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Planting out while it's mild?

CraighBCraighB Posts: 744
in Plants
Hi guys, 

I have quite a few plants in pots such as oriental poppies, asters, Rudbeckia etc sitting in my plastic greenhouse and I wondered if it was a good idea to plant them into the garden now while the weather is so mild?

Or would it be best to wait until the Spring?

Thanks
Craigh

Posts

  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,190
    edited December 2018
    If they are small plants and / or you have heavy soil I would wait until spring.

    If, however, they are large (at least 1 litre / 15cm pots) plants and your soil is reasonably light and friable you could plant them now.

    I garden on heavy clay which can get very wet and very cold through Jan and Feb. Anything newly planted would just sit and sulk in those conditions and may well just rot. I, therefore, don't plant anything until things start to dry up and warm up.

    If you're unsure then it's probably best to wait. Rudbeckias in particular are not reliably hardy in my garden.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    It is mild and down here in the South, the ground is still warm. If you live in a warm, sheltered place then I think you would be safe to plant - you could always give a bit of protection if a sudden frost comes. However, if you live in a place where the weather is colder, the ground chilled and the north wind blowing, I would wait for Spring.
  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    I think early Spring is the best option as none of know what dear old Mother Nature is going to throw at us in the next couple of months - she was a bit a nuisance early this year wasn't she?
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,295
    I plant out any old time in suitable weather but not tiny plants except some of the natives


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • CraighBCraighB Posts: 744
    Well the plants I have are quite large so I may give it a try! However I've just looked at the weather forecast and we are due temps of around -2 in the middle of the week so I may wait until after the frost.

    My soil is quite well drained so shouldn't get water logged at all :)
  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150
    Agree it depends on the climate in your area and the size of the plants.
    It may seem mild at the moment but I'd wager there's some colder winter weather yet to come in Jan/Feb.
    Remember the "Beast from the East" in the early part of this year? ❄❄❄ 😉.
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