Transplanting

hairofredsLNJeLEK · August 2023

I am starting all of my shrubs from seeds. How old should seedlings be before I can transplant them outdoors? I currently have Acanthus Mollis, Pyracantha and a Hydrangea. I thought 6 months was sufficient, but now I’ve heard that most shrubs bought at nurseries are over a year old?

punkdoc · August 2023

I wouldn’t plant them out until they filled a 2l. pot.

hairofredsLNJeLEK · August 2023

Thanks. That’s a good rule of thumb. Any idea how long it will take Acanthus Mollis to grow to that size?

Lyn · August 2023

Acanthus Mollis is not a shrub, it’s a perennial, you can start the seeds now and plant out next spring.

If you are lucky enough to get a viable seed from a hydrangea it will be a long time before you can plant that out.

Don’t know about Pyracantha.

You may be better off asking someone for cutting for hydrangeas, then you’ll know what you’ll get, seeds are a lucky dip.

Fairygirl · August 2023

You can grow Pyracantha from seed, but it'll take along time, and no guarantee it would be the same as the parent. It's a very long, slow process growing shrubs from seed - most people would take cuttings, and even then, it isn't quick.
The shrubs you'd buy in a nursery or garden centre have taken several years to get to the size they are. You'll be a long time waiting for a Pyracanths or Hydrangea to be a decent size for a garden display if you do it by sowing seed

hairofredsLNJeLEK · August 2023

Yes, I do realize that this will be a long process, but I just moved to a large property and I cannot afford to purchase all the shrubs I want to plant. I’m only just learning about propagation. I have 7 Chinese Holly cuttings; it looks like 4 of them will make it.

My question was about how old shrubs need to be before being planted outside. I’m fine with waiting a year - or 2?

Fairygirl · August 2023

They'd need to be filling a decent sized pot, as @punkdoc said earlier. That isn't likely to happen within a couple of years, even from cuttings.
Even once they're planted, shrubs take a long time to reach a good size - several years on average, to be around half their ultimate size. A lot of that also depends on your location, your conditions, and your climate.

hairofredsLNJeLEK · August 2023

Thanks. I’m not expecting instant gratification like I would get with plants purchased at a nursery. This info gives me an idea of how long to wait to transplant. Thanks

JennyJ · August 2023

The acanthus will die back to the ground/compost level over winter and grow again in spring. If its already in a decent-sized pot should be big enough to plant out next spring after it's made some good sturdy growth. Pot it on if the roots are reaching the edge of its current pot.

hairofredsLNJeLEK · August 2023

I have 7 Acanthus Mollis after planting 8 seeds. They are all about 4” high and roots are just showing in bottom of seedling tray. I’m going to put them all in slightly larger pots until Spring. I’m in zone 6 and I know that they will die back each winter. I had them once out in California where of course they never died back and were huge.

Fairygirl · August 2023

Ah - I think we all assumed you were in the UK @hairofredsLNJeLEK

That can have an effect on what you grow and how quickly. Is there anyone nearby who might be able to give you divisions of plants or cuttings of shrubs? There are lots of perennials which divide easily, so perhaps there's a garden club or something similar where you can get some plants to help fill out your borders a bit quicker.
Shrubs can't be divided, but many grasses get large quite quickly, so maybe something like that will work if you have a suitable site, until your shrubs get to a big enough size to fill the spaces

Transplanting

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