By Canalhopper
Denbighshire, United Kingdom
OK, I'm back from my hols and need to get going in the garden!
My first question is:
Referring to the plants in the picture--I would like to plant them in a border. Am I too late?
I can't get any horse manure for love nor money and I don't have enough home made compost. Should I use general purpose compost from the garden centre, chicken manure pellets or what?
Thanks
- 16 Oct, 2012
Answers
Thank you for your answer. I think I'll buy some chicken pellet manure & add it as I plant them.
Yes, I do know what they are! I posted a question about their ID and got some very helpful answers.
17 Oct, 2012
I just add bonemeal when planting out. The Foxglove can certainly go out now, and it looks like 2 plants there. The Geum can go out in a sheltered place and the Lavender in a well drained spot (without bonemeal or any feed as they grow better in poor soil). The Penstemon at the top left is a hardy perennial, so I would also place out. Slugs love the Geum, Echinacea and Delphinium, so you need to watch out for signs of damage and protect them, if your garden is bad for them, then keeping them in a pot.
17 Oct, 2012
Actually Penstemons are not that hardy, so need free draining soil over winter! Prob best to keep in a pot if you do not have that.
17 Oct, 2012
Pity you dont live in Hereford I could give you a ton of horse manure ,it just keeps comming lol
17 Oct, 2012
Don't use chicken manure pellets this time of year, and note they should never come in contact with plant roots or foliage in their pelleted state. Most garden centres sell composted animal manure these days, or soil conditioning compost rather than potting compost (which is what general purpose compost is), so if you want to add something to enrich the soil prior to planting, they'll do just as well as composted horse manure.
17 Oct, 2012
i posted an answer on your id question CH.
17 Oct, 2012
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Do you know what they all are? If they are hardy they look big enough to plant out and its not too late.
Don't fret about the manure. Unless your soil is really bad they should be OK. Make your home made compost go further by just mixing what you can spare into the spadeful of earth you will put the planting hole in. A few chicken manure pellets would be OK. You can always add more compost when you have it as a top dressing
16 Oct, 2012