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Can I plant young hardy plants out soon?
flowerlover2
Posts: 77
in Plants
Hi
Please can I have some guidance on this
My greenhouse (unheated) is full of young hardy plants which I bought last year as plug plants. A lot of them kept their leaves over the winter and have been growing at a steady rate. They now fill 7cm pots. Others have started to show top grow as well. My question is that if I start hardening them off now (keep door open during the day and close it at night?), will I be able to plant them out in the garden in a couple of weeks' time? I want to make some room for my (hundreds of) hardy seedlings which are kept inside the house at the moment.
Thanks a lot for your reply in advance!
0
Posts
Where in the country are you Flowerlover? It will help people answer your question if they can roughly know where in the world you are so that they can factor in frost risk.
Hi Clarington, I am in West Yorkshire.
Hi, I have the same situation although I have just invested in a coldframe which is great as it reduces the need to put the plants away at night and frees up the greenhouse. I expect it depends on the type of plants and where you live but I was going to wait until after the last frosts and plant out all of the ones with good strong root systems.
What plants do you have? I have echinops, helenium, oriental poppies, penstemon, verbena and monkshood.
Talking of small (flower) plants - as a general rule when should you start to feed seedlings if they have been reared in a general purpose seedling compost with no added feed and are 4-5 weeks old. Also, what should you feed them with?
I would be hardening off hardy perennials now, due to lack of GH space. Too many more things coming along.
In the sticks near Peterborough
What I really need to do Verdun is estimate how much space it will all take up in spring before I sow the seeds in autumn
You're right, there'd be more growth inside, especially with the easterly winds we have right now
In the sticks near Peterborough
I get most of my young hardy plants from the garden centre along the road. If they are outside there, they will be fine in my garden. Everything else is growing on my windowsills.
I wouldn't be feeding seedlings and young plants - regular potting on into fresh good quality compost should provide them with all the nutrition they need.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.