Hello! Happy Memorial Day weekend! And Happy Third Saturday for the Lowville Farmers’ Market! I expect to see you all there today. You owe it to yourself to check us out, especially if you have never been to our market before!

At any rate, on to today’s topic! Today we are going to talk about what to look for when you buy those transplants for your garden and/or flowerbeds. It seems that there are thousands of places selling bedding plants these days – garden stores, department stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, roadside stands, and of course the farmers’ markets.

Gees, it seems that everyone these days is selling live bedding plants – those beautiful flower and vegetable plants. They vary in price. They vary in variety. They vary in quality. They vary in survivability.

So, what to look for when you go to buy those transplants? First thing – BUGS! Obviously, those seedlings should be free of insects and their eggs. And be sure to check the undersides of those leaves. Look closely where the branches meet the stem. Carefully study the plants’ growing points where the youngest, tenderest leaves are. All of these places on the young plants are the favorite spots – the favorite eating spots for many kinds of insects – many voracious, super-hungry bugs – chewing bugs – sucking bugs – bugs that will decimate a delicate seedling. And let’s not forget that many of these bugs can bring diseases that will destroy those delicate seedlings!

So, just say no to bugs! Look underneath the pots, under the flats, under the cell packs. Night-feeding pests (like slugs) may just be lurking there, safely tucked away from the bright, harsh sunshine. So – please – no stowaways!

Secondly, buy only young, vigorously growing plants. Some of those store-bought plants out there are really over-aged, over-mature, or maybe even over-stressed out! So, if those leaves on those cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower transplants are really large and leathery, then those plants are really over-matured. With fruiting plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, or squash and cucumbers, avoid transplants that are already in bloom or in flower, or even with little fruit on them. These plants are over-mature – they have been held way too long! These old-timers simply will not produce as well as the younger plants.

Now the obvious exceptions here are those container-grown plants! Of course these can have blossoms or fruit on them, since they are already in nice, large growing containers. All you really have to do with these container plants is to cart them home and plunk them down on your patio or porch. And viola – instant garden! And with flower transplants, you really want to see the flowers on them when you buy them.

Another point to consider when buying transplants is to make sure they look well fed. Yellow leaves usually mean a shortage of nitrogen. Reddish-purple leaves usually mean cold plants or a lack of phosphorous. Bronze coloring = potassium shortage. And besides being well fed, those plants should be well-watered – not bone-dry or not soaking wet.

Try to look for those transplants that are grown in larger cells. This will usually mean that there is more root development, since there is physically more room for those roots to grow. Sometimes, seedlings are grown in those little, itty-bitty, teeny-weeny tiny cell-pack spaces. These might be sufficient for those really small young seedlings, but, for those older, larger transplants, those roots can be really crammed. Then those cramped plants will be root-bound, and they will take all the longer to recover and resume their growth.

Just think of this – you are wearing shoes that are way too tight! And you have to walk around for days in these tight shoes. Hurts, right? Excruciating pain, right? Then you take off those really way too tight shoes. Relief, right? Well, not right away. Your feet are going to ache for a few days, trying to get accustomed to proper sized shoes. Maybe you’ll be limping along for a while. Gees, maybe those way too tight shoes have ruined your feet forever.

Well – that’s sort of like tall transplants wearing way too tight cell pack spaces. They are going to hurt for a while. They are going to be limping along for a while. They may have even ruined their feet forever.

Also, look for thick-stemmed, sturdy plants. In the case of transplants, most times the biggest, or the tallest, may not be the best. Thin-stemmed, over-spindly transplants will really be set back (if not permanently disabled) with those strong North Country winds whipping them around when you set those plants out into your garden.

Look for new varieties!

Look for short-seasoned varieties!

Look for transplants that have already been hardened off!

And, lastly, look for us at the Lowville Farmers’ Market - yes – today, Saturday, from 8:30 until 2 in the Forest Park Pavilion on the beautiful Lewis County Fairgrounds! We’ve got tons of beautiful bedding plants – flowers and vegetable plants. We even have fresh early season produce! We’ve got tons of beautiful handmade crafts for both kids and adults. Come and help us celebrate the Memorial Day weekend. Let us buy you a free cup of coffee, iced tea, or lemonade!

Hey – Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – bye – talk to you soon!
D