What to do when your plug plants arrive？
There’s no need to wait anymore because your plug plants have been delivered. Therefore, it's time to get to work. But how do you begin working on the plants if you have no knowledge about plug plants, well just relax and keep reading. But before we go into detail let's briefly introduce what plug plants are. These are very young plants, annual or perennial, cultivated in a single cell with small healthy root balls and young top growth. With that in mind here's what to do with plug plants when they arrive.
Unpack your plug plants
In case you ordered your plug plants online, ensure to open the shipping box outdoors immediately. Remove any materials found in the box such as trays where the plug plants lie and other packing materials. The packaging usually contains the number of plants you ordered for. Keep in mind that once you receive your plug plants, you have up to a week to plant them. However, it's best to plant them immediately upon arrival. If weather conditions don’t permit you to plant, uplift them in 50 or 72-cell trays to prevent them from becoming rootbound.
Get ready for what to expect
Always ensure to buy your plug plants from sellers who do a great job at packaging and shipping their products so that they can arrive in good shape. While most plug plants arrive in good condition, sometimes there may be occasional defects in the plants. The delivery driver might mistakenly drop the box or turn the plant upside down during transit. Therefore, be prepared to receive plugs that are not in their trays, loose root balls, or sometimes some plants come dead. While nobody wants to receive this type of plant, it is something that cannot be prevented during shipment. If your plug plants are not in their trays after delivery, you can simply place them back into the tray. If it comes with a loose root ball, you can’t just simply put it back in the tray. At this point, you will have to re-pot the plug plants.
Begin the Hardening off process
Before your plug plants arrive, they have undergone a long transit of about three to four days. These plants were being properly grown in top-tier greenhouses before they shipped. Therefore, when you plug plants, be cautious when exposing them to your natural environment. Nonetheless, before transplanting to your environment, they have to go through a process called hardening. This is a process of moving your plants outdoors for a particular period of the day or night so that they can get used to sunlight, air, and cold nights.
When hardening off your plants, take into account these three main factors which are sunshine, wind/dry air, and extreme temperatures. Expose your plugs to natural light for about a week. Begin by exposing them for a couple of hours in the morning and in the evening. This will go a long way to make them adapt to the natural environment and the humidity levels. After doing so for a week, your plants should be ready for transplant. Also, avoid exposing the plugs to dry winds during the hardening-off period. Also, keep your plugs above 32F while they are in the plug tray and avoid freezing new plugs for best results.
How long should I wait before transplanting?
It's ideal to transplant your plugs within 7 days of their arrival. Plugs usually come ready for transplanting so it's not advisable to hold them in the tray. When they stay too long in the tray, they can become rootbound which may lead to stunted plants. Always check the information regarding your plants as some need to be transplanted 24 hours after delivery. Common plants that require immediate transplanting include Lisianthus, Stock, Larkspur, Bells of Ireland, and Daucus/Ammi/Orlaya. On the other hand, common plants that can stay for a few days before being transplanted include Snapdragons, Delphinium, Foxglove, Poppies, and crops with more fibrous roots. Your plants may arrive when you are busy so you may not want to transplant them immediately. In this case, you can uplift them in a 50 or 72-cell tray to buy yourself some time.
The essentials of Irrigation
When transplanting, always ensure that your soil is evenly moist. Don’t transplant your plugs into dry soil and hope to water afterward as this is a bad idea. Also, ensure to water your plugs before transplanting. This is because dry plugs may find difficulties taking up water. To help you with the watering process you can use a process called drip irrigation. This process reduces the amount of water you use on your plants, by watering the soil and not the leaves which helps reduce disease. When you successfully transplant, your plants will seem fine. However, since the plants are at a tender plug stage you have to always make use of water. After transplanting, use a sprinkler immediately to help plug roots and find moisture in your soil. Your plugs need soil contact and moisture to establish themselves quickly. Therefore, always water well at the transplanted plugs.
