Getting plants ready for the garden
April’s changeable weather and the recent return of near-freezing nights have been enough to try a gardener’s patience. Now, finally, May is here, the Last Frost
Date is past, and your tender seedlings can be transplanted into the garden. But like many living things, plants can benefit from some acclimatization when they change environments.
So, here are some easy, but important things to do:
• About a week before planting out, cut back on water, and put the plants in a cooler environment. (Turn off the heat mat, set them away from direct sunlight.)
• Gradually introduce your seedlings to the outdoor environment; an hour or two at first in dappled sunlight is plenty, then gradually increase the amount of time they’re allowed out. Make sure to keep the containers watered — they’ll dry out more quickly outside. Place the seedling containers on a table, out of reach of dogs or cats. If you need to, set an alarm so you don’t forget the plants and leave them out too long.
• Another way you can get toughen up your seedlings is to brush them: not literally, with a brush, but with your hands. Think of the action the wind will have on the plants, and essentially do the same thing.
• Nights in May can still get cold. Tomatoes and peppers are warm weather plants and will appreciate some protection. You can make a simple cloche from an empty plastic gallon milk or juice jug. Simply cut away the bottom, then place the container over the plant. Wiggle it down into the soil a few inches to prevent it from blowing away. Place a stone or brick on top to anchor it. Remove the cloche during the day.
You can also wrap plastic around whatever support you’ve put in place for your tomato plants. As the temperatures get reliably warmer at night, simply remove the plastic.
• So far, we’ve talked about protecting young plants from the sun and the wind. What about pounding rain? Here, the concern is more from what might splash up onto the plants, i.e., soil-borne, disease-causing organisms. The simple protection is to put down mulch, whether its black (or even red, for tomatoes) plastic, or shredded leaf mulch. You’ll want to do this anyway, of course, to help retain moisture in the soil, and maintain a more constant soil temperature.
For tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, which like a lot of warmth, plastic mulch is probably preferable, at least early in the season. You may be surprised to hear me recommend plastic, since I push organics so strongly, but plastic can have a place in the garden. Hint: remove it before you think it’s time. Plastic degrades faster in the sun and eventually becomes brittle. Speaking from experience, it’s far easier to pick up one sheet of plastic than dozens of small fragments.
• Finally, there’s one more danger to prepare against: cutworms. These guys come out at night to feed, and chomp tender plant stems right at the
soil level. It’s easy to foil them — with small strips of newspaper, or small sections of paper towel rolls. Cut the towel roll vertically, so you can slip it around the plant without damage. Metal cans with both ends cut out are also very effective. It’s just hard these days to find the old-style cans where it’s as easy to remove the bottom as it is the top.
Whatever medium you use, just be sure that the bottom portion of the newspaper, metal can, or cardboard tube is a couple of inches below the soil surface, with an inch or
two above it.
Note: these steps are easy and take far less time to do than to write about!
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s nature-related books for children and families are available on Amazon, at Amazon.com/author/ pamelabaxter.