- 1). Broadcast 1 pound of a 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet over the planting bed before you transplant your Chinese lanterns. Incorporate the feed into the soil to a depth of 4 inches, using a pickax and shovel or a rototiller to break the ground. Rake the surface to make a smooth bed when you finish.
- 2). Dig holes 3 feet apart. Make them deep and wide enough to accommodate the seedlings at the same level as they've been growing in the flats.
- 3). Take your seedlings outdoors to a shady area to begin to harden them off for transplanting. Over the course of a week, gradually increase the length of time the Chinese lanterns spend outdoors and their exposure to the sun.
- 4). Set the seedlings in the holes and back-fill with topsoil. Tap the ground around the base of each plant with your hands to remove air pockets.
- 5). Irrigate the seedlings to the root zone at planting. Continue to give them 1 inch of water a week.
- 6). Build a 2-inch-deep straw-mulch ring around the base of each seedling to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
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