What Time of Day to Plant? - Page 2

akaRach · April 18, 2015

If I just had a few plants I would wait till the late afternoon, but I plant about 100 plus so they get planted usually starting early morning. I can't remember the last time I lost a transplant actually. I harden off to sun and cool temps.

Gardeneer · April 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by akaRach

If I just had a few plants I would wait till the late afternoon, but I plant about 100 plus so they get planted usually starting early morning. I can't remember the last time I lost a transplant actually. I harden off to sun and cool temps.

Agree.
As I have mentioned before, once a plant is hardened off ( to sun, temps, winds) then it does not mater when you plant it. At some point that plant is going to be exposed to sun, whether it is left in the pot over night or put in the ground.

Gardeneer

drew51 · April 18, 2015

I have ordered plants from about 35 different nurseries and none of them ever were hardened off. Probably many grown in shaded greenhouses. Even Michigan sun seems to be too much for them. I recently purchased some hybrid herbs, and even in indirecxt light they look burned, darn! I put them in full shade for now. I'll let them hang there a week, then a week in indirect, then a couple hours a day of direct light. it will be three weeks before I can plant them out. And in my experience this is typical. Many give instructions to harden off like Stark Brothers. I would never assume they are hardened off, and again in my experience many plants will die if exposed directly to sun. Some recover like trees, but small plants usually die if not hardened off. The first time I grew from seed, and under lights. I just put my tomatoes out, 12 plants, they all died, everyone of them.

Al@NC · April 18, 2015

That's a great question, I thought it was good to plant on a pretty full sun day! Lol, that may give more stress though now that I think about it...

Al

AlittleSalt · April 18, 2015

When I used to buy transplants, I planted as soon as we got home.
Sense growing from seed - I plant whenever.

Here in Texas, if it's warm enough - plant them.

parah · April 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

Unless it is rainy or very cloudy I always try to set them in the ground just before sundown. I try not to water them until I see them starting to wilt to encourage root growth. I only allow this lack of water when the plants are young. Once tomatoes start blooming too little water can cause blossom drop.

Bill

Do you ever have a problem with the root ball not expanding into the surrounding soil?
I have noticed a few times that the root ball would send out a few feeder roots, but mostly stay within the transplant soil.

Lately, after planting, I have been saturating the soil around the edge of the root ball to help the two soils weld together. It seems to help.

greyghost · April 19, 2015

Beale, I think it's possible that your plants from Burpee might come
planted in small pots. I would harden them off by placing in filtered sunlight at first, like where branches of a tree might cast some shadows. Keep them well watered, especially if the plant is quite large for the pot. If you can plant them
on an overcast day, or early evening, I think they will be better off. Very windy
conditions might be hard on them too, the wind is very drying, especially before
they're planted in your beds. Potting mix dries out in a heart beat, especially if the plant is quite large. If you have to leave them out and be away from home, it
might be best to set them in a pan of water.

I think you are right when you say they'll be in a box for a couple of days.
For that reason, I think they may need further hardening off -more so than
if you bought plants at a nursery.

If the plants are kind of tall and lanky, remember you can pinch off the lower
leaves and lay the plant in more of a trench than a deep hole. Roots will form
along the buried stem.

April 18, 2015	#18
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	I have ordered plants from about 35 different nurseries and none of them ever were hardened off. Probably many grown in shaded greenhouses. Even Michigan sun seems to be too much for them. I recently purchased some hybrid herbs, and even in indirecxt light they look burned, darn! I put them in full shade for now. I'll let them hang there a week, then a week in indirect, then a couple hours a day of direct light. it will be three weeks before I can plant them out. And in my experience this is typical. Many give instructions to harden off like Stark Brothers. I would never assume they are hardened off, and again in my experience many plants will die if exposed directly to sun. Some recover like trees, but small plants usually die if not hardened off. The first time I grew from seed, and under lights. I just put my tomatoes out, 12 plants, they all died, everyone of them. Last edited by drew51; April 18, 2015 at 10:11 PM.

April 18, 2015	#16
akaRach Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: South Ontario: Plant out date - May long weekend Posts: 32	If I just had a few plants I would wait till the late afternoon, but I plant about 100 plus so they get planted usually starting early morning. I can't remember the last time I lost a transplant actually. I harden off to sun and cool temps.

April 18, 2015	#19
Al@NC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vernon, BC Posts: 720	That's a great question, I thought it was good to plant on a pretty full sun day! Lol, that may give more stress though now that I think about it... Al

April 18, 2015	#20
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	When I used to buy transplants, I planted as soon as we got home. Sense growing from seed - I plant whenever. Here in Texas, if it's warm enough - plant them.

April 19, 2015	#22
greyghost Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: southeastern PA Posts: 760	Beale, I think it's possible that your plants from Burpee might come planted in small pots. I would harden them off by placing in filtered sunlight at first, like where branches of a tree might cast some shadows. Keep them well watered, especially if the plant is quite large for the pot. If you can plant them on an overcast day, or early evening, I think they will be better off. Very windy conditions might be hard on them too, the wind is very drying, especially before they're planted in your beds. Potting mix dries out in a heart beat, especially if the plant is quite large. If you have to leave them out and be away from home, it might be best to set them in a pan of water. I think you are right when you say they'll be in a box for a couple of days. For that reason, I think they may need further hardening off -more so than if you bought plants at a nursery. If the plants are kind of tall and lanky, remember you can pinch off the lower leaves and lay the plant in more of a trench than a deep hole. Roots will form along the buried stem.