Planting Plugs

Hi everyone

We are new to the forum and have just passed the 'introduce yourself' section.

We have now found ourselves here and hope for a bit of guidance. We live in a block of flats and have a communal garden. There was a massive hedge in one corner which has been cut right back so we have been allowed to take that corner to make a flower bed. We used to have plants in containers on the balcony of a flat we used to live in but that's as far as we ever got so this is completely new territory for us. In short, we are total beginners and are lost.

We have cleared the weeds which took weeks but are still afraid that the ivy will come back through but we are hoping it doesn't.

We are now ready to plant some bulbs (we got bluebells and crocus and snowdrops for spring time). We are waiting for our plugs to arrive (its a mixture of cottage garden plugs which are perenials). We also have seeds to put out. The packets say they can be planted directly into the earth. We have no greenhouse and can't start off our plants in pots then plant them out. Also we can't get an indoor propogator as we are living practically in a building site as we are rebuilding our home inside.

Firstly, is it ok to plant our bulbs for spring and our plugs and seeds in exactly the same place? We are wanting our spring flowers to come up and then when they go down, the summer ones come through?

Secondly, where plugs are concerned we are really confused. We have been told that we plant the plugs straight into the ground when they arrive in a couple of weeks - as we said they are cottage garden perenials. Are we missing something or are plugs vulnerable? We thought that if we planted little plug plants this time of year, they would die when the winter comes in?

Thanks for any help and guidance.

kath & keith

 

"Secondly, where plugs are concerned we are really confused. We have been told that we plant the plugs straight into the ground when they arrive in a couple of weeks - as we said they are cottage garden perenials. Are we missing something or are plugs vulnerable? We thought that if we planted little plug plants this time of year, they would die when the winter comes in?"

Probably depends a bit how big the plug plants are.

I always treat plugs as "vulnerable" and pot them, mollycoddle them, and then plant them out when they are a bit bigger.

I think now seems a slightly strange time for companies to be selling small plug plants (and that Spring would be better), but I'd appreciate other peoples views on that??

 

I`m not wishing to blow my own trumpet but. Having used tens of thousands of plugs over the years I would suggest you pot them up. Then plant them out in the spring, building site or not, they have a better chance indoors.:gnthb: Even spring bought ones should be grown on before planting out.:thumb:

 

Now all we can say is 'oh no'

We clearly told the company that we could not plant the plugs and then plant them out later on and they told us in no uncertain terms that they are ready to be planted out. They will be tiny which is why we asked you guys.

Now we don't know what to do - there's 36 of them and we really have nowhere to plant them and keep them indoors.

Can we go ahead and plant seeds straight into the ground?

Can we plant our spring flowering bulbs in the same place as our summer flowering ones? Would one kill the other?

Yours in a bit of a panic

kath & keith

 

Hiya,

If you have nowhere indoors for them then you have no option but to plant them out-choose a spot that is as sheltered as you can find and see what happens-it isn't as bad as all that. You say you have a hedge? Then hide them there for over the winter and if they make it then you can reposition them. Alternatively you could think about a coldframe-they are quite cheap to knock up if money is an isuue or you can buy one-they range from about £25 ish, pot them up and hide them in there for the winter.


You can plant bulbs around the area and when they are in flower you will see the bare bits where you can fit the hopefully surviving and thriving perennials. They won't kill each other.

Good Luck, no need to panic.

 

You are all really great and thank you so much for helping.

We really are angry at the company.

We have just looked on their website and also the plant catalogue they sent us AFTER we placed our order. It says that plugs should be potted and then planted out when they get bigger and after the frosts have gone. Thing is, we phoned them and were told that they should be planted directly into the ground as soon as we receive them. They said they are hardy perenials so it would be fine. They actually made us feel like idiots for even asking that question.

We are going to call them again tomorrow and see what they say.

I don't know if we are allowed to put the name of the company here but it is very well known. If we are allowed please tell us?

