For a thriving, productive garden, keep a close eye on new transplants. Regular watering and extra protection from the elements will help them put down roots and get well established and growing strongly.
Provide sun protection. Especially if you were not able to transplant on a cloudy or rainy day, cover transplants with bushel baskets, old wicker baskets, large cardboard cartons, burlap propped over stakes, or other sun shades for a day or two. Prop up baskets, cartons, and other covers to provide air circulation.
Water, water, and more water. Water transplants before they are transplanted, as soon as they’re in the ground, and then continue to water daily or every other day for about a week until the plants are well established and growing. After that, water them when you water the rest of your garden. Water perennials and woody plants weekly for the first year to encourage them to develop good, strong, deep roots.
It pays to plan how you’re going to water before you plant. In a vegetable garden, supplemental watering is essential. Soaker hoses make it easy to keep seedlings supplied with regular moisture. Install soaker hoses before you transplant, and set out transplants along the soaker hoses.