IT IS WHAT IT IS or Transplanting in the summer / Interdependence

In reference to Kim's comments of 7-6:
In order to transplant any plant at this time of year you need to plan it out. Since that one is growing in such substandard conditions - the desert!!! - it will probably thrive in your garden. Plan to move it after the sun has gone down. I would wait until the end of the week when the temperature is going down a bit, or on a rainy day - right after a shower usually works well, if it is later in the day.
Next you need to prepare the hole it will be going in so that the roots don't have to hang out in the air and get dried out. Not knowing how big the hole will need to be I would suggest you go at least 2 feet down, and 2 feet around. To give it the best chance of flourishing, prepare the soil mix that you will pack around it - I use 1/3 soil, 1/3 compost and 1/3 peat or sphagnum moss (I like this best) Get the mix ready and have it in a container or in a pile next to the hole you have dug.

You'll need to water the plant you are about to dig first. (If there has been no shower) This is to keep the soil that is there around the roots. Then you need to find out what the root system is. Dig a distance from the plant and work your way closer until you find the roots ( You want to be sure to put the shovel in straight down, not slanted. I have noticed that many people put the shovel in slanted, at an angle, when digging in the garden.) This poses a risk to the roots if you are digging something that has a widespread root system.
There are many different types of root systems. Unless you know for sure what you are dealing with, be conservative and "DIG BIG". Always put your shovel in straight, perpendicular (90 degrees - now I know you all had math in school - it was one of my majors in College - so a huge aside here - remember when you all thought - when will I ever use Geometry in my life????!!! Well this is geometry -----If you put the shovel in at an acute angle (less than 90 degrees) it might cut off your roots!!!! So go straight - the perpendicular, 90 degree angle - the right angle - don't get me started - I can go on and on about math!!!! Ask my 3 kids and all my foster kids!!!)

After you have found the root mass edge, take the shovel out and add 3-4 inches beyond the roots to dig the actually plant out. You need to dig all around the plant to the same depth. You want to dig deep enough to be sure to capture all of the root plus as much soil around it as possible. The way to determine this is to see if you can pull towards you with the shovel and feel it slide under the roots. If not, you need to go deeper. Sometimes the plant will have a tap root - like a long carrot. In that case you need a much longer narrow shovel to get at it. This is what we used to get out the Pokeweed taproots. When you reach the bottom of the roots, you will be able to pull the shovel down towards you and feel it sliding under the bottom of the root mass.

If you were doing this in spring or fall you wouldn't need to be so cautious. But this is an unknown plant that you want to be sure to give the best possible chance at survival after the move. So, if you can get the root mass in tact, with plenty of soil around it, to not disturb the roots, you can usually have a successful transplantation.

To plant the transplant, put the plant in the hole first, to determine what depth it needs to be at. This is gauged by where the prior soil line was. If your hole is too deep, just add the mix you created to get it to the right level.

After you get the plant at the right level, you need to water the roots, use enough water so that it reaches the top of the roots (which would be the soil level of the plant.) Then wait to proceed until the water has all soaked in. Next, shovel the mix in around the plant until it is about level with the ground. Then you take one of your feet - be sure you have working shoes/old sneakers, etc on - not sandals (I've done this - it is very messy and such a gooey feeling when the wet soil guishes through the toes!!) I have often lost a sandal in the quagmire and have to go rescue it, then get the muddy mess on my garden gloves, since why would I use my mud gloves just to transplant??

So we have put the initial mix in around the new transplant and are gently tamping down the soil around the plant. I stress gently, as too hard a stomp will damage the roots you have so carefull worked to preserve.

Now you need to water again, and wait for it to soak in. Put more mix around the plant - it can end up a little above the soil line, as it will shrink down with the final watering. Do a final watering. Add mulch of 2-3 inches in this weather as a precaution.

If you know the plant you are moving, it is a good idea to cut it back at this stage to give the roots a chance to get well set in.
In this case, it's your choice. I would want to see if it will keep blooming.
It is your choice if you want to fertilize. Some years I have used Miracle Gro, but lately, my compost has been more than enough. If you give the plant the right soil mix, it will be fine. The fertilizer is like extra insurance. I recently had a gardener share one of her favorites goring supplement for plants. And of course I can't find it - I will email her.
Remember to keep the newly transplanted plant(s) moist the first couple of weeks. You will know you have a successful transplant when you see new growth.

Caution: Some plants will not survive being transplanted. I have not always been successful. Several of you had plants that did not make it this spring. It can be a number of factors, including inexperience. But I don't always succeed either. It just happens. Sometimes a plant will die back, but not be dead. Some varieties need to get their roots established before they can produce new growth. Any of you who took the Bronze Fennel may have experienced this. I moved several this spring, down to the driveway-end garden, the soil there is not great. I didn't do up a mix, but that was becasue I am familiar with this particular plant. Sometimes I do a different way just to see what will be tolerated - well they all died back, but within a week or 2 all had new growth and now are thriving.

