Transplant shock

About

Newly planted vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs often wilt, scorch or sit still for a while after planting. Seedlings bounce back in days to weeks, but trees and shrubs can take 3 to 5 years to fully settle in.

Also called transplant shock, transplant stress, transplanting stress

How to recognize it

Symptoms

Wilting, yellowing, scorched or brown leaf edges, small leaves and slow growth after planting. Trees and shrubs may show thin canopies, dieback, poor flowering, early fall color, early leaf drop and late leaf-out the next spring.

Often confused with

It is easily confused with root rot and other diseases; transplant stress is more often the real cause of decline in new trees. Under- or overwatering after planting (drought_stress, overwatering) is usually part of the problem.

Worse when

Root balls that dried out, rootbound or circling roots, planting too deep, holes too small, heavy wet soil, leftover wire, burlap and twine, fertilizer at planting, planting on hot, sunny, windy days, skipping hardening off, and too much or too little water afterward.

How it spreads

It does not spread.

When

Days to weeks after planting for seedlings; the first few years for trees and shrubs.

What to do, gentlest first

This is not an infection, so sprays for diseases won't help. Fix the cause below.

1. Harden off seedlings Prevent

   Over 5 to 14 days, set seedlings outside in a shaded, sheltered spot, adding an hour or two of sun each day, and bring them in on cold nights. Water them a few hours before planting and plant on a cloudy, calm day.

   Bring warm-season seedlings in if nights may drop below 50°F.

2. Plant trees and shrubs right Prevent

   Plant at the right depth in a wide hole, loosen circling roots, and remove tags, twine, wire baskets and burlap that could girdle roots or the trunk. Skip fertilizer the first year, then feed by a soil test.

   Avoid stakes unless wind demands them, and take them off after a year.

3. Water through establishment Prevent

   Soak the root zone every 7 to 10 days in dry weather (about 1 to 1.5 inches a week), letting the surface dry between waterings, and keep it up for the first few years. Mulch 2 to 3 inches deep, kept a few inches from the trunk.

   Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy; frequent light watering and overwatering both cause problems.

4. Prune lightly By hand

   On new trees and shrubs, remove only dead, broken or diseased branches.

   Heavy pruning adds stress rather than helping.

5. Shade new transplants Barrier

   For the first few days after planting, cover tender transplants with a basket, upturned pot or floating row cover to block sun and wind.

Plants it affects

Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Pepper (sweet and chili), Tomato