I love having a little garden in my backyard to supplement my summer vegetables that I get from the farmers markets and my CSA share. There’s nothing like picking a sun-warmed tomato for a little snack or using freshly plucked herbs for a recipe. But I am too busy to start and care for my plants from seed so I purchase transplants from local farmers. 

I reached out to Sam Marlow, the plant sale manager at Roots to River Farm in Solebury to ask her for her best transplant and gardening tips, she was kind enough to share some time with me in between watering the transplants in the greenhouse.

Transplants tips:

• Transplants are also called plant starts.
• Make sure your plants do not get root bound in their container. It is a great idea to move them into a bigger pot so their roots can grow. You can even put multiple plants in a bigger pot.
• Plant your transplants when the weather is right:
  • • Cold weather plants (like kale and broccoli) can go into the ground; they can handle light frosts. you may cover them if it is going to frost. 
    • Wait until AT LEAST Mother’s Day to avoid the frost for the cold and frost sensitive plants, depending on the year. Wait until the soil temperature is over 55F or above before planting
    • When your cold weather plants are covered in frost, DO NOT TOUCH your plants. This damages them. Undisturbed, they usually thaw out without damage.
    • Hudson Valley Seed Company has a great (and pretty!) planting guide
• Veggie plants want lots of light. You can leave your young plant starts in their pots outside, just be sure to bring them in during cold weather.
  • Greens can handle colder weather.
  • Tomato, basil, eggplant, peppers do not like the cold. 

• Remove tomato and pepper flowers when the plants are in their small pots, and even the first round of flowers once in the ground – this will help the plant put on growth before trying to set fruit, leading to a happy healthier plants.

Soil Tips:

“work with what you have, you can improve it every year!”

• What you have in your beds or containers is a great start! Think about adding compost or compost tea (which helps stretch out your compost supply) to add nutrients and organic matter to your soil. Kona Compost recommends using the compost tea as foliar spray in the early morning so the plant doesn’t get burned by the sun.
• If you are working with a heavy clay type soil, topping your beds off with compost and organic matter (such as fallen leaves – make friends with your neighbors and ask for their leaves).
• Note the difference between fertilizer and compost – fertilizer will add nutrients, but compost will increase nutrients AND organic matter, improving your soil.
• You can get organic compost from Kona Compost, BC Compost, and most gardening stores.
• Bare soil is not happy. Sam recommends adding a layer of compost, then 2 layers of newspaper, then a layer of (undyed) mulch. This method helps keep the weeds down, and stops soil from splashing up on your plants. Mulch can be fall leaves!
• Do not plant the same thing year after year in the same spot!  Plants utilize nutrients differently. Repetition can deplete specific nutrients in your soil and foster pest & disease cycles in your garden.