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Transporting
for Summer Planting
Many people have caught onto the idea that summer is an excellent
time to plant - and that's great! This big ball we float on called
Earth needs more trees and shrubs, and every planting makes a difference.
 But, there is one practice that unsuspecting homeowners commit
which horrifies me. That is whipping down the freeway with a newly
purchased plant sticking out the back window of a car or the open
bed of a pickup truck, thrashing around in the hot wind. This will
definitely burn the leaves, could cause total defoliation and kill
the plant more quickly and assuredly than most anything else.
A 69-mile per hour wind off a desert is known to kill a plant
within a matter of minutes, and driving the highway at even 55
miles per hour on a hot summer day will have the same effect. That
velocity almost instantly dries the plant out. It is no different
from holding a lighted candle underneath a leaf. Even five minutes
on the road can cause temporary or permanent defoliation.
This is also true for needle evergreens. People tend to be even
more careless with needle bearing plants. They think because needles
don't flap in the wind as much, the plant isn't suffering.
If you're guilty of such handling, don't panic. Even though the
plant has lost leaves and undergoes extreme stress, it can be saved.
Plant it and water it thoroughly and regularly without building
up excess soil water. Also apply fertilizer at about half the recommended
rate, once the soil is moist. The full dose may push the plant's
growth processes too fast due to its current weakened state or
may not be picked up by pruned roots at all. Also moderately thin
out the top of the tree so the plant will have fewer branches and
leaves to support. Under these circumstances, do not remove more
than 10%. Remove entire branches to space them out by at least
8 inches to 12 inches apart up and down the trunk and radiating
in all directions from the trunk. Stressed out as the plant is
currently, it may, in time, replace the lost growth with new foliage.
To correctly transport a plant, it MUST be covered. The best condition
is to have it entirely enclosed within a car, truck or van. If
it must be opened to the air, shroud it with an open weave fabric
such as burlap, canvas or an old bed sheet. This fabric shades
the plant and drastically reduces the wind velocity on the foliage.
Do not use plastic bags as they can kill the plant. The heat generated
beneath the plastic can soar up to over 115 degrees Fahrenheit
in minutes and cook the plant.
Let's keep planting this summer, but be careful when taking the
plant home because you could lose your plant to improper handling.
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