How to Spread Garden Plants
Once you've got your seeds to sprout or your seedlings have taken off, you might want to spread them out a bit to give them more room to grow and more space. This can be a delicate process because if the root system is damaged, your plant can die. If you are wondering how far to spread your seeds apart for planting, refer to the seed packet.
- Wait for a period in which there has been no rain for at least two days. Wet soil clumps together and can cause the tender roots to get caught in it and pull them apart.
- Find a small garden trowel or shovel for digging. Use a garden trowel for smaller plants and a shovel for larger ones. Even full-grown plants can be transplanted.
- Bring a double-thickness of a full sheet of newspaper with you or a clean cloth for transporting. You want to keep as much dirt on the root system as possible.
- Dig around the plant four inches away from the stem for seedlings and six inches away from the stem for larger plants. Make a circle around the plant and dig deep. You want to ensure you get all the roots and not damage them.
- Lift the loosened plant from the soil and place it on your newspaper. Do the same with as many plants as you want to spread.
- Dig holes at the transplant location for the plants. Make the hole the same size as the root ball and sprinkle some well-rotted, weed-free manure into the hole. This helps to nurture it during transplant shock.
- Spread the roots out gently in the hole.
- Fill in with soil well around the plant. Open air spaces around the root ball will cause problems so don't leave any.
- Tamp the soil around the surface gently. Freshly disturbed soil can wash away quickly with rain, so you are trying to firm it into place without smashing the tender roots.
- Water the plants at the base toward evening.