Planting, Transplanting, and Maintenance
What the domain covers
This domain tests field and container planting, transplanting, and the maintenance routine that keeps plants healthy after establishment. It covers spacing, pit preparation, planting depth, transplant shock, mulching, training, and pruning.
Core rules and concepts
- Prepare the site and correct soil problems before planting; pit size should suit the root ball, not be unnecessarily deep.
- Plant at the same depth as in the nursery, keeping the root collar at or slightly above soil level.
- Transplant in the evening or on a cloudy day, water the nursery bed before lifting, and keep roots moist.
- Spacing depends on mature canopy and root spread; overcrowding increases disease and competition.
- Mulch conserves moisture and suppresses weeds but must not touch the stem.
- Pruning removes dead, diseased, or crossing wood; training shapes the plant for light and access.
Worked example
Tomato seedlings are lifted with a root ball, transplanted in the evening, watered immediately, and shaded for two days. The reasoning is to reduce transpiration and root damage. The collar is left at soil level; deep planting can rot the stem. Spacing follows the label or crop recommendation so air movement reduces blight risk.
Traps
- Planting deeper to “make it stable”: this suffocates roots and burying the graft union is worse.
- Watering only the leaf surface: water must reach the root zone.
- Pruning heavily in one cut: remove no more than the recommended proportion and use clean tools.