help.. plug plants

darren stubbs

hi there im.new here and feel slightly rude for just jumping in without introducing myself but i soon will as this to me seems an emergency.. i received my perenial plig plant collection from van meuwen two days ago and have just earnt the time to try and pot them on but im confused whether to grow them on and if so would they have to live in a coldframe for a while to get some more growth as there are tiny? now van meuwen have recommened i pot striaght into open soil and im sure that cant be right as they are too small for this, also if potted on amd kept in a coldframe will they still die back in qinter and regenerate again the following year as i dont want to be binning plants that arw aimply dormant any help would be appreciated as im hoping to get this completed tomorrow aftwr i have checked the forum in the morning thank you 

Emma1978

I would plant them out straight away, no need for a cold frame this time of year 

Give them a good feed, keep them watered and -whoosh- off they'll go

Dovefromabove

Plant them into prepared open ground and they'll be fine - make sure you keep any weeds at bay and if any are susceptible to slug/snail damage then mulch around them with coarse builder's sand.  

Then sit back, have a cuppa or two and maybe a barbie and a glass of something cooling, and before you know it you'll have a lovely garden to admire 

Oh, how rude of me - Hi Darren, and welcome to the Forum  

Fairygirl

Hi Darren - I'm going to disagree here - sorry everyone! - and say if it was me I'd pot them on and then in another month or so when they're a bit more established put them into your bed or border. Take time to prepare the ground well for them too. I'm in Scotland and we're used to waiting for things to grow because of the weather! I know it's June but if you're worried about them being so small or you're in an exposed/colder spot I'd hang fire a bit- nothing to lose. Once they're out - I assume they're all hardy perennials? - they'll be fine and hopefully you'll be enjoying bigger and more beautiful plants next year!

punkdoc

Im with fairygirl on this one. Planting out tiny plugs is usually just a tasty snack for slugs. They will also tend to get lost in amongst bigger plants and get out competed.

Pot them up, dont need a cold frame. When they are bigger plant out.

artjak

darren, where is Tonbridge and Malling where you live? That would give us some idea of the weather there.

lazy gardener

artjak wrote (see)

darren, where is Tonbridge and Malling where you live? That would give us some idea of the weather there.

It is in Kent-a search would have told you that

As to the plug plants-would pot them up and grow them on-and plant out later-they are perreniels so don't expect much this year.

marshmello

I too would pot them on. The chances are they'd only get eaten and trampled by some creature, before they had sufficient time to put down good roots...

...but don't pamper them - just put them somewhere sheltered...away from the full blast of the elements.

 

jean6

well, I can see both sides really...this is 2nd yr I have had plug plants from van meuwen & both times I lose afew...I`m in cambs & pot them up & are under a lean to roof ...they either just die or rot...yet not overwatered...they look far too small to plant out... fed up now so will not order anymore...too much losses..

Dovefromabove

I suppose it depends where you plant them out; how well you've prepared the soil and how well you're prepared to look after them.  

I've planted quite small perennial plugs out very successfully, but only into good friable loam which had FYM dug into it earlier.  

I've also ensured that they've not had to compete for space, and if they were susceptible to slugs I've put coarse builders' sand around them and have been pleased with the results.  They've bulked up well and have come through the following winter with few losses.  If I remember correctly the penstemons were the least successful but I didn't lose so many that I wouldn't do it again.