Planting Vegetables Before Shemitah
Question
I want to plant vegetable seedlings before Shemitah. The planting is for aesthetic purposes, and I do not intend to eat the vegetables. Until when am I allowed to plant the seedlings in the ground?
Answer
Planting vegetable seedlings and tender flowers [which are not considered trees] is permitted until sunset on the 27th of Elul.
Source
See Rambam (Shemitah, Chapter 3, Halacha 11) regarding trees — two weeks. For vegetables, rooting takes 3 days, therefore one should be stringent for 3 days; Azmera Leshimcha (Shemitah, Issue 1).
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