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Buying plants now

buzzybee3buzzybee3 Posts: 3
in Plants
Hello!  Would I be wasting my money buying 9cm perennials that are on offer now and trying to keep them over the winter? I have neither greenhouse nor coldframe, just a growhouse and I read somewhere that it’s not good to keep pots more than a few cm above the ground. Thanks for any advice.
Not green-fingered just green
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  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Have you got a sheltered spot you can put them in, like against the wall of your house? If they are hardy they should be OK. I would pot them on into bigger pots to give the roots more protection.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    edited September 2022
    I used to buy plants in the autumn and almost without fail I would lose them over the winter through frost,slugs,rotting from rain,high winds etc.etc.....
    Now only buy in the spring when growth seems underway!

    (also no greenhouse or coldframe.)
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I think it is becoming more difficult. Planting out in spring means lots of watering.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I assume your growhouse has a plastic cover which will let in light, keep out cold winds and protect against a degree or two of frost so, assuming the plants you're buying are hardy, it should be fine for sheltering plants bought in autumn if you can site it in a sheltered and sunny spot.

    As @Busy-Lizzie says, pot the plants on into slightly bigger pots so the roots can grow over winter and make stronger plant for planting next spring.

    If you can afford it, I'd suggest getting one or two of these with the optional plastic cover - https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/hyllis-shelving-unit-in-outdoor-00278578/  They come in two heights.  I have 3 and use them in the polytunnel to give a bit of extra protection to seed trays and seedlings plus small plants after another poster on here recommended them.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Chris-P-BaconChris-P-Bacon Posts: 943
    If they're cheap enough, yes it's worth a try. Wrap them in thick fleece if it gets really cold or bring them inside - they wont need any light.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I’ve overwintered plants in blowaways,  it’s enough to keep the frosts off,  unzip if you get a good day as they can get damp inside if you leave them zipped up. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Keep the compost on the dryish side, otherwise the roots can suffer from lack of oxygen and rot.  Something learned from experience!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    I think wet often does as much damage as cold. I'd keep them off the ground, so they can drain and, if possible, restrict the amount of water they get.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    I think it's still fine to plant perennials out now. If they're weak growers or particularly slug prone then potting them on into larger pots and lining them up against a wall somewhere would make sense. If planted straight into the ground, you need to label them to remember where they are, and to make sure they aren't crowded out by other plants.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Many people consider Autumn a better time for planting than Spring. The soil is warmer now, than in March/April and the soil is likely to be damper.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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