Can plants be damaged by the trip home from the nursery?

ASK THE HORT AGENT

Question Can plants be damaged by the trip home from the nursery?

Answer Certainly, happens all the time. Recently a truck passed me on the highway with a weeping cherry tree standing up in the bed of the truck. It was literally weeping.

Transporting plants home from the nursery or garden center seems like such a simple task. Yet major damage can be inflicted on our precious plants during this process with the primary problem being wind.

Wind causes excessive and immediate transpiration (water loss through the leaves). The plant's roots are unable to replace the water fast enough. The result is desiccation (drying out) and browning of plant tissue. The damage can be observed on the foliage and stems of a plant. This kind of damage is frustrating to a gardener because the effects of severe desiccation can be both immediate and long term. Wind can also cause direct damage like breaking of the branches and separation of the leaves from the plant.

Plants purchased in the spring are even more susceptible to wind damage because they are more likely to have a lot of new growth. Tender, new growth is no match for the invisible force of the wind.

There are steps you can take to avoid windburn. When shopping, make plant purchases last so that they are in your vehicle for the shortest time possible. Haul plants during the cooler times of the day or during cloudy, rainy periods. Lay trees and shrubs down in the bed of a pickup (as opposed to standing them up). Load the most tender and delicate plants so they are exposed to the least amount of wind. Use a covered truck or a temporary cover, such as a tarpaulin, to protect shrubs and trees. If the plants are expensive, you may consider wrapping them with bubblewrap. Be sure to turn off your airbags. Their sudden inflation during an accident would probably break a twig or two (yeah right).

Once you get home, be sure to remove the covering material or plants from the vehicle as soon as possible. Place the plants in a partially shaded location and water them thoroughly. Allow several hours for them to take up water and recover from the ride before planting.

Slow down if your plants are exposed to wind from the ride home. Keep in mind a tropical storm has sustained wind speeds of 40-73 miles per hour (typical highway speeds). At these speeds, a storm is assigned a name. If wind speeds exceed 73 mph, a tropical storm is upgraded to a hurricane (interstate traveling speeds). For more information about minimizing wind damage in your landscape, visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP042

If you don’t have internet access, call the Cooperative Extension Office at 893-7533 or email me at gpierce@harnett.org Take steps to prevent YOUR name from being given to the springtime hurricane which tears up your new plants.

Gary L. Pierce

Horticulture Extension Agent