Because our summers are short, if we want to harvest heat-loving crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, we should buy transplants or start them inside from seed. I also start many other vegetables inside so that they’re large enough when put out into the garden to possibly outgrow anything waiting to chomp them down to the ground. Doesn’t always work.
Be picky when buying transplants. Tip one out of its pot and don’t buy it if the soil is too dry or the root has wound around inside the pot because it probably will never recover. Check the plants for disease or infestation. When you bring them home, give them a good soaking right away and re-pot into larger containers if they’ll be waiting for any length of time before planting out into the garden.
Ideally, one prepares the bed two to three weeks ahead of time to give soil organisms time to process the nutrients and make them available to the plants. Spread complete organic fertilizer at the rate of four quarts per hundred square feet; sprinkle over this a thin layer of compost and dig it in about six inches; water it down and leave it till you’re ready to plant. If the window of opportunity doesn’t allow for this long of a wait, go ahead and plant — it is better to get the plants in the ground in time, they’ll still grow well.
Water down the bed before transplanting. Follow the spacing guide recommended on the seed packet or catalog and prepare holes at each planting site. I space mine farther apart than they suggest because the plants then grow larger and tastier and require less water. I harvest almost as much and my plants don’t bolt as quickly.
At each site, dig a hole four inches deep and eight inches across, pour in half a cup of organic fertilizer, dig this into the next four inches and refill the hole. Make a new hole in the centre a bit wider than the root ball of the transplant, knock the plant gently out of its pot and place it in the hole. Have a bucket handy that has a weak solution of liquid fertilizer in it that has been sitting for a day to warm up. Pour two cups of this into the hole, gently filling in this hole with the surrounding soil. This should start them growing quickly. Lay soaker hoses alongside the plants and water as necessary. I side-dress my plants with fertilizer every three weeks and fertigate (water the roots) every two weeks.
If you’re setting out plants earlier than the season warrants, cover them to keep them warmer until the weather heats up enough to remove the cover. I like the “Walls O’ Water” because if the air inside gets too hot it escapes out the open top and I don’t have to keep coming out on warm days to take it off. The tubes of water do a fine job of insulating the plant without overheating it. I fill up the “Walls O’ Water” ahead of time to allow the water to warm up a bit and not kill off the plant, which I have done. It’s a bit of a trick to move a filled “Wall” over a freshly-planted seedling and then remove it later, but it’s doable and worth the effort. One could also use spun cloth cover like Remay or a plastic tunnel over the whole bed which would have to be opened on hot days. Just remember to lay down the soaker hoses before covering the plants, as it’s a major hassle to try to do it afterward. Trust me.