Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Planting Hardy Perennials Now?

David ThorntonDavid Thornton Posts: 30
in Plants
Hello everyone and here's wishing you all a fun, peaceful and smiley 2019.

Now, I have some hardy perennials in 9cm pots and I'd like to to plant them in a raised bed. I'm in the South East and the area to be planted is quite sheltered without being a frost trap. I've taken advice from the nursery who maintain all 'should' be OK to go ahead and plant. 

Any thoughts or advice please lovely people?

Davey 

Posts

  • DarleydameDarleydame Posts: 18
    Why the rush? 
  • David ThorntonDavid Thornton Posts: 30
    Well, bit of a long story. In short the plants were supposed to be with me in October. So perhaps I'm being over keen on planting them, and of course now there's a worry about possible hard frosts. They're in their pots and the pots in sturdy trays. I have a greenhouse,  maybe I should keep them a little moist in there until March?
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Personally, I wouldn't. Even later in the year, I have potted on and kept the plants somewhere safe.
    I'm not in the Southeast, so for me it's a cold (but frostfree) greenhouse or a house windowsill, depending on the hardiness of the plants. If you don't have a coldframe you could part bury the pots in your raised bed and put a cloche or even a cut off plastic bottle over them for some protection.
    A P9 is very small and vulnerable to slug or snail attack, so even if the weather seems to be kinder where you are,  they could still be at risk. Once you know they are growing well and warmer weather is on the way, you can harden them off and plant them out properly.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    edited January 2019
    I can see the reasoning that a plant in the ground will have better protected roots than in a small pot. You may already know, but in case not, the main aim of autumn planting is that the soil is still warm and the roots will continue to grow and establish the plant without the demands of top growth. This is not the case now even in mild parts the soil will have cooled and all growth top and root will have stopped. I agree with others at this time of year put in a bigger pot & protect until conditions are more favourable.
    AB Still learning

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    If you have a greenhouse, unheated or otherwise, I would park them in there until you see signs of growth. Then pot them into a larger pot of fresh compost. From a 9cm I would go to a 15 cm pot. When that pot is full of roots, I would harden it off outside for a few days then plant out.
  • David ThorntonDavid Thornton Posts: 30
    Hi everyone, thank you for the sound advice. I'll re-pot the 9cm's and keep them cosy in the greenhouse till the soil warms up sufficiently. 

    Should I keep them lightly moist?

    Davey
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043

    Yes, keep them moist but not waterlogged.

    I would have given the same advice as the others if I'd got here earlier. Although they are hardy they are still young and would be vulnerable at this time of year not having been planted earlier when they could get used to it and establish themselves before winter.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • David ThorntonDavid Thornton Posts: 30
    Thank you Lizzie and everyone else too

    Davey
Sign In or Register to comment.