Clueless new gardener - Caring for plug plants
ElectricJo
Posts: 18
Hello Everyone,
I'm totally new to gardening and succumbed to an offer to buy 72 plants for £20. I didn't realise I would have to 'pot on' the plants, I thought they would go straight into their final locations. Anyway I am 16/17 days on with these plants and I'm not sure whether I can continue to grow them on in these pots (about 7.5 to 9.5cm) until they can be planted out, or do they need repotting into bigger pots. I really hope not.
After doing a bit of internet research I now think I may have been doing some things wrong like overwatering, keeping them in too warm a place (conservatory windowsill) and not turning them around. But do I need to give them a bit of liquid feed? And do I need to 'pinch out the growing tips' (Have I got that phrase right?) to stop them growing too tall and not bushy enough?
To make things worse I don't know what's what. And I can't clearly see the leaves on pictures of similar plants online. There are 12 plant varieties,
Gaillardia Arizona sun
Coreopsis presto
Penstemon wedding bells
Digitalis dalmation mixed
Chrysanthemum white knight
Carnation ever blooming mixed
Poppy pizzicato mixed
Aquilegia swan mixed
Delphinium pacific giants
Scabiosa blue jeans
Echinacea primadonna
Geum blazing sunset
Sorry for the essay, I hope someone can help. Thanks.
Posts
Most things now should be out doors wether you have them in pots or not, all of your things are hardy so will be fine and dont need to be pampered. You will need to het them acclimatised to outdoors first, but then they should be fine to be planyed out, they look like nice strong plants, just beware of things like slugs, there are lots of non leathal ways of dealing with them
Your garden is going to be beautiful
Thanks for replying. I only received and planted these plugs 16 to 17 days ago. Is it okay to start acclimatising them now? And should I feed them the next time I water them?
I wouldn't feed till they show signs of flowering, other that a little blood/fish/bone in the soil before you plant them out. Harden them off (i.e. get them used to outdoor conditions by putting them out for increasing periods each day) gradually over a week or two - I suspect it needn't be too gradual at this time of year - and get them out in the soil as soon as you can.
Thanks for the replies, bekkie and Steve. I wanted to start slowly with a few patio plants, then I saw the offer and got a bit carried away. The truth is, my garden is not ready for the plants and so at least half will be going in containers. The one border I thought had very little in it has suddenly (it seems sudden) sprouted, with what I don't know. Will I be able to clear this border of these weeds and be able to put my plants in soon after? I think they are weeds anyway, do you know what they are?
Oh, and by the way, the plants I received were mini plug plants, the kind you need a pencil to dislodge. Have they grown too quickly? Thanks
Hi Jo. Looks like you got a lovely range of plants there with plenty of interest. At this time of year most plants are growing like mad so wouldn't worry about them growing too fast. They do need to be hardened off as Steve and Bekkie have suggested as on windowsills plants tend to stretch to reach the light. Best of luck and enjoy!!
We'll need a photo to identify what's in the border. If it wasn't a garden before they'll probably be weeds but yiu never know.
If they're little annual plants, you can plant your babies as soon as you've cleared them. If there are older (perennial) plants with big roots or undrground runners, you need to make sure you get it all out or they'll be a pain for ever.
Unlikely to have grown too quickly - everything grows fast at this time of year!
Sorry, forgot the pictures.