Sharing Garden Plants, Seeds, and Tools Safely

While we are excited to help friends, neighbors, and our community have successful gardens, we need to be mindful of what we share, and how we share it. If we are not careful, we can cause issues that may last anywhere from one season to a lifetime. In this Hot Topic, we will go through considerations you should make when sharing a variety of garden materials and tools. When finished, use the Sharing from the Garden Safely Checklist to help your decision making process during the garden season. 

Perennial Plants

When sharing perennial plants, consider the following:

• Species is appropriate for sharing. Invasive plants are sometimes found in landscaping, while others are aggressive spreaders that can quickly take over areas. Make sure you’re familiar with the plant you are sharing. Learn how to Identify Invasive and Non-native Species through the University of Minnesota Extension.

• Plants are taken from an area without jumping worms. Jumping worms are a new invasive worm species in Minnesota that can be spread to new gardens when they are hiding in the soil of perennial plants that are split and shared. Learn more about Jumping Worms from the University of Minnesota Extension. 

• Plants aren’t showing symptoms of viruses like Hosta virus X and aster yellows. These viruses cannot be cured once they infect your plants. They cause plans to be distorted, stunted, and discolored. These viruses are found in hostas and asters (such as Black-eyed Susan’s, cone flowers, and others.) Learn to identify the symptoms through the University of Minnesota Extension Aster Yellows and University of Wisconsin Hosta Virus X resources.

• Roots are firm and white, not brown and mushy. Plants with firm, white roots indicate healthy plants. Do not share plants with unhealthy brown and mushy roots tissue. 

• Share perennial plants when you are already dividing them. Dividing perennials helps the plants in your garden perform better, and leaves you with more plants to share. Learn How and When to Divide Perennials for the best chance of transplant success.

Annual Plants

When sharing annual plants such as vegetables, flowers, and herbs, consider the following:

• Transplants are compact, bushy, and deep green with lots of leaves. Leggy plants with light colored leaves indicate subpar growing conditions and a lack of nutrients. Give your annual transplants a greater chance of success by choosing healthy  plants.

• Have buds as opposed to flowers. Transplants with flowers are more likely to direct resources to reproduction rather than root growth and establishment. Choose plants that have buds, or remove flowers on transplants to redirect growth.

• Leaves are free of spots and speckles. Prevent the spread of disease by inspecting plants and properly disposing of plants which show signs of disease.

• Roots are dense, firm, and a creamy white color. Roots that do not share these characteristics indicate poor health or disease, and should not be shared.

Vegetable Seeds

To ensure genetically true and healthy seeds, follow the Saving Vegetable Seeds guideline and consider the following:

• The variety is open pollinated. Seed collected from hybrid or F1 varieties will not produce plants that are the same variety of the parent plant. Do not save seeds from plants which are not open pollinated. If you are unsure of the parent plant genetics, avoid sharing the seeds.

• Vegetable seeds have not been cross pollinated. Cross pollinated seeds will produce plants that do not match the parent plant, even if the parent plant produces normal-looking fruit. Cross pollination can easily occur in a variety of vegetable crops. If you are unsure of the parent plant genetics, avoid sharing the seeds. 

• The plant and fruit from which the seeds were taken was healthy. Some plant diseases can survive on seeds and infect plants as they germinate. Blemishes on fruiting vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, and pumpkins can indicate a bacterial disease, which can survive on seeds. Saving seeds from healthy plants and fruit reduces the chance of spreading disease.

• Seeds were stored in a dark, cool, and dry place. Proper storage ensures viable seeds with high germination rates. Do not share seeds that have not been stored appropriately to avoid frustration and disappointment.

• Seeds are still viable. Seeds will not last forever. Do not share seeds which are unlikely to grow because of their age. Learn more through the Seed Storage Guide from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Garden Tools

Make sure to Clean and Disinfect Gardening Tools and Containers before sharing:

• Tools have been cleaned and are free of visible dirt. Dirt can harbor diseases. Cleaning tools between gardens reduces the chance that disease can move into new spaces.

• Tools that touch plant parts which we eat have been cleaned and sanitized. To reduce the risk of foodborne illness, make sure that tools used when harvesting produce are regularly cleaned and sanitized.

• Tools for pruning are clean and sanitized. Pruning tools, especially when used to prune out unhealthy branches and leaves, can harbor disease causing organisms. This allows the disease to move from plant to plant and from garden to garden.

Resources

• Use the Sharing from the Garden Safely Checklist 

• Learn more about IPM and find other useful IPM resources in the Let’s Talk Plants toolkit.