Your Yard and Garden

Your
YARD AND GARDEN

Buying transplants

David Robson

It's spring, and time for planting. Everything is ready for the plant.

The plants — they're the keys to gardening success. The right plant in the right spot will go to town and provide you with flowers and vegetables throughout this year.

Most gardeners prepare a soil to the "nth" degree. The ground is tilled, organic matter is added, the ground is tilled some more, and possibly more organic matter is added. A little bit of fertilizer is incorporated.

Then we go out, buy the cheapest plants we can find, and stick them in.

Now, not all cheaply priced plants are poor quality. I'm one of those who goes to discount houses for some annuals and vegetables. However, I usually call ahead, find out when the delivery truck is there, and swoop down on the plants as they're being unloaded.

History has taught me that the person in charge of the plants at some urban stores was selected because he or she could recognize the difference between a plant and an automobile tire. That may be the extent of their knowledge.

The quality of the transplant is more important than anything else. There are several qualities to look for.

A short compact plant. This is the key to success. Tall leggy plants, which most of us produce in our basements or on the window ledge, indicate too little light, too much heat, or over-fertilizing. Short sturdy plants correlate to cooler temperatures and lots of light. When set out in the garden, these plants quickly adapt.

Strong root system. This is the tricky part. You want lots of good white roots, but you don't want them all coming from the bottom of the pot. This leads to the question "how can you tell?"

Carefully, and I mean extremely carefully, lift the plant out of the pot, and examine the roots. White roots are an indicator of good growing conditions. Black roots are not. If the plant resists the tugging, that's even better. It means the roots are trying to hold it in place. Ask an employee for help if you're nervous or unsure of your skills.

Typical color. Notice, I don't say dark green color. A dark green color on a petunia plant should immediately set off warning bells. Petunias naturally have a light green color. Marigolds, on the other hand, should be a dark green. Plants that are overly green may have had too much fertilizer or iron. The color could be masking something else.

No insects, mites or diseases. This should go without saying, but there are lots of plants shoved together, and most aren't grown locally. Examine the underside of leaves and look carefully on the stem. Ladybugs are good; aphids and spider mites are not.

If leaves look sickly, blotched or spotted, consider another plant. No need to introduce diseases into your yard.

No flowers or fruits. This is the toughest. You really don't want a transplant that has spent its energy producing a blossom or a little tomato. It may make you feel good, but it has sent the plant into a reproductive mode instead of growth.

Now, I would never buy a flower without knowing for sure what color it was. I only trust the labels so much. How often have you seen someone pick up a plant, and later decide it's not what they want, and set it back down someplace differently? How often have you seen children handle plants? No need to say any more.

Most of us can't tell anything about the fruit or vegetables so it's a definite. For flowers, chose some that are showing colors, but remember, and this is practically an absolute except for cockscomb, remove the flowers when you plant. Remove all fruits that are forming. Direct all the plant's energy into roots and new shoots.

David Robson is an Extension Educator, Horticulture, at the Springfield Extension Center, University of Illinois Extension. You can write to Robson in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone: (217) 782-6515. E-Mail: robsond@mail.aces.uiuc.edu

18 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING MAY 1999