The lesson here is one of patience. PATIENCE .......It is one of the most important things we all need to learn. Think of when your kids are learning to walk, or you are trying to learn a new skill, like how to blog, or how to find out why your email is going crazy!! Do we give up on them the first time they fall?? Of course not. And how many falls must they get through before they are successful? It is unpredictable and different from kid to kid. So it is with the garden and plants. They are all different and have their different needs. When we are able to learn as much as we can about those different needs and plan accordingly, our patience will be rewarded by success in the endeavor.

I usually keep a dead plant for quite some time before I give up on it. Last spring I divided my prized salmon Poppy. It hadn't been doing great, would flower a little, but never really thrived. So I dug, split it and moved it to different places in the garden. Then all the transplants died. I couldn't believe it, it was one that was identical to another aunt's favorite Poppy. I waited a few weeks, and still nothing. I figured it would just go down as another failure. Well, was I surprised later in the season when they all started to grow, and not only to grow, but to multiply and thrive better than I ever imagined possible!. There is no way to predict what will happen in the garden, just like in life. IT IS WHAT IT IS.

When I put up my first seed offer, I thought I might get a nibble or two. I used to plant from seed years ago, and had found it to be frustrating(with all the failures) and rewarding(with all the successes) Imagine my surprise when I received 46 responses for my seeds!

So many of you have already come to get seeds. It has given me hope. Hope that there are many people out there who have patience, the desire to learn, and foresight. The kind of patience it takes to plant and care for a garden to help it to thrive. The kind of patience and desire to learn, that makes you want to take a seed, learn how to plant it, so that it, too, will grow and survive, and hopefully thrive. And if it doesn't thrive the first time, to have perseverance and to try again - as our forefathers did, oh so many years ago when this was a new nation.

We are at a difficult time in this nation. We are all feeling the pinch. We are looking for answers where there are none. We are looking for ways to connect, with our families, with each other, with nature and with our planet. What better way to connect with all and to make a positive change in our own little environment, than by adding new life to this earth. Planting 1 seed will produce new life, add to the beauty of our lives, and contribute to making the world a better place to be.

In a recent comment, Terri Said:

Happy Interdependence to all. You are invited to reflect on the illusion of separation which tends to create discord and an uneasy feeling deep within. We think we want independence but actually our soul responds to interdependence.
Interdependence = harmony with ALL life.
It is a clear knowing on a soul level that all life is one. Life is a circle and a magnet...what are you putting out?

July 5, 2008 1:33 PM

If you ask they will come

Che sera, sera - hope I spelled it right - remember the song - what will be will be - well my new mantra - It is what it is. And it is really working for me!!

This time I did not put in a title first - I keep getting distracted - Did anyone figure out I am saddled with ADD?????!!

So I got up real early yesterday, checked out the weather - possible shower, but no thunder storms expected - Yea!! Just need to get out the rain ponchos so everyone won't get soaked too bad. Got everything ready, assorted tools out, food planned.
If you ask they will come!
And they came!!! People came to help - well, actually, I knew they were coming, I must fess up. My very first gardener through Freecycle, Krissy had offered to help me with gardening. This is how it all got started. (Edited by me)
From Krissy 6-26:

Hi Marna ,
I was going through my gardens and looking for plants i didn't see at your house and found a couple i am not sure if you would be interested in them but i will give you the names and you can look them up and if you want them i will make a note of it for the future. All of these are going to need to be divided in the fall most likely and if you want some either for yourself or to hold onto and grow for other freecycle members i am sure we will have some for you.

Thank you also for taking time to walk us around your gardens yesterday as i know you were busy with your grandchildren and it was a spur of the moment thing. My mother and i both enjoyed the time there and appreciate both the seeds and plants. I can't even tell you how excited i am about the jack in the pulpit!!!! I almost thought of posting for it on freecycle and i thought nobody would have that so i didn't post for it. Thank you so much for everything and look forward to hearing from you in the future.
Regards,
Kristina

Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 5:49:58 AM
Subject: Re:

Hi Krissy -
Okay, so I guess I do need to expand my horizons -I have decided that I will take whatever different plants people are offering - not now, though - when you divide them. this whole thing has become so much bigger than I ever anticipated - I just need to get organized and find out how to identify those people who are willing to help over here. and especially those who want to learn how to weed!!! With all this rain and and this email i have do very little weeding - Thankfully I have a lot mulched and with living mulch - it makes SUCH a difference. i also want to clear out the old vegetable patch out back and get it ready to plant seeds of all these I'm collecting - then people can see them grow and get the seedlings in the fall _ Would you and Matt be willing to help sometime?? Maybe bring some friends, go swimming and in the hot tub after???? we could put hot dogs on the grill??? Think about it and let me know - Thanks Krissy, Marna N. Onorato

