How to Grow More Vegetables : And Fruits, Nuts ... - Shroomery

Unpot a seedling correctly.
Note
Seedlings are transplanted when they
are 2 to 3 inches high except for those
marked “LG” in column L4 and M4 of
the Master Charts on pages 87–115.
The LG seedlings are transplanted
when they are 6 to 9 inches high.
Spread root-bound plant roots out
before transplanting them into a bed.
For best bulb formation, do not plant
onions too deeply; instead, plant as
shown here.
70 SEED PROPAGATION
two plants were dug up, and the gardener discovered that the
plants had experienced root damage during transplanting. The
healthy broccoli, which had experienced uninterrupted growth,
were untouched by the insects, while nature eliminated the
unhealthy plants. 1
When transplanting, it is important to handle the seedlings
gently and to touch them as little as possible. Plants do not like
their bodies to be handled, though they do like to have human
companionship and to have dead leaves removed from their
stems. You should hold them only by the tips of their leaves (if
the plant must be touched) or by the soil around their roots. If
you have grown the seedlings in a flat, use a hand fork to
gently separate a 4-inch-square section of soil and plants from
the rest. Using the fork, gently lift that section from the flat
and place it on the ground. Then carefully pull away one plant
at a time from the section for transplanting. If it is particularly
dry, hot, or windy, place the section on a wet towel. Always
keep as much soil around the roots as possible when
transplanting. If the seedling has been grown in a pot, turn the
pot upside down, letting the plant stem pass between your
second and third fingers, and tap firmly on the bottom of the
pot with your other hand. Or tap the lip of the pot on
something solid.
In all cases, if the plants are root bound (the roots being so
tightly grown together from having been kept in a starting flat
or pot so long that with the soil they constitute a tight mass),
gently spread the roots out in all directions. This process is
important because the plant should not spend critical growth
energy sending out a new, wide-ranging root system for eating
and drinking when a good root system has already been
produced. Instead, the plant’s energy will go into the natural
flow of continuous growth.
Be sure to place the seedling into a large enough hole so
that the plant can be buried up to its first set of true leaves.
Water the seedlings after transplanting to help settle the soil
around the roots, to eliminate excess air spaces, and to provide
an adequate amount of water for growth. As the soil is packed
down under the pressure of watering, the final soil level will
remain high enough to cover the upper roots. The plant’s roots
need firm contact with the soil to properly absorb water and
nutrients. Press the soil firmly around the seedling, if necessary,
but not too tightly. Tight packing will damage the roots
and will not allow the proper penetration of water, nutrients, and
air. Soil that is too loose will allow air and moisture to concentrate
around the roots. This will cause root burn and decay.
Transplanting seedlings up to their first true leaves prevents
them from becoming top-heavy and bending over during their
early growth period. (This is especially true for members of
1. John and Helen Philbrick, Gardening for Health and Nutrition (New York: Rudolph Steiner
Publications, 1971), p. 93.