Help please! How do I plant Jasmine & Honeysuckle plugs in planters?

Total novice at this malarkey! I have 2 lovely wooden planters with trellis attached and bought a recent offer from Money Supermarket, which was 6 honeysuckle and 6 jasmine plants, I had no idea what I was buying! So they arrived yesterday and they are tiny wee plugs! I had envisaged larger more established plants! Anyhoo I watered them and left them on windowsill overnight as advised, but now have no idea how far apart to plant them! Is it ok to put them straight into the planters? Do I need to plant them near the back of the tub so they reach the trellis? How many do I put in each tub? Can you tell I'm not very good at this?

 

welcome marie i too am new to it all but i am sure someone will be along soon to give you advise

 

Hi MK

Great place to ask ...

A couple of questions first how big are the planters ? how deep, across , make sure they have drainage holes in the bottom.
how sunny or shady is the spot you want to keep them in ?

6 in each may be to many ?

They may need some protection over the winter , out of very cold winds etc as they are only small plugs also they are about to lose the leaves, the honeysuckle will but depending how cold it gets the jasmine should keep some off the leaves so dont worry if they fall off

Spruce

 

Hi Spruce,

The planters are 14" X 12" and 14" deep, no drainage holes so hubby is being sent out with his drill! Recently had my back door done so they will be on a slabbed shelf along the back fence where it's sunny for half the day, it's quite protected from the wind.

Do you think maybe only 3/4 in each? And where would I position them in the planter?

Thank you so much for your help! I'm so grateful!

Marie

 

Hi

its good size pot , glad you are getting drainage holes put in , if me I would only put 3 in each , if possible plant in john innes soil based compost and put some small stones in the base or old pieces of pot to cover the drainage holes over , stops the compost from getting washed out plus keeps the holes open for the drainage to work properly.

I would plant in a triangle shape two at the back and one at the front , I am thinking would I mix them or keep them separate ie honey suckle in one and jasmine in the other or 1 jasmine at the back and two honey suckle at the front ??? any chance of planting the spare ones out in the garden ?
@ARMANDII
@wiseowl
@Lolimac
@Jenny namaste
@shiney
@Sheal
@fat controller


What would you advise with the above thanks other GC members

Spruce

 

Hallo Marie,
and welcome to Gardeners Corner. Ummm - Jasmine. So glad you are putting it in a pot - it's a rampant spreader and will want to curl it's way up, around and over anything if you plant it direct into garden soil. That's fine , if you have loads of space for it and want quick cover. I love the perfume but there's a high price to pay....
others will be along to chuck their 2 pennorth in the barrow,
Jenny Namaste

 

Thank you so much for your help!

All done and looking good! Just kept them to 3 per pot, jasmine in one and honeysuckle in the other!

Ermmmm what next????

This gardening carry on is a bit addictive!

 

Elloo Marie,the only thing I would suggest is seen as they're only small plug plants I'd keep them in a sheltered spot,although they're hardy enough plants as you say they are only small and will need some protection over winter while they get established...
The Jasmine ...do you know the variety as some are a bit more tender than others...

Over time they can both be quite rampant so will need potting into bigger pots ,but that will be a while yet

 

Welcome Marie - sounds like you are off to a great start
Have you considered popping some crocus into the pots to give it a bit of Spring colour?

 

I agree with Armandii, they are going to need some shelter over this winter away from damaging frosts and wind. I also feel they are a little young to put in a large container until next spring, smaller pots would be better for the time being.

 

If they are tiny plug plants then I personally would pot them up into flowerpots not much bigger than the size of the rootball and grow them on on your windowsill or greenhouse if you have one and then put them in the containers next spring when they have grown into a more reasonable size and have established a good root ball/root system to cope with the growing conditions.I think if you try and put them outside now not knowing what kind of winter you are going to get ie snow or heavy frosts then any small plants won't have the strength to get through any harsh weather...

 

If you don't know the varieties I would also beware of planting Honeysuckle in full sun. They're naturally woodland plants and some varieties won't tolerate too much sun. I learned that the hard way and now always grow Honeysuckle in semi-shade. Both plants would probably be better if the main stem is in some shade for a good part of the day. They will grow quickly and the flowering branches will be fine in the sun.

I agree with everyone else regarding size of pot etc. These will become big plants,when you plant out, think about putting wheels underneath the pots in case you change your mind about planting position.