By Tilly3006
Lancashire,
United Kingdom 
Honesty Plants - i have sown honesty seeds and now have 12 healthy looking young plants that were potted on around 3 wks ago. Roots are now showing through the bottom of the pots. Should repot them again now or wait until they are larger and should i pinch out the growing tip to enhance bushiness? Also, at what stage should i plant them out? i have lost young plants in the past because i think i have planted them out too soon and i dont want them to attacked by slugs etc if possible? thanks
7 Aug, 2011
Answers
I'd plant them out. My honesty self seeds every year and this year's seedlings are a reasonable size now. Though we have lots of slugs and snail I don't find honesty is attractive to them - they don't get eaten.
You could compromise by planting half of your young plants out - they'll toughen up and be ready for winter then, and you could keep the other half under protection, though I don't think they'll need it.
7 Aug, 2011
Yes, plant them out. Honesty has a long white tap root and needs to grow it downwards before winter.
7 Aug, 2011
thanks everyone for your help. I'll take the plunge and plant them out.
8 Aug, 2011
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I would pot them up a size to give them the best chance of putting on growth while the weather is still clement.
When to plant them out is always a difficult decision, since slugs love young plants. On the other hand they need to be in before the ground gets too cold or, you could overwinter them in the pots in a sheltered place and wait to plant them in spring. And, yes,I'd pinch out a bit now. They can get very tall. Once they've flowered and set seed, they will self-seed freely, so you'll never have to go through this process again!
7 Aug, 2011