Three Transplanting Rules for Perennials

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Harry Harper grew perennials from
the 1940s until 1965 in a windy spot in
Eden, New York, where the climate can be
tough on new transplants. His rules for
transplanting—shared by his granddaughter,
garden writer Sally Cunningham,
of East Aurora, New York—can
help you succeed with new perennials
wherever you live. Here are Grandpa
Harper’s transplanting rules.

1. Avoid transplanting in the heat of
the day, and never expose the roots of
transplants to the sun or wind. Transplants
tend to lose moisture faster than
the roots can replace it, because the roots
don’t function optimally immediately
after transplanting.

2. Put transplants in a little “bathtub.”
Set transplants just a little lower than the
soil surface, in a basinlike depression,
making a rim of soil to hold in extra
water. Do this on a permanent basis for
those perennials and shrubs that require
moist soil.

3. Use a shovel to check soil moisture
near new transplants. Never judge soil
moisture by the appearance of the soil
surface. If the soil is dry at a depth of 2 or
3 inches next to a recent transplant, the
plants need water, even if the soil surface
appears moist.

“People love to credit some gardeners
with a magical green thumb,” Sally says,
“but I don’t believe in it. That’s what
everybody attributed to my grandpa
Harper. But there was no magical gift at all.
He knew what he was doing and
why, and he taught me to think about
things from the plant’s point of view, and
to notice their needs.”

Excerpt from 1,001 Old-Time Household Hints—brought to you by Skyhorse Publishing