"Rhiannon Sands" wrote in
:

Thanks for the advice, I'll give them a try now. Does anyone else
find that there is a lot of contradictory information about plant
hardiness around?


I do find there can be a world of difference between an established plant
that has been growing outside for some time, or which germinated from seed
in its final location, and a plant of the same variety that has been grown
on quickly from seed or cutting with heat and not been really properly
hardened off.

(Even if the plants are sitting outside at a garden centre, you often can't
be sure that they haven't just been stuck outside for the first time that
morning. I have definitely bought some in the past that weren't, even
though they told me they would be fine. :-( )

Even if a plant doesn't actually keel over with cold, if it's feeling a bit
sensitive it seems to be a lot more vulnerable to predation. The pumpkins
I planted out a bit too early last year didn't die, but they got slugged
and really didn't do well. I quickly planted some more seeds and planted
out more seedlings a few weeks later, and those were totally untouched by
the slugs and grew like mad.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--