----- Original Message ----

From: Kristina
To: Marna Onorato
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 12:19:56 PM

Hi Marna,
You know what is funny my mom said when we were leaving that your such a nice person that she would be willing to go over and help out with weeding or what not if you ever needed help because you are just so nice and giving. I would be more than happy to come over and help i can bring my boyfriend Logan which you meet. Matt said he would be more than happy too he also liked the sound of going in the hot tub and he would probably bring my sister with him. Anyways I am not sure when you would be looking for help as we all have different schedules so if your thinking of during the week or on a weekend let us know and we will figure it out. Everyone in my family usually all have Sundays off so if you have Sundays free that may be a good day. Either way just let me know what you want and what is good for you and we can work from there. Sincerely, Krissy

----- Original Message ----
From: Marna Onorato <mnonorato@yahoo.com>
To: Kristina
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 1:33:45 PM
Krissy - you tell me when you can come - you put it together - I am pretty much here -other than that I should be around. Plan it around a meal - we will wing it!!! THANKS SO VERY MUCH!!!!!!! Marna N. Onorato

From : Krissy

I will talk with everyone and let you know hopefully by tomorrow if I see everyone. Sunday ( I think it is the 6th) would be good but if that is to late then I will come during the week sometime I will check with everyone and see if anyone else wants to come and if so when I will let you know in the next few days. Talk to you soon!

And that is how the plan evolved!! (Okay I give up on font and color right now!)

The day before: in an email to Krissy: I went out to check out the area we will be working in - it is mostly shallow rooted weeds, except for a bunch of Pokeweed. Many are 6'. They have a long taproot, but it should be easy enough with my long shovel.
And Sunday morning, Krissy, her dad, Mike, and Logan arrived around 8:30 - on a Sunday morning, on Fourth of July weekend, here were these 3, giving their time to work hard digging a new garden!! We were faced with a large area - 25' by 35', full of wonderfully overgrown weeds!! I forgot to take a before picture, but there were at least 2 dozen 6' Pokeweed, lots of 4' Jewelweed (Touch-Me-Not) other weeds and a few surprises. We found a little patch of Pulmonaria, a small Barberry, a lone Pulmonaria, and 2 Dorinicum, that was thought to possibly squash!all waiting to be rescued. I'll adopt out the Barberry and lone Pulmonaria, and keep the Pulmonaria patch for propagating.

This is what a Pokeweed looks like. The flowers produce large purple berries later in the season - Watch for seedlings as they get very hard to remove when growing in among perennials. I have had them come up frequently right in the middle of rose bushes. They are very hard to remove in that case without harming the other plant. When you just cut the root, it will grow right back - you need to remove the entire taproot.
This is the root system from a 6' Pokeweed
Do these look familiar to anyone besides me - How about this one?
( can't load any more photos now)

So we had our work cut out for us.
This is waht a ptch next to the area looks like, only these weeds are much smaller than those we encountered. We're talking weeds that have been growing in pure compost for about 5 years now!!!

So everyone here learned how to remove a 6' Pokeweed, and we all took turns doing them. Krissy's dad, Mike loved using (Sorry I don't know how to stop the underlining)

( can't load anymore photos right now)


Let's -----so now my font is off --- let's see if I've got it now---too small-----ok that's better - sorry, folks, must need more coffee. I will describe the tool in a future tool post. Suffice it to say it is amazing. I had decided early on to have no expectations for the day. We were under way when Sara arrived. Sara, mother of 2, had to get her family squared away before leaving to join the garden crew. (now my new cordless mouse isn't working right!!) This post just seems to be a bit challenged today!! Or is it that I am the one challenged!! Well duh - we already know that!

So I set an initial target area of about 25' by maybe 10' to just get the weeds out. We got that done in about an hour - Matt had finally (!!Yea Matt!!! - pants on fire!! - I won't say ANY more!!) arrived, and the 5 of them just kept going and going while I rescued the Pulmonaria patch. They got the whole area cleared out, turned over the soil in the initial 25' by 20' area, even had a fruit break during it, and were all done by about 10:45, which gave us chatting time (the girls, that is). They all helped clean up the area, and get the tolls put away just in time for the arrival of special guests to the garden.

So now i can't load any more photos, my mouse isn't working, and I had everything all set to go for this morning. Got it all prepared last night. This is exactly what I am talking about - you just never know what will happen on a minute to minute basis. You need to be willing to go with the flow. So I am on to a thank you to Krissy.


This post is incomplete - to be finished soon.