How I Acclimatise Fresh Imports
How I acclimatise fresh imports
It never ceases to amaze me that we take plants that are happily growing in a completely different environment to ours, expose their roots and give them a harsh pesticide and fungicide treatment, wrap them up like a mummy, put them in a box and send them halfway around the world. They live in the box for a few days or a couple of weeks (we hope it’s no longer) and blink in the light as we introduce them to their new homes. I often wonder how any of them survive the experience. And yet, most of them do! The resilience of plants.
Advice I'd give to first-time importers:
- there will be issues so be prepared for them. If you're using a broker they'll do the heavy lifting but be aware it's not the same as ordering your plants from a shop in your own country. There will be different legal consumer protections, different customs (and actual customs) and a chain of people involved in the export / import.
- there are often delays and even when there aren't, be prepared for plants that arrive looking like they've spent a week in a box. They have. The chances are the plants you unbox are looking the best they'll look for a while.
- my rule of thumb is that I don't buy something that I can't afford to lose. Everyone involved can do everything right and still some plants will object to the process.
Having said that, importing is a great way to get plants that aren't available where you are and if you're prepared to put in the work on the rehab, a great way to get plants at a lower cost.
My acclimatisation process
I’ve received a few imports over the years. And I’ve got a routine down that works for me. As always, my way is only one way and I’d never assume that it’s the best way. Some of my imports die and I always want to improve – if you have more hints and tips drop them in the comments below. Do note that most of my imports are Anthurium (that won’t be a massive shock to you) and I do find them some of the easiest plants to import – most have robust roots that really help them through the acclimatisation process.
Most imports come with their roots wrapped in sphagnum moss then plastic like this:
Setting the roots free without cutting them is job one. Get rid of off the moss and get a good look at what we’re dealing with. In an ideal world we want nice, white or green roots and a firm chonk or stem.
The import I'm dealing with today has been stuck for a few weeks so I'm expecting some issues. This plant was huge (and so nice!) and the roots look like they would have been super healthy when they set off. A few weeks in a box has not been kind to them.
But there are some nice healthy main roots left once the browned and dried roots have been removed. If I think the roots are going to struggle, I'll remove the secondary roots (the roots that come from the main roots that are attached to the stem). I find they'll often rot anyway so it's a pre-emptive strike. And this is what we're left with:
This plant's leaves are not pretty, bless it. There is a bit of green left on one so that can stay for a wee bit of photosynthesis and / or to let the plant draw back some nutrients. It will drop off relatively soon.
The new leaf inside the cataphyll has rotted, so I've cleaned that out and given it a little drench in an equal mix of water and 3% hydrogen peroxide. The stem is nice and firm though and there are some nice roots left. All things considered, this isn't bad at all. Ugh, did I just jinx it...?
The next step is a shower (don't we all need a shower after a long journey?). This will rinse off the surface pesticide and fungicide residue. Then it's into a bath of room temperature water that I've added a dollop of Castile soap to. I try to submerge both roots and leaves to rehydrate the whole plant. I'll leave them there for half an hour to a couple of hours (depending on how much of a sit down I need after doing all that).
If a plant has had a short journey and has lovely firm, juicy roots I will sometimes pot it straight up into tree fern fibre mix or semi hydro (another blog post to come on substrates). For the plants I'm sorting today, they're going in water for a few days. I want to keep a close eye out for rot. I add SuperThrive and HESI Root Complex to the water. I've only been using Root Complex for a few months but so far I think I do see an improvement in how quickly plants root. It's so hard to know these things when we're just adding them to our usual routine and not controlling for other factors (like the fact it's also got warmer in the UK in the last few months).
So here she is after her spa treatment.
The plants will go into an enclosed plastic box in a warm spot (I'm aiming for around 20 ºC and use a heat mat if needed). I'll put a grow light on top of the box tomorrow but will give them the rest of the day to chill. They need a daily check. I expect root rot which needs to be cut off ASAP (and then the water changed). The main worry is stem rot so I need to keep a close eye on it. If that starts to rot it too needs to be cut out (leaving a good margin of healthy tissue). I then give it a little soak in the mix of equal parts water to 3% hydrogen peroxide (this is essential plant first aid to me). I let the stem callous (while keeping the roots damp with a towel or something) and then it's back in the water.
So now we wait. We hope for new roots to grow first; once I see that I'll pot up in a tree fern fibre mix and move to my tent. Then we hope for a new growth point. Then we wait to see the brand new leaf in our care. And remind ourselves that it really is worth it.
