Always make sure soil is wet when transplanting. Don't think you can plant in a dry hole and quickly water the plant.
Water the garden plants to be dug and/or transplanted the day before you plan to lift them. This ensures that the whole plant will be thoroughly moist when it's time to transplant. Make it a good, deep soaking so the roots can take up as much water as possible. Moist soil will also make it easier for you to dig.
If you only remember one thing from this article, let it be this: whether you're starting seeds, transplanting seedlings, or getting your plants “established” in their final spots in the garden, their soil should feel like a well wrung out sponge: damp but not wet.
Effects of Planting in Wet Soil Conditions
This decreases the soil's ability to drain well and reduces the amount of oxygen available to the plant's roots. Additionally, compacted soil is heavier and harder for the plant's roots to penetrate. This limits the amount of nutrients the plant can reach.
Make sure the plant is well watered 2-4 days in advance. You don't want to repot when it's sopping wet but being too dry will cause stress. Take the plant out of the pot. If the rootball is a bit tight, gently massage the roots to loosen them up.
Always make sure soil is wet when transplanting. Don't think you can plant in a dry hole and quickly water the plant.
To dry out soil quickly, you can apply hydrated lime to the soil, add compost and then turn the soil thoroughly to aerate it.
Remove about one-third or more of the old potting mix surrounding the plant's roots. As it grew, your plant removed some or all of the nutrients in the current mix, so you'll want to give it fresh potting mix or soil. Pour a layer of fresh potting soil into the empty planter and pack it down, removing any air pockets.
Make a ball of soil and drop it. If the ball crumbles, your garden is ready for seeds. If it holds its shape or breaks into two clumps, it's still too wet for planting. You can also step into the garden and then step back and look at the footprint you've left in the soil.
Water thoroughly after repotting to help the soil settle around your plant's roots. Plenty of moisture will also help your plant recover from the move better. If you have a saucer under the pot, make sure to empty it, so your plant doesn't get too soggy.
Make a quick check of soil moisture conditions by taking a handful of soil from planting depth (or tillage depth if planning on doing tillage) and press it in your hands to make a mud ball. If wet soil sticks to your hand, it's probably too wet.
It is always a good idea to start with as healthy a plant as possible. If conditions are dry, water the day before the big move to fully hydrate the plant before separating it from its water source. This watering will also help reduce root breakage, which is more likely in hard, dry soil.
We recommend watering heavily right after getting the plant in the ground, waiting 30 minutes for the water to soak into the ground, then watering heavily again. The deeper the water gets into the ground the better.
The idea is to soak the plant for several minutes in water prior to planting. When you plant, fill up a large bucket with water–preferably rainwater since it does not have any of the chlorine or other chemicals of municipal water. Take the plant out of its pot and gently pull any encircled roots away from the plants.
Start by watering the plants thoroughly. Then, 7 to 10 days before transplanting, set the seedlings outdoors in dappled shade that is protected from wind for a few hours each day, gradually increasing their exposure to full sun and windy conditions.
When soil is too wet or waterlogged, the oxygen con- tent is reduced and minimal oxygen is absorbed by the plant roots. With excess water, plant beds may behave like sponges in a bowl of water, holding in water and excluding oxygen. When oxygen is limited, microorganisms compete with plant roots for available oxygen.
It Grows Mold
Mold is another sure sign that your potting soil has gone bad. Mold usually grows on the surface of the potting soil and can be white, gray, yellow, or green. It can also be fuzzy or have a slimy texture. Mold will often form if the potting soil is too moist or has been wet for too long.
Loosening the root ball when repotting is only essential when the plant has become completely root bound. In cases where they are not completely rootbound, you may be able to plant directly into the next pot. If the roots are not wrapped tightly around each other, there is no need to cut and disturb them.
The best time to repot a plant is in the spring so that actively growing roots will have enough time to grow into newly added potting mix. There are several signs that houseplants can exhibit when they are pot-bound. First check the frequency you are watering the houseplant.
The good news is that most plants will bounce back between 7-14 days if they're given proper care (which includes rehydration). If this isn't possible because major damage was done or little healthy root system exists then expect about 2 weeks until improvement can be seen.
Signs of root rot are slow growth, mushy stems, and wilting, yellow, distorted leaves (especially when the plant has been well watered, as wilting leaves can also be a sign of a dry plant).
Using a hairdryer directly on the soil is an easy way of removing that excess moisture easily. However, there are some things to take into consideration when doing so. When directed at the soil the dryer will only remove the moisture from the surface having the rest of the soil wet.