How To Transplant AeroGarden Seed Pods
Can you transplant aerogarden plants outdoors?
Yes, you can. It is possible to transplant your aerogarden plants to soil cultivation. However, you need to follow the right procedure to do so.
What to Know Before Transplanting Aerogarden Plants?
It is easy to do so but you must pay attention to the following factors:
Weather Conditions
The outdoor climate and temperature is an important consideration. You do not want to transplant them in the frost. Your crops will die. Check the climate forecast at least a fortnight before you plan to move your crops. If the weather conditions are favorable, just go for it. Else, wait for a few days more.
Don’t Damage the Plants
Be very careful when you transplant the crops. Make sure that you do not cause damage to any plant part.
Favorable Growing Environment
Some external factors are essential for your plants for proper growth. Your aerogarden plants are familiar with living in a certain environment, can tolerate a specific temperature range, and need the right moisture to thrive well. Make sure you can provide all of this outdoors as well.
Prepare Your Plants for the Change
When they are new to the container and outdoor surroundings, you need to acclimatize them.
For instance, they will now receive light from the sunrays and not the grow lights. The intensity of light is much greater outdoors. If the containers are placed under the sun for the entire day, your crops won’t be able to tolerate the heat and light.
To maintain an equilibrium, you need to keep moving the containers from sunlight to a shady place a few times during the daytime.
Things You’ll Need for Transplanting Aerogarden Seed Pods
Before you even remove the plants from the aerogarden for transplantation, do some early preps.
Get the following things handy:
- Container with holes at the bottom
- Potting mix
- Required fertilizers/nutrients for plant growth
- Gardening scissors
- Shears
- Watering can*
The plants in the aerogarden are used to receiving nutrients directly with moisture supply. You must do the same here. Mix some fertilizers and nutrients in the potting soil.
* Make sure you have plenty of water supply available for the job.
When to Transplant Aerogarden Plants?
As already said, you must move your plants to soil only when the weather conditions are favorable. The outdoor temperature should be at least 45℉ (7.2℃). Move them only when they grow big with at least 3-4 leaves.
Step-by-Step Guide to Transplant Seedlings From Aerogarden Seed Pods
Step 1: Prepare the Planting Pots
Make sure to choose the right pot size. This will depend on the type of crops you want to transplant. Just determine how big your plants will grow in the coming months. It is good to have a large container to provide enough room for the roots to grow and breathe.
You will also need the potting mix for this step. If you are a novice and not used to mixing soil or preparing compost, it is good to purchase a ready-to-use potting mix. Don’t worry. You can buy them online or at a local horticulture store.
- Wet the potting soil with enough water. But do not make them soggy.
- Now fill about 3/4th of the pot with the potting mix.
- Make a big hole in the soil at the center of the pot. The hole should allow enough space for placing a seed pod.
You need a separate container for every single seed pod.
Step 2: Remove the Seed Pods from the Aerogarden
This is quite a knotty job in the entire process. I really mean it. You will get to know this once you try to take out one seed pod. This is really a hard nut to crack. If the plant has grown big, the roots of one seed pod will get tangled with the other. You won’t realize this when they are in the grow basket.
You can try to take out 2 or more seed pods together to see if they come out easily. Never exert too much force. You may damage the crops. If it does not come out, use small garden scissors to cut the hard tangles. But avoid cutting as much as possible.
Step 3: Take the Plants Out of the Grow Basket
The grow basket is netted plastic material placed below the seed pods. Twist them around for a while to separate the basket from the seed pods. This way, you can pull it down and keep it intact for future use.
If it does not come out easily, the other option is to cut it entirely to take out the seed pods. This is a time-consuming process. You need garden shears or scissors to do this. Make sure you do not cut the plant parts while taking out the basket.
You don’t need to take out the grow sponges. You can plant them with the roots as well. The sponge material, Canadian peat moss, is completely organic and safe for the plants.
Step 4: Replant the Plants in Pots
This step seems easy but requires keen attention. Since the roots have grown too long vertically, you must ensure placing them straight upright into the soil. Spread the hair roots equally sideways to promote its growth in the horizontal direction* too.
*The aerogarden seed pods do not offer enough space for the roots to grow sideways. Hence they are too thin and long.
Step 5: Give Your Plants Some Support
No, you do not need to tie the small plants to any form of support. It is all about planting them firmly into the soil. The roots and some parts of the stem should sit strongly in the pot. The soil should cover all the roots and at least 1 inch of the stem properly.
If the seedlings are planted into shallow soil, the plants may tip over or die after some time in extreme conditions. Put enough soil on all sides to cover the rest 1/4th part of the pot. This itself will give support to your seedlings.
Step 6: Provide Proper Nourishment to Your Plants
If you have taken plain soil for potting, make sure to add plenty of nutrient-based fertilizers. Your plant needs too much nourishment in the initial months to thrive well in the soil. You may use the same plant nutrients as you used to provide to the aero garden plants.
Oops! No one will tell you when to give nutrition to the plants in the container. I wish I had a nutrition and water indicator for potted plants too.
Step 7: Clean and Sanitize Your Aerogarden
Even if you are not going to use the aerogarden system for quite some time now, it is still necessary to keep it clean. Follow the regular cleaning regime and don’t forget to sanitize. Dry all the parts completely at normal room temperature. You may now fix it again for the next plantation session or even store them at a safe place for the future.
Care Measures for Potted Plants
- Keep your plants in the shade during the afternoon for at least 3 hours every day.
- Start with keeping the plants under the sun for 3 hours on day 1. Raise this duration by 2 hours the next day. Keep the pots in the sun for 5 hours on day 2 and so on. It will help the plants to slowly adapt to the outdoor light and environment. Once this stage is over, you can keep the containers outside for the whole day.
- When the plants get habituated in the outdoor surroundings, you may also transplant them in the garden.
Wrap Up
The above guide should help you to transplant the seed pods from aerogarden to soil with ease.
You may be wondering why I have suggested planting them in the pots and not in the garden area straightaway. The aerogarden plants are not accustomed to bearing sunlight throughout the day. They will not survive if shifted directly under the sun rays for the entire day. You need to move them under the shade a few times during the daytime for several days.
Take note of the recommended care measures for the best results.
I hope you will enjoy transplanting your favorite plants into the containers following the methods stated herein.
Good Luck. Happy Gardening!
