DIY Network

Transplanting and Fertilizing Transplanting and Fertilizing From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-125

When it comes to transplanting seedlings and nurturing them to full growth, there are a few key details to know. Follow these simple guidelines for great results....

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To ensure the health of your plants, try to transplant seedlings on an overcast day and / or in late afternoon or early evening when the sun is low.

• You want to make transplanting as easy as possible for the seedlings. Any sudden change in environment can cause a slowing or stunting of growth from which the plant may not fully recover. To ensure the health of your plants, try to transplant seedlings on an overcast day and / or in late afternoon or early evening when the sun is low.

• To transplant seedlings, you use a trowel to dig a hole to the same depth the seedlings were growing in the seedling trays. Next, for a fast start, dunk the seedling in a bucket of cool water with a mixture of liquid starter fertilizer. Be sure not the leave the plants in the water too long or the roots won’t have access to air.

• Space the seedlings, in the raised bed, about one foot apart. Try not to disturb the plant roots as you transplant the seedlings, being careful not to snap the stems or crush the roots. Be sure not to leave bare roots exposed to drying sun and air for even a few minutes -- you want to get them in the soil promptly. You should also remove any dead or damaged leaves to be sure the plant will produce thick, healthy foliage. Finally, pack soil around the seedling. Plan to shade the transplants from bright sun for a few days while they get established.

• Spinach requires a lot of moisture and you will need to water regularly and thoroughly. You should supply enough water to moisten the soil to a depth of six inches. When rainfall is lacking, you should add an inch of water every 7 to 10 days. Light sprinklings will encourage shallow rooting of the plants. Any lack of water and nutrients, the spinach will bolt!

• A uniform supply of soil moisture is required for really good quality spinach. Be sure to water in the morning so the foliage is dry before dark. You should use a garden hose equipped with a misting nozzle to lightly water the spinach. Make sure not to over-saturate the roots -- spinach roots can't tolerate soggy soils. Plants in soggy soils will be susceptible to disease, especially downy mildew.
  

  	Dunk the seedling in a bucket of cool water with a mixture of liquid starter fertilizer. Be sure not the leave the plants in the water too long or the roots won’t have access to air.
  	Be sure to water in the morning so the foliage is dry before dark. You should use a garden hose equipped with a misting nozzle to lightly water the spinach.

• If you notice that you have low growth or the plants are light green, you should side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer. Every couple weeks, feed the spinach with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. When using a liquid fertilizer, you should time the application of the fertilizer for early morning, a cloudy day or early evening. Water evaporates more slowly at these times, and so the crop absorbs more nutrients.

• Another quick nutrient boost for plants is to make a "compost tea." Your plants will enjoy this tea party when you serve up this mixture of manure and water. Compost tea is a great all-purpose fertilizer for side-dressing your vegetable plants every two or three weeks.

• You can make compost tea by placing one part manure or compost in cheesecloth and tie it off with twine or string. Then place it in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket. Fill the bucket with three parts water and let the mixture steep for 24 hours.

• To apply the tea, pour it into a watering can and apply the tea on the foliage and around the base of plants. In the fall, it's better to use liquid fertilizer -- granular versions have a hard time breaking down in cooler temperatures. If you water in the evening, just be sure to allow enough time for the leaves to dry before night fall. Wet leaves at night could promote diseases.

• Spinach is fairly resistant to most plant diseases, but is susceptible to downy mildew. Downy mildew creates yellow and purple spots on the underside of spinach leaves. The plants will die quickly after contracting this disease. It is best to destroy plants infected with downy mildew. Of course, planting in raised beds will create good air circulation and water drainage and help prevent infections.

• Once watered, place mulch around the plants to control soil temperature, conserve moisture and stunt weed growth. You can use any organic mulch, like straw, compost or leaves to retain soil moisture.