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Where to plant what and when

Sandra ASandra A Posts: 146
in Problem solving
May I ask for an urgent help, please: I have just received bare root strawberries and raspberries, and a very small fig tree and a little blueberry, both in pots. Regarding the bare root raspberries: shall I plant them out immediately, even with the snow falling?
Regarding the strawberries: it is better to place them in an unheated plastic greenhouse or leave them in a conservatory with a mild temperature?
Regarding the little fig tree and the blueberry, both of them in the conservatory until the weather gets better?
Thank you for your advice!

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Hi 😊 
    I would keep the strawberries and raspberries in the cold greenhouse and plant out when the ground is not frozen. I would keep the roots wrapped as when they arrived. Blueberries are also completely hardy and I would put that in its pot in the greenhouse. And yes, I’d keep the fig in the conservatory. If it starts developing leaves early because it’s inside then I wouldn’t plant it out until the last frosts have gone. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I know nothing about figs, but the others are totally hardy. They can go out when the weather improves. Just keep them somewhere that they won't dry out. If you have some spare pots and some compost, you can stick them in those to make it easier.  :)
    If the blueberry is staying in a pot, you'll need to look at repotting and new compost etc in a couple of months. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Sandra ASandra A Posts: 146
    Dovefromabove said:
    Hi 😊 
    I would keep the strawberries and raspberries in the cold greenhouse and plant out when the ground is not frozen. I would keep the roots wrapped as when they arrived. Blueberries are also completely hardy and I would put that in its pot in the greenhouse. And yes, I’d keep the fig in the conservatory. If it starts developing leaves early because it’s inside then I wouldn’t plant it out until the last frosts have gone. 

    Thank you, I would be extremely sad if I lost any, already lost enough in my life!
    I have enough space in the greenhouse, it is a walk-in, I was just afraid that they would be in danger, I am in Durham and it is very, very cold!
  • Sandra ASandra A Posts: 146
    Fairygirl said:
    I know nothing about figs, but the others are totally hardy. They can go out when the weather improves. Just keep them somewhere that they won't dry out. If you have some spare pots and some compost, you can stick them in those to make it easier.  :)
    If the blueberry is staying in a pot, you'll need to look at repotting and new compost etc in a couple of months. 

    Thank you Fairygirl, I have loads of compost and manure, and pots as-well, I just have to 'convince' the soil to open a hole. Everything is frozen here!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
     Just pot up and stick them somewhere with minimum protection, and they'll be fine. They only need the barest minimum because they may well have been grown in a polytunnel rather then being outside.
    I have small pots of strawberries [runners from last year ] which are just sitting under a bench. They're fine. They've had temps down to minus 9, and snow and ice. There's no need to worry. I've never protected a strawberry in winter in all the decades I've grown them.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Sandra ASandra A Posts: 146
    Fairygirl said:
     Just pot up and stick them somewhere with minimum protection, and they'll be fine. They only need the barest minimum because they may well have been grown in a polytunnel rather then being outside.
    I have small pots of strawberries [runners from last year ] which are just sitting under a bench. They're fine. They've had temps down to minus 9, and snow and ice. There's no need to worry. I've never protected a strawberry in winter in all the decades I've grown them.  :)
    Thank you, I am doing that today :smile: Me and my daughter are recovering from very difficult health situations, which were life-changing, and I want to create a garden with loads of flowers and fruit that she can pick up whenever she feels well, so I am being super-extra cautious :smiley:
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Take care. Hope the fruits are 'fruitful' ;) 
    The good thing about strawbs is that you can keep a cycle of them going - taking runners off to grow on and replace the original plants.
    If you need any help with that at a later stage, it's easy to do, and there's plenty of help on the forum with it. Loads of advice for pruning and maintaining the others as well if you need it  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Strawberry plants sold bare root at this time of year have usually come from a cold store so are in a dormant state. They’ll be fine in the greenhouse. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I saw on TV a while ago where a commercial grower had frozen strawberry plugs, he was planting them into large growing bags on benches under a poly tunnel with open sides. (I think this was late March). He said they would crop in about 6 weeks.  The freezing & thawing simulated winter & triggered fruiting. 
    AB Still learning

  • Sandra ASandra A Posts: 146
    Thank you all, they are now safely and cosy inside the greenhouse! And it is a lovely day in the garden, it is so strange, I keep seeing dead plants, asleep, and side by side, flowers, alive and kicking! 
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