Plug plants

debs64

Hi all. I expect this question is asked every year so please bear with me. I want to buy plug plants online for hanging baskets and tubs for myself and friends/ family. Which company offers the best value for money? I need a lot of plants and while i like a bargain I don’t want tiny plants that will struggle to fill a basket. If you have bought plants that you either loved or hated I would love to know. 
I have a greenhouse to grow plants on and I do know that a certain amount of time and effort will be required but obviously healthy babies will be needed if I want healthy full size plants. Is it a matter of you get what you pay for or can you save cash and still get a good display this summer? 
Any advice gratefully received thanks in advance! 

Joyce21

Jersey Plants sell plugs in different sizes. I've been happy with what I've bought from them.

Lyn

I bought  these last year, they were about an inch tall but by the time I was ready to fill the baskets and tubs they were blooming, and very good sized plants.
they were cheaper that their website, I wrote to ask why was this?  They said there was no difference,  and I doubt there was. Superb little plants.   They are not ready yet but I expect they will be advertising them soon. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B079K1QSBN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Slum

I've bought bedding plugs from Suttons a couple of times. They do different sizes. The smallest are cheapest and arrive earliest. This means you take responsibility for potting them on and keeping them alive. I bought the smallest and kept them in a greenhouse. By the time summer rolled around I had good sized plants for containers and baskets.

Kili

Hi debs64, I've for the first time ordered some plug plants for my hanging baskets from T&M

I chose  Petunia Surfinia Mixed 20 Postiplugs at £7:99. I chose these because according to T&M you only need 3 to fill a 12-14" hanging baskets as they are so prolific. I've done ordinary trailing Petunia in the past but, could never achieve that huge trailing mass of Petunias that you often see done by professionals. It turns out that many of them achieve this by using Petunia Surfinia hence I thought I would give it a go.

I'm still sowing my own petunia seed and that is Petunia Tidal wave Red  which I did last year which were very good but they did not last more then 2 months so Im sowing those later this year to use as fillers for any baskets that don't last the summer.

I'm also trying Calibrachoa for the first time , might be worth a look for you.

Regards

Kili

Lyn

I suppose they’re all grown at a single place and distributed around various companies.
I ordered a tray of primroses from J. Parker once, they arrived labelled Jersey Plants. 

Kili

Joyce21 said:

Jersey Plants sell plugs in different sizes. I've been happy with what I've bought from them.

Hey, Joyce21 I run past their nursery most days when I'm carting my tired old bones around trying to keep fit. I often stop to have a nose through the glass and I've even managed to salvage over 200 postiplugs from their bins (with their permission, cost me a pack of beers lol..) as they say they weren't good enough to sell but, came out beautifully once I'd grown them on in the greenhouse. What a small world we live in   

BenCotto

Plug plant suppliers were reviewed in this month’s Gardening Which?
Dobies of Devon 73%
Sarah Raven 73%
J Parker’s 67%
Van Meuwen 67%
Hayloft Plants 66%
Sutton Seeds 66%
Daily Telegraph offers 65%
Gardening Direct 64%
QVC 63%
Thompson & Morgan 61%

debs64

Thanks so much that’s all really helpful will post on here if I have any issues/ successes. Much better to get advice from other gardeners rather than just believe all the advertising. Thanks