The one thing that we did that made a difference was to first dehydrate to the wilt stage before we transplanted. Then the night before we soaked them This hardened up tender tomatoes in particular and we almost never lost any. It is all about a lot of simple things and this item captures that completely.
And all that was with no plugs to work with.
And yes it is always fussy.
How We Transplant Vegetable Plugs
There
are clear signs that your plugs are ready to transplant to larger
containers. The most visible is the presence of true leaves. These are
the leaves that grow following the cotyledons. Cotyledons are embryonic
leaves, the first set of leaves to appear after a seed germinates. They
look like rabbit ears, with an ovate shape and smooth margins. True
leaves have the shape of leaves on the mature plant, only smaller. You
can recognize the true leaves on a tomato transplant because they have
indented margins. If you handle your plugs with care you can move them
when they have only one set of true leaves, but it is more common to
transplant when there are two sets because the plugs are sturdier at
this stage. You can transplant the plugs of tomatoes, peppers and
eggplants for several weeks after they enter the true leaf stage. The
plugs begin to lose their well-balanced, fresh, new look, but you can
still produce a good plant with larger, older plugs.
Handle Plugs with Care
Handle your
plugs with care when you transplant. They are delicate, and you can
damage the stems or pull out the roots, setting back or permanently
damaging the plant. The best way is to pull them gently where the leaves
meet the stem, without applying too much pressure. Stems are
responsible for the movement of fluids through the plant. In general, a
good stem means a good plant. If you squeeze too tightly you’ll harm the
stem, so work slowly and carefully until you develop a knack for
handling your plugs.
If you find that your plugs are not releasing from your
transplant trays without tearing, try using a tool to dislodge them. We
scoop ours out using oyster shuckers, which have small knobs for handles
and dull blades. They are ideal for the job.
Plant Deeply
When
transplanting, deeper is better. When you transplant a vegetable plug
you give it a new beginning, a chance to form an improved, strong, even
perfect structure. Bends in the stems can be corrected by deep planting. Deeply planted tomatoes develop a larger root system, because the tiny hairs you see along the stem are adventitious roots. All they need to begin growing is contact with soil. You can transplant almost
the length of the stem, leaving just one or
two sets of true leaves above the soil
level.
Saturate Before and After Transplanting
We
always moisten the soil in the transplant containers prior to
transplanting. This allows us to make a well-formed hole in the soil to
receive the roots and stem. It also reduces transplant shock, getting
the plugs off to a smooth start. In fact, we prefer to water at least
twice prior to transplanting, leaving an interval between watering to
insure that moisture thoroughly permeates the soil.
A dibble makes
a nice, well-formed, centered hole in moistened soil. Your finger can
do the same job, although it will suffer some wear and tear in the
process!
After
transplanting the plugs we water at least twice again to insure that
there is no lack of moisture available to the roots in the first several
days following. There is evidence that watering with fish emulsion
immediately after transplanting is even more effective than water alone,
giving the plugs an added boost that will lead to larger, healthier,
more productive plants.
Full Sun Required
At
this stage your immature seedlings need the maximum light available.
Direct light 16 hours a day is ideal. Full, direct sun promotes healthy,
disease-free plants with dense cell structure that is made evident by
strong, stocky stems and a compact appearance. Depending on the quality
of the light and the size of your containers, you can hold your plants
anywhere from three to six weeks before transplanting into the garden.
During this time, keep them moist and avoid the extremes of too wet and
too dry. A steady supply of moisture promotes continuous growth, and
that’s what you want.
Check out the TomatoCam
On
a related topic, The Natural Gardening Company has an experiment and
contest underway to find out which region of the country has the best
climate for growing tomatoes. Gardeners from all 50 states have been
invited to participate and it is no more difficult than planting
tomatoes on a specific schedule in your own backyard.
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