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Breaking the rules
Loxley
Posts: 5,698
Have you ever broken the rules and got away with it?
I moved a large Euphorbia characias in midsummer - a no-no according to the books. Sure enough the soil fell away from the rootball leaving the small root system exposed so it looked like it was a goner. However I planted it into a depression and watered, watered, watered; and it survived to flower beautifully next spring. It's now quite a huge plant, and probably should be replaced, but it stubbornly refuses to put out any seedlings 
Last edited: 20 April 2017 09:45:51
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
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The rules for cuttings are that they have to be taken at a certain time of year.
My rule is, if the chance to take a cutting is offered, take it there and then, the offer may not come along later.
Take one cutting, it will die. Take four and you will have three spare to give away to friends.
Last edited: 20 April 2017 09:53:45
Or in my case - take four and they will die! Lol.
(Just kidding, my strike rate is improving!)
I moved a daphne and it thrived. I've got hostas thriving in full sun and none of my thriving agapanthus are potbound.
Mercifully , plants can't read.
Show me a gardener I will show you a rule breaker, we all do it, plants are tougher than we think. I have often found seeds in drawers long out of date, make that years, scattered them on compost and waited, the strike rate is almost as good as new seeds. What does it matter if not all come enjoy those that do says he who planted my South lawn two weeks before Christmas some years back and now have a lovely green lawn for the Grandchildren to picnic on. Give it a try what is to lose and if you take cuttings first the plant still has a future if things go wrong. I think they call it adventurous living.
Frank
I can't resist a cutting whenever opportunity presents, which is why I now have 2 trays of tiny box plants to find a use for
My plants can't read either. 2 troughs of last year's tulips spent the winter almost underwater, due to a gutter collapse. I expected them to be mush, but no, they are thriving and just coming into flower
I've just been planting loads of old seeds myself, cos nothing can come up if it doesn't get planted, can it ? If they all do though that's a different problem!
I don't know the rules
In the sticks near Peterborough
Nature rules
Who needs rules? I have 'shade' plants in sun and vice versa. I've moved stuff in autumn when it should have been spring and I've somehow or other managed to keep plants going. I had a houseplant many years ago which my sister-in-law said was in entirely the wrong place as it "hated draughts"...it was absolutely beautiful. They needed a temporary home in between properties and, as we were going on holiday, they stayed in our house. Need I say what happened? Yup, you're all correct...she moved it - and it died! 'Nuff said.
Sorry to hear that about your plant Lydia Ann. I hope being proved right was some consolation for you
Transplanting seedlings when they are only supposed to be sown in situ e.g. poppies. Never any problems, although I'm always extra gentle and take care to remove them with as much compost round as possible.
Growing "weeds".
When it comes to propagation, I have found that intuition usually pays off better than the guidelines.
Aren't we lucky that plants don't have a legal system!