The next time you decide to transplant something in your garden, take some advice from top scientists: subject the plant to the stress of drought before you dig it up and move it.
A research team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has discovered through extensive trials that plants can "remember" how to deal with drought. The scientists found that plants subjected to drought recovered more quickly the next time they were deprived of water. Scientist Michael Fromm said that scientists are just beginning to understand exactly how the process works, but he suggests that plants might "overreact to a first drought stress ... panic ... and slow down more than they need to."
Fromm said if he wanted to transplant something in his own garden, "I would deprive of water for a couple of days, then water overnight, then transplant."
Sounds like something all of us should try.
Fascinating
I'll try it next time.
Posted by: Martha | March 30, 2012 at 08:01 PM