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funguy

By Funguy

Berkshire, United Kingdom

Please help me!

I ordered some perennial plants from thompson and morgan, they are small plants in 3 inch pots...I have listed them below, if it helps you with my query.

They came arrived on friday and look root bound or at least they have 'a lot' of roots.
They are for planting in a couple of beds which i only turned over and added lots of organic material to last wednesday ( the beds haven't been turned over for years and the soil was very compact and clay loamy)

My question's-

Is it the wrong time to plant them out now, with the frosts having arrived and considering i've just turned over the soil?

Can i wait un-till spring to plant these out and if i can should i pot them up now, into slightly bigger pots to give them some more room?

Perennial Collection A comprises:
Verbena Bonariensis
Scabious Blue Perfection
Tradescantia Blue
Pontentilla Monarchs Velvet
Lupin Dwarf Mixed
Campanula Canterbury Bells
Erigeron Pink Jewel
Echinacea Purpurea

and

Collection B-
Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun'
Achillea 'Cerise Queen'
Chrysanthemum 'Silver Princess'
Delphinium 'Magic Fountains'
Aquilegia 'McKana Hybrids'
Hollyhock 'Chater's Doubles'
Helenium 'Sunshine Hybrids'
Kniphofia Red Hot Poker




Answers

 

May be corrected, but I'd plant out the verbena, potentilla, erigeron, achillea, and pot on the others (not too big a jump up in size, just enough to accommodate the roots)until spring. All plants are better in the ground, ultimately, but my reason would be to protect them from the late slugs this year, and the early ones next year. I've found many of those plants to be slug bait. Spring will allow the soil to settle, and the manuring to have done its job. It might be a little fresh at the moment. A good turn over in mid spring, and those plants will romp away. Just guard against the slime-bearers, shelled or not. Phil

16 Nov, 2010

 

I would be wary of planting them out just now, Funguy; if you are having frosty weather the soil will be frozen and cold. I would leave the newly turned over soil to break down over the winter and it will be better for the plants. However, keep working on the soil sop that you are ready to plantas early as possible next spring.
As for the plants, I would not repot them. They are now dormant and not going to grow anymore over the winter. Some of the ones listed ( it was useful listing the plants) have tap roots and need to be disturbed as little as possible. One thing you could do is to plunge the pots into the ground, your new bed will do fine, so that the roots receive some protection from frost. Then get them planted properly as early as possible next year.
Unless you bought some 'bargain basement' offers from T&M I doubt that they would send out root bound plants; they are just 'well grown'. I would suggest though,that in future years you do not order until a suitable time for planting, both for the plants and yourself.

16 Nov, 2010

 

Posted at the same time as Phil. No problem with your advice, Phil, another opinion.

16 Nov, 2010

 

I would let the bed breath until late Feb/March, meanwhile plant the pots in your nursery bed close together, keep them covered in very wet and cold weather. As above pests can be their worst enemy.

16 Nov, 2010

 

Sorry BB, posted at the same time as you, we are going down the same path though.

16 Nov, 2010

 

As you mentioned bulbaholic i have got ahead of myself here, anticipating i could get a lot more done than i've been able to and being over eager to start planting as opposed to weeding.

I thought i may be incorrect to say that they are rootbound, they where from the special offer section but healthy root system more likely.

Phil i have gone ahead and replanted into very slightly larger pots, my thinking was the compost may provide some extra insulation and a little more room, i will leave them in an unheated greenhouse over winter....bulbaholic i've noted your advise that i could plant the pots into the bed for protection, i only visit the garden once a week so will keep in the greenhouse for now as i hope they will be safer there.

Bob i need a nursery bed! This is something i haven't looked into yet but will do, i'm relatively new to this all.

tbh i am not sure how to plant these yet for them to look their best with each other, i will be learning a lot more at college over the next few months which will help, i hope with planting schemes.

16 Nov, 2010

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