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Broken primula viallis - what would you do?

HumbleBeeHumbleBee Posts: 105
in Plants
Hi All
I've just received a delivery of 15 primula vialli which I had very much been looking forward to planting and seeing in bloom particularly as these are the only plants I've managed to get hold of this year due to lockdown :'( . However, they arrived in a small square box and as the plant stems had already grown tall they had just been squashed down to fit the box (rather than using a taller box to fit the height of the plants) and all are broken or misshapen :(
So my question is what would you do? Should I plant them now but cut the stems off - will they flower again this year? Or am I stuck with this sorry looking lot and have to accept I won't see anything until next year? I wasn't sure whether I should complain to the place I bought them from so just wanted to check if anyone thinks there's a chance they can still recover this year. Many thanks for any advice 

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    You may as well cut the stems off if they’re broken right though, not sure they will flower again this year, primrose season’s over,  but I’m not sure about that type. I would give them a good soak in a bucket of water, they will perk up they like to be damp,  then plant them out. 
    Most like shade and damp but I don’t have these so not sure what they like. I grew them from seeds years ago, they didn't survive the winter.😢 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    That is a shame. I would certainly complain to the supplier and send them the photo. The plants will survive, the stems should be cut off as you say and they may then flower again but they do look only young ones so you should get a much better display next year.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    Hello @HumbleBee,

    I agree with others that you should contact the supplier and see if they will refund / send some more.

    I grow these and they seem to like our damp weather here in Scotland. So much so that they readily self seed, and I've now got several large clumps in damp, shady areas.
    Ours are currently much less advanced than the plants you have, and will not be flowering for a couple of weeks yet at least. So I think your plants have been brought on in a warm environment ... which probably accounts for the tall and thin flower spikes.

    I would cut off the damaged flowers and put them in a jar to finish flowering. With luck you might be able to get some viable seed heads. I would make an assumption that the plants have been cosseted, and harden them off before planting out.
    If you are able to produce viable seed from the damaged flowers than just scatter it around on damp soil by the plants, with luck you could get some babies next year.

    Good luck with them.

    Bee x
    image


    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    I actually don't see too much wrong with them, pot them on, cut off broken flower stems, they still may throw up a new flower, they are young plants, they will be beautiful next year......
  • HumbleBeeHumbleBee Posts: 105
    Thanks very much for all the feedback :) . So I think I will speak to the supplier in the first instance but if no luck cut the stems and try planting under a bit of protective fleece. As mentioned in one of the comments, yes I think they may have been kept in a warm environment as I have one little bunch already in my garden and the leaves are only just coming out of the ground now and I was surprised to see plants that were so far advanced. When I had these previously they didn't start flowering before summer (photo below from a couple of years ago). I lost them to a combination of fox and squirrel vandalism but always wanted to replant them as I thought they were so beautiful. Thanks very much for all your comments, much appreciated!  :)
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I can’t see any point in complaining, they are primulas, Spring flowers.
    if they give you more they won’t flower and those plants look good, just need a soak and planting out. 
    I hope they survive the winter for you. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Mine are just coming through the ground,  always flower May early June.....love them
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