On Oct 26, 11:18*am, gardengal wrote:
On Oct 18, 12:08*am, Higgs Boson wrote:





On Oct 17, 5:51*pm, brooklyn1 wrote:

On Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:01:44 -0700, "David E. Ross"

wrote:
On 10/17/2009 2:52 PM, Paul wrote:
Something I've been curious about when buying plants is for instance, "water
well until established". How long does it take a plant to become
established? If it hasn't withered after a couple weeks, is it established?
Thanks.

It depends upon the plant. *Annuals already in bloom might take a week.
Fruit trees might take an entire growing season.

Also depends a lot on whether transplanted to a container or in the
ground... plants establish much more readily in the ground. *And
"water well" doesn't mean to water heavily, it means to "water
properly"... most newly planted nursery stock does better by watering
sparingly and not every day (less is more). *If they are to flourish
plant roots require air, do not drown... very important not to
tamp/compact soil.

Yes, if you mean don't walk on it after transplanting. *But it is
important to press down the soil lightly
around newly-transplanted plants to help the tiny feeder roots make
good contact with the soil around their new home.
Nota bene "LIGHTLY".- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I think most responses to this question are seriously underestimating
the amount of time involved. 'Establishment' with regards to plants
defines the period of time it takes the plant to develop and spread
out a proper root system so that the plant can support itself and
derive what it needs from the existing soil conditions - water and
nutrients. The larger the plant, the longer it takes to establish.
Annuals typically establish in a matter of weeks, perennials are
usually considered established after one FULL growing season in the
ground (if you plant in summer, that means the following summer) and
larger woody plants - vines, shrubs and small trees - are generally
considered established after 3 seasons. For larger trees, the rule of
thumb is one year of establishment for every inch of caliper. *Climate
and soil conditions will influence the exact amount of time involved,
but these are typical guidelines followed by horticulturists and the
nursery industry.

This sounds like the most valid answer. There are so many variables. I
have a large beautyberry that was professionally transplanted. They
did a poor job & the soil was not properly prepared. It's about three
years and the bush isn't established yet. We have very sandy soil & if
I don't water it every day, it wilts & doesn't produce berries. But
that is an extreme case. My Japanese maple became established very
quickly.
Iris