water to kill them.

  • If you've cleared an area from all visible slugs, including those hiding under logs, empty pots, stones, etc., fence off the area with copper tape or bender board at least 3 inches wide. The chemical reaction of copper and slug slime creates a shocking experience for the slug. Make sure there are no "bridges" over the fence, like fallen branches or other debris.

  • Sink a few plastic tubs into the ground and fill them with cheap beer (my slugs prefer Heineken). Slugs will be drawn to the scent, fall into the tub and drown. Change the beer if it becomes diluted with water. However, don't change it too frequently, as slugs are attracted by the scent of other (dead) slugs. This technique works well in areas that have been fenced off with copper.

  • Set out "slug traps" in the form of clay pots that have been turned upside down. Slugs will climb inside to stay cool. Check the traps daily and harvest any slugs you find.

  • Keep mulch and groundcover away from plants that are especially vulnerable. Slugs hide and lay eggs in these. However, slugs are reported to avoid oak leaf mulch.

  • Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the base of your plants.

Plan to harden your plants at least two weeks before you transplant, and up to a month for tender plants like tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. During the first week, stop feeding the plants and reduce the amount of water they receive. During the second week, start taking your plants outdoors. Ideally, start them with a one-hour outdoor adventure in the morning or late afternoon so that they aren't exposed to full sun right away. If you are unable to do this, place them in a sheltered area out of direct sunlight. Also make sure that the seedlings are protected from wind. Each day, increase the amount of time that the seedlings are left outdoors by one hour until they are left out for a full day. Make sure that you water them frequently while they are adjusting, but refrain from watering them right when you put them outside or you may attract slugs and snails. You do not need to leaves the plants outdoors at night. In fact, because their roots are more exposed in pots than they will be in the soil, leaving plants out at night can cause shock.

Pick the evening of an overcast or drizzly day to transplant your seedlings. This technique is gentler on the plants because they are less likely to lose water. Also, water your plants right before you begin transplanting. Dig a hole that is roughly the same size as your pot, but a little wider. You do not need to add potting soil or compost into the hole. If the soil is really compacted, you can aerate it by poking some holes in it. However, many gardeners advise against disturbing the soil too much as it can throw off the ecosystem of the soil's microbes and make it more difficult for your plants to survive. A good watering after transplantation should loosen the soil enough for the roots to be able to take hold.

If your plants are in plastic or clay pots, tip the pot so that the seedling slides out into your hand. You can tap on the bottom or side of the pot if the plant is stuck. Avoid whacking the roots or tugging on the stem, both of which can traumatize the plant. You can gently spread out the roots.

If your plants are in peat or paper pots, they can be planted right in the pots. Tear the edges of the peat or the paper to the level of the potting soil so that it doesn't wick water away from the plant's roots. Score the sides of the pot or remove the bottom of the pot so that the roots can grow more easily. If the roots have already penetrated the pot, you do not need to follow this step.

Place the seedling into the hole and fill in any gaps with soil. Lightly pat the soil into place in order to create a small indentation in which to catch water. Slowly give a transplant a deep watering, of at least one quart. Make sure to pour the water at the base of the plant and to avoid getting water on the leaves. Repeat these slow and deep waterings frequently until the plants have completed their transition to life in the garden. They will let you know that they are established by showing new growth.

Remember that if you want a continuous harvest of plants like salad greens, you should plant seeds on the same day as you transplant. In late spring and summer, you can direct sow. At other times, you may want to start them indoors. In any case, nurture these little transplants with plenty of attention, and the proper amount of water, food and supplements so that you can enjoy your harvest!

Kimberly Christensen lives and gardens in Wallingford.


Reader Comments

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Shara Lynn Kelsey May 11, 2004 Sacramento, CA Research Prog. Spec.
   I stapled copper bender board around 1/2 barrels that I planted with various things; no slugs got to them. I can't find it anymore -- can you tell me of a source? Thank you.

 

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