TIL I've been transplanting seedlings wrong for 8 years

I always dug a hole, plopped the plant in, and filled dirt back around it. Last weekend my neighbor watched me do it and asked why I wasn't loosening the root ball first. Anybody else completely miss this step or am I the only one who never knew?

2 comments

2 Comments

morgan.charlie3d ago

You ever hear about that trick where you run your fingers through the roots a bit before planting? I read it in a gardening magazine at a truck stop last year. It sounded like a lot of extra work to me at first but I tried it on some tomatoes this spring. Those plants took off way faster than anything I've ever just stuffed in a hole. Feels like a small thing but it makes a real difference.

kevin2183d ago

Man I tried that same trick on my peppers last year and it was night and day difference. The ones I just plopped in the ground always seemed to sulk for a week before they did anything. Loosening those roots up lets them spread out and grab the dirt way faster (plus you can spot any that are circling around and fix it before they strangle themselves). It's like giving them a head start instead of making them fight their way out of a tangled ball.