Verbena bonanseris cuttings - can they go out into the border?

Order in the border

Hi team,

I took loads of cuttings from my verbena bonanseris plants over the summer (I find this a much easier way to propogate than sowing seed). They've been romping away and some of the 15cm pots they are in have roots coming through the base. The tallest cuttings are now about a foot high. Is it OK to transplant them out to the border now, to over-winter in situ, or are they best kept in the cold frame/unheated GH over winter for a spring planting? Thanks for any advice you can give.

fidgetbones

I would pot them into larger pots and trim them down to make them bush. Then keep under some protection, cold frame or greenhouse should be fine. I think they may die over winter if outside  or be late starting if we have the hard winter that some think we we have because of a strong El Nino. 

Dorcas

I'm in the North and always leave my verbena bonariensis outside in winter - some in pots and some in the ground.  They get no special treatment and despite getting covered in snow on occasions, they all survive.  They are much hardier than you think.  Even tiny self sown seedlings will survive quite happily.

Order in the border

Great! Thanks all - I always feel weird about cutting back all that lush new growth but I will do as you say. How far should I go down, do you think? I usually do about 4 or 5 stems per pot for my cuttings and then they usually get planted as 'one plant' - is that wrong?

Supernoodle

That's interesting, Dorcas.  I wanted to use them in a particular area but thought they wouldn't be hardy enough - damp clay soil.  What's your soil like?  Perhaps more well drained than mine?  Maybe I should give them a go.

Lyn

I would do more than pinch back, I would cut down to six inches, or half what they are now. I only keep seedlings in over winter, all others go out.

LesleyK

I have grown then and they look great but never managed to overwinter them.  I'm in Scotland on clay soil.  I will pamper the next lot over winter.  I've heard that they freely self-seed - not here they don't!

Fairygirl

I've got a few which have self seeded out in the gravel where I park my car, although the magpies have dug some up 

They like a well drained site but they seem to overwinter well enough here if they have planting round them for protection. In pots, I'd tuck them up against a house wall to keep them sheltered and reasonably dry. Other than that, I don't do anything to mine. 

Lesley - the wet clay is probably more of an issue than anything. Try them in gritty compost in a pot and see if they survive 

hogweed

Mine self seed quite well in my front garden (facing south ish, central Scotland). Have tried transplanting some to my back garden and they never survive - same aspect, same soil. Sometimes there ain't no rhyme nor reason to gardening!