Bare Root Planting

Hello there,  If you buy plants online you might come across plants that will ship to you called bare root. This means that the roots are not potted in soil they are dormant and  soil free and you will have to plant in your own soil. It's simply easier to ship plants that are dormant (not actively growing) than live potted plants.
You should plant your bare root plants as soon as possible. Soak the roots in water for 30 minutes before planting and keep moist in the new pot or in ground. Bare root trees will start to put on leaves after a few months. If you plant in early spring you will start to see growth in summer.
Should you fertilize bare root trees when first plant ? the answer is no-- too much nitrogen may cause the root tips to break.
The roots of your newly planted tree will grow out laterally  twice as much the first year , but supplying nitrogen rich fertilizer will only cause your tree roots to grow back around itself instead of growing out  the way it should.

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Seedling Growth

Seedlings Growth

Hello Friends,
You will need to watch and care for your young seedling as they are growing under your grow light. You should be checking the growth and moisture level of the plants. You just need enough water in the seedling trays to moisten the soil. If you over water, or let your plants sit in water your young seedling will bend over and die!
This is called root rot, caused by an excessive amount of water which tends to smother the root ball so that not enough air is available for could aeration of the soil.
As your plants are growing they will start to grow leaves and the stem will start to thicken . Once you have about 4 to 6 true leaves on you plants they will soon need to be transplanted out of the seedling trays and into a pot of your choice. I personally use what are called air pots. These pots are made out of fabric and as your roots spread and hit the inside wall of the pot they start to send out more lateral roots . This is called air pruning.
One key thing to remember is pick a pot size that is right for the size of your plant. Too large of a size will retain too much water and can cause your plants roots to suffer. You can always transplant to a larger pot as your plant grows.

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Gardening How To: Transplanting Your Potted Plants

Organic Gardening

Hello everyone, a lot of people are not sure as to why they should transplant their potted plants. The reason is that as time goes by perhaps 6 months to a year your plant reaches it maximum growth. Your plant is a living thriving being and needs constant food and minerals to keep growing and producing fruit or flowers as the case may be. As your plant reaches maturity inside it pot the roots use up all of the space available to expand and grow. This causes your plant basically stop growing and producing more and more leaves, flowers, and fruit. If transplanting does not take place your plant will not be able to take up vital nutrients and water because of the compact state their in. This is the reason for transplanting you plants.

The first gardening how to step in transplanting your potted plants is to find the garden planter or pot that you desire. The key here is to select a pot that either has pre- drilled holes or a plain pot where you can drill your own holes with a knife or electric drill. You may prefer to add small pebbles such as river rock at the bottom so that the soil does not compact over your holes, and you get the necessary drainage of water out. Garden pots come in all colors and sizes under the rainbow. You should select a new pot based on you old plants roots.

The second step to do is to remove your plant root ball from the existing pot by using a knife and running it along the outside diameter of the soil ball in the pot. Once this is complete apply a gentle tap on the bottom to your pot to loosen up the root ball even further. Gently lift out the plant from the pot and examine the compacted roots. You must free up this existing root ball by gently pulling and separating the roots all along the bottom of your plant so that you can see free roots dangling from the bottom of your plant.

The third step is to get your newly selected pot with the new drainage hole and fill it with new
organic potting soil about half way in the pot. You don't have to compact it down. It will settle on it's own.Take your existing plant and place it in the new pot and make sure it is properly centered it the transplanting pot. Cover the exposed root ball with the remainder of your potting soil up to the crown or stem of your plant. You can now pat down the soil a bit. Your plant is now ready for a cool drink of water! Pour enough water in the pot so that you see it drain down through the drain holes on the bottom . This indicates that your plant is okay and ready to grow and thrive until it out grows it's new home.