Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because

Explanation

Newly transplanted trees or shrubs experience some degree of transplant shock. This is simply the plant reacting to having been moved. It is generally caused by damage to the roots of the plant during the transplant. While the thickest roots are nearest to the root ball, the most important roots, those that actually “do the work”, are located the farthest away from the plant. These tiny roots are covered by even tinier hairs which absorb most of the water that is eventually carried to the top-growth of the plant. During a transplant, these fine roots are usually destroyed either by being cut to keep the root ball size down, by drying out (some accounts say it only takes 3-4 minutes of exposure to air for these to die), or simply by being jarred and jostled around in the move. As a result of the loss of these feeder roots, the plant is not able to draw the amount of moisture it requires to thrive and grow. The resulting imbalance between the moisture demands of the topgrowth and the reduced ability of the roots to meet those demands manifests as transplant shock.