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Time to Transplant

Time to Transplant

It’s cloudy, cold and damp outside and the weather is perfect for transplanting.  While most Albertans gather inside and wait for warmer spring days, this Rhodiola farmer is busy moving seedlings from their nursery to the field.  The plants are small enough that it’s easy to scoop them out of the loose dirt in the nursery and crowd them into trays for the short drive out to the field.   Then we load them onto the shelves on the transplanter, and plant them one-by-one as we ride behind the tractor.  The furrows open up and fill with water, and the plants are firmly seated into the muddy furrow.

There are as many ways to plant Rhodiola as there are Rhodiola farmers.  Some plant into raised beds, some plant into holes punched into plastic mulch.  Most Rhodiola is planted in rows and the spacing between rows is dictated by some part of the tractor, often the width of the wheel base. 

Like so many things, the actual transplanting is the last action after much planning and preparation.  The field is worked up and there are no weeds, at least none growing for now.  How will the rows be laid out?  How will the next five years of weeds be contained?  And who’s driving the tractor, because I’m going to plant Rhodiola!

How to avoid transplant shock?  Keep the plants cool and under the clouds for a few days as they get used to their new home in the field.  A gentle rain would make the move to their new home just perfect.  In this case though, the rains are due to hold off for another three days, so we’ll water these seedlings in as they are placed in the ground.

End of the day and we’re cold and damp and muddy.  Ideal conditions for Rhodiola, but I’m ready for a shower and a warm cup of Rhodiola tea!

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