Thanks

kath & keith

 

Course you can say their name, When you ring them ask if they come with a guarantee, and why their catalogue states "etc etc etc.........".

 

"there's 36 of them and we really have nowhere to plant them and keep them indoors."

I don't think they need to be indoors. With plants in pots, rather than in the ground, the cold can penetrate the rots more easily - the whole root ball is above the soil, and in the "cold".

But other than that putting them in a sheltered spot (against the house perhaps?) would probably do.

I like Claire's idea of getting a cold frame. Even better. Freecycle perhaps?

 

I don't know how small your plugs will be, but I bought some pansy and primrose plugs in my local supermarket and they weren't just tiny ... they were miniscule - 1 cm at their widest point, tapering down to nothing over a distance of about 1"! However, I planted each plug into its own 3" (ish) pot - bought in Wilkinsons - and then went to my local Homebase where they're only too happy for you to help yourself to those plastic trays that pots stand in. Since then they've just been standing out of the wind and actually look like plants now!

If you do nothing else, I'd suggest you repot your plugs and, in the absence of propagators, cold frames etc., just get yourself a couple of cardboard boxes and stand the pots in those, it's surprising how much protection a box can give - yes, they'll probably go a bit soggy over the winter, but not as quickly as you may think tucked up against a wall, hedge or fence, they'll cost you nothing to replace and can be slung on your compost heap - if and when you get one.

 

By the by, my local Wyevale garden centre has a big wooden box outside for recycling plastic flower pots. If you have something similar near you you will be able to get the 36 pots you need for nought - you'll just need some multi-purpose compost

I would recommend 9cm pots which you can then plant out directly from. Or if you want to hurry them on and molycoddle them more I would start with 3" and the pot on to 5" when they have filled the 3"

 

I have just got back from helping one of my neighbours with her garden. She is an extremely wise woman and only needs me with the heavy work. She suggests you plant them out, buy some sparkling water ( drink it obviously) cut off the bottoms of the bottles and put them over the top of them so they each have their own mini greenhouse. She says to buy the bottles that are green and don't leave the lid on. Take them off when spring arrives and away they go-she says. Apparently we make it too hard for ourselves lol. ( She is 78 )


Never tried it but worth a shot if you aren't keen on splashing out on a mini greenhouse ( which in my opinion aren't worth the money) or a coldframe ( which aren't just £25 anymore, they are selling at £45 at my local GC).

 

I use lemonade bottles etc., as mini greenhouses - only since we don't drink the stuff, I have to blag mine from the neighbours (you've no idea how much fizzy drink some households manage to get through!). I got a cold frame in Wickes' end of season sale .... £9.99 - but you can make one by stacking up some bricks, from an old pallett or bits you've got (with permission) from a skip. If you can't afford acrylic to lay across the top, any bit of clear polythene will do - I have in the past, even used clingfilm.

 

The 2L fizzy-pop bottles are a good idea.

 

Thank you all so much. By the way we bought them from Thompson & Morgan.

We are going to try the pop bottles and see what happens.

We've been busy today turning the earth over and are just getting ready to add compost from the bin. The earth is looking good now. It had never been planted in and had nothing growing there except a blanket of really deep seated ivy growing everywhere. It just shows what you can achieve with hard work and persistance.

kath & keith

 

We've never been particularly successful with plugs in the past so don’t usually bother, but about a couple of months ago we changed a habit of a lifetime and sent off for a mail-order offer (which can be a "pig-in-a-poke.") I suppose selling plants this way is popular as they can get away with very small plants.
We bought four different varieties of lavender, three of each. I put them in an old wallpaper paste container with some compost until a couple of weeks ago and then planted them out in a small bed under the kitchen window,protected by our high fence, they've several cyclamen for company which have been there for a few years. They've grown on quite a bit and are looking very healthy, I expect them to do well.
As all of our plants are perennials, we either have to increase or replace by purchases. Although when choosing azaleas, I look for one where I can see a branch which will quickly lend itself to layering, we’ve been quite successful with that.