Hooray! Your new season of plants has delivered to your doorstep and it’s time to plant your garden!

As you open up your Leaf’d Box and observe your plant babies, you may notice some unique characteristics that might look strange at first. Some of these things might worry you, but most of them are harmless or even beneficial to your little plantlings. Remember, plantlings are more mature than delicate seedlings but not quite as strong as an established plant, which means they will often look different than mature garden plants. Here are some things you may notice about your new plantlings and ways you can support them:

FRAGILE LEAVES

These plantlings have had a long journey from their homebase in Southern California through the mail to your front door, so they might look a little delicate when they first arrive. If you notice some fragile, yellowy, or slightly droopy leaves on some of your plantlings, this is totally normal. Your plants have travelled a long way, and they’re probably tired just like we are after a long trip!

To help support your plants, open up your Leaf’d Box as soon as it arrives. Stand each plant up and pour about an inch of water into the plastic tray. Let them drink and stretch for a little bit and they should start to become a little more adjusted.

In addition, any plants that will be planted outdoors will first need to be hardened in the sun for about 5 hours a day for 1-2 days to adjust to their environment and weather. Once you plant your plantlings, they will also need time to adjust to their forever home, so they may show slight signs of shock in their leaves. Just keep caring for them and being patient as they adjust.

“MOLDY”-LOOKING ROOTS

Something else you might notice on your baby plantlings is that the roots are visible in your plants’ soil pods. Since roots need dark, nutrient-rich environments, we often don’t get to see what growing plant roots look like. You might notice a white fuzzy substance on your plants’ roots that looks almost like mold. Don’t be afraid! This is actually a good sign!

What you are seeing is not mold, but something called mycelium – a fungus that helps plants by breaking down organic matter in the soil and giving them nutrients. If you see these tiny hairs developing on or near your plantlings’ roots, it just means your plant is healthy and is creating an ecosystem where decomposers can thrive, leading to healthier soil quality and better stability for the plant.

MOLDY SEEDS

While mycelium is not mold and is good for your plants, you might see a green or white circular cluster around the base of your pea plantlings. This most likely is mold. But, it’s also very normal!

Peas are the seeds of the plants, so pea plantlings are grown from other peas that germinate and sprout into new pea plants. If you see mold at the base of your pea plant, it is likely just the decomposing shell of the old pea seed. If you’d like, you can gently wash the mold off the surface of the soil pod or try removing the remnants of the old pea shell from the soil entirely. However, your plant will be totally healthy if you just bury the soil pod and cover the base of the plantling enough to block any more light from hitting the root system. Once the old pea shell is buried under the soil, it will be able to properly decompose and add nutrients to the area without growing more mold.

If you are worried about mold developing on your growing pea plant, just make sure your planlting has well-draining soil and is not overwatered and your plant should stay safe and healthy. Try making sure the top inch of soil is dry before watering your pea plantling again.