Surviving summer

You may currently be engaged in a most gardeners' spring ritual. You purchase bare-root plants, whether they be strawberries, seedling trees from the Conservation Commission or bare-root trees and shrubs. When the plants arrive, you unwrap them, inspect them, plant them and think of how you are going keep them alive during the hot, dry summer months ahead.

Let me give you some suggestions on how to improve plant survival and reduce how often you visit your spring-planted seedling with a five-gallon bucket of precious water.

First mix one-half pound of finely ground polyacrylamide gel (most garden centers carry it) into five gallons of water. Do this at least three to four hours before planting your bare-root seedlings. The result will be a slurry that will adhere to plant roots.

The polyacrylamide is mixed with water to produce a gel slurry for coating bare-root plants. (Fred Lynch)

Polyacrylamide gel is a polymer that absorbs 10 to 20 times its weight in water. A coating of this gel on plant roots will given them a reservoir of water to draw upon when surrounding soils get dry during the normal summer drought. This gel is also used in diapers to absorb moisture.

If you are planting just a few bare-root seedlings, make a planting hole for each seedling wide and deep enough to accommodate the mass of roots. Width is more important than depth. Add to the excavated soil organic matter, such as peat, at the rate of two-thirds soil and one-third peat. In addition, add a cup of gypsum to the mixture. Make sure the peat, soil and gypsum are mixed thoroughly.

The polyacrylamide is mixed with water to produce a gel slurry for coating bare-root plants. (Fred Lynch)

The addition of organic matter and gypsum will break down the clay that is found throughout the area. The result will be a more porous soil that will encourage plant root growth.

Next, dip the roots of your bare-root plant in the polyacrylamide gel slurry. Let the roots soak in the slurry for about 30 seconds. Do not soak the roots overnight. Remove the roots from the slurry and let them drain for a few seconds. Immediately place the roots in the planting hole.

Back fill the planting hole with the soil mixture, making sure the roots are spread out. The planting depth should be about the same as when it was planted at the nursery. There is usually a differentiation in bark color at the original ground line.

Use excess soil to form a berm around the newly planted seedling. Then, when you water, the water stays next to the new plant and doesn't run off. Always mix a rooting fertilizer, such as a 9-59-8, into the water you use at planting. This fertilizer encourages the plant to initially produce new roots instead of shoots.

To ensure survival success during the first year, use your finger to check soil moisture around the new planting every three or four days. When the soil is dry, water the new planting. The polyacrylamide gel will result in fewer waterings during the ensuing summer months and almost always results in a better survival rate for bare-root seedlings.

Dipping the roots of a seedling into a slurry solution of gel-forming polyacrylamide can improve its survival and enhance early growth. The coating keeps the roots from drying out. (Fred Lynch)

Although the use of polyacrylamide gel during planting is an extra expense and another step, you will find the survival rate of planted bare-root seedlings will be much higher. If you're like me, you want to plant right the first time.

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or by e-mail to news@semissourian.com.