Hi all

In an effort to get something growing early in my otherwise rather plantless
(new) garden I ordered some perennials ten days ago expecting delivery in
March. Typically they arrived today - there's about two inches of snow down
as I write and the ground is most definitely not suitable for planting!

Some of the plants have well-formed rootballs and are in hinged plastic
trays that split in two to get the plants out. Some, which are really just
a clump of roots with a few shoots are in a clear plastic bag with damp soil
(hemerocallis) and some are wrapped in plastic with a tiny bit of soil
(hostas).

I've put them all outside - the instructions that came with them said don't
put them in a dry or heated area as they will dry out too much. I've
unwrapped the plastic wrapped ones and put them in an unheated shed to keep
the snow off the roots.

The snow and freezing temps are forecast to continue into the weekend and
obviously I can't plant while the soil is frozen anyway. Any suggestions
would be welcome - should I plant the hemerocallis and hostas in a couple of
big pots just to get their roots into something??

Heather
in Wiltshire - a wonderland of white for the moment.


--


Spamtrap in operation. To reply to me direct Remove the obvious bit. To
save yourself the trouble, reply to the Group.

Heather26/2/04 5:37
n.co.uk

Hi all

In an effort to get something growing early in my otherwise rather plantless
(new) garden I ordered some perennials ten days ago expecting delivery in
March. Typically they arrived today - there's about two inches of snow down
as I write and the ground is most definitely not suitable for planting!

Some of the plants have well-formed rootballs and are in hinged plastic
trays that split in two to get the plants out. Some, which are really just
a clump of roots with a few shoots are in a clear plastic bag with damp soil
(hemerocallis) and some are wrapped in plastic with a tiny bit of soil
(hostas).

I've put them all outside - the instructions that came with them said don't
put them in a dry or heated area as they will dry out too much. I've
unwrapped the plastic wrapped ones and put them in an unheated shed to keep
the snow off the roots.

The snow and freezing temps are forecast to continue into the weekend and
obviously I can't plant while the soil is frozen anyway. Any suggestions
would be welcome - should I plant the hemerocallis and hostas in a couple of
big pots just to get their roots into something??


Potting them up will be good but don't be tempted to go for very big pots.
For the little plugs, see if you can find trays of 24 2" 'square 'pots' at
your local Nursery and pop them into those for a few weeks. Then pot them on
again into 10 cm pots, if needs be. You can't put things that small into
the garden for a while anyway. The trouble with a few sunny days in winter
is that everyone thinks spring is really here and doesn't realise they have
to look after those baby plants until danger of frost is past in their
particular area.
Your Hostas and Hemerocallis could be potted up in 1 litre pots but above
all keep all these things *just* moist, not really wet.
When people buy very small bedding plants from us we do advise them to wait
until all danger of frost is past before they plant out and if they've
nowhere to keep them, we advise them to wait to buy them, too.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In article , Heather groups@REM
OVETHISBITheatherspad.demon.co.uk writes
The snow and freezing temps are forecast to continue into the weekend and
obviously I can't plant while the soil is frozen anyway. Any suggestions
would be welcome - should I plant the hemerocallis and hostas in a couple of
big pots just to get their roots into something??

Yes

Doesn't need to be a very big pot - you don't need room for them to
grow. Just enough soil to keep their roots moist.

I would keep them outside - they'll appreciate the light. But you might
want to tuck them into the shed or somewhere sheltered if the
temperature is going to be below zero for more than 24 hours - it's not
the cold that will kill them so much as the lack of available water when
everything's frozen, and the pots will freeze more readily than the
ground. My daffodils in tubs were very unhappy this morning, all keeled
over and floppy, but by this afternoon with the sun on the tubs and
warming them, the daffodils had stiffened up again nicely.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

nambucca26/2/04 8:33

snip
Much much better to plant them up in pots with decent potting compost and
keep in a light window or sheltered area to grow on a bit or the frost etc
will kill them off


If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

nambucca26/2/04 8:33

snip
Much much better to plant them up in pots with decent potting compost and
keep in a light window or sheltered area to grow on a bit or the frost etc
will kill them off


If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

nambucca26/2/04 8:33

snip
Much much better to plant them up in pots with decent potting compost and
keep in a light window or sheltered area to grow on a bit or the frost etc
will kill them off


If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

nambucca26/2/04 8:33

snip
Much much better to plant them up in pots with decent potting compost and
keep in a light window or sheltered area to grow on a bit or the frost etc
will kill them off


If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Sacha wrote in message .uk...
If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.

Yep - that's why I put them back outside again - and they promptly
disappeared overnight under a covering of snow! So I've rescued the
ones that don't have their roots in soil and put them in my unheated
shed for the moment until I can pot them into something - hopefully at
the weekend. I will pop the small perennials into a couple of module
trays I have spare and leave it a bit before putting them in the
garden - round the side of the house (where the clematis is STILL
flowering) is probably sheltered enough for the moment.

Thanks all for the comments.

Heather
Wiltshire - slightly less a wonderland of white this afternoon.
(and posting this via google from work)

Sacha wrote in message .uk...
If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.

Yep - that's why I put them back outside again - and they promptly
disappeared overnight under a covering of snow! So I've rescued the
ones that don't have their roots in soil and put them in my unheated
shed for the moment until I can pot them into something - hopefully at
the weekend. I will pop the small perennials into a couple of module
trays I have spare and leave it a bit before putting them in the
garden - round the side of the house (where the clematis is STILL
flowering) is probably sheltered enough for the moment.

Thanks all for the comments.

Heather
Wiltshire - slightly less a wonderland of white this afternoon.
(and posting this via google from work)

Sacha wrote in message .uk...
If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.

Yep - that's why I put them back outside again - and they promptly
disappeared overnight under a covering of snow! So I've rescued the
ones that don't have their roots in soil and put them in my unheated
shed for the moment until I can pot them into something - hopefully at
the weekend. I will pop the small perennials into a couple of module
trays I have spare and leave it a bit before putting them in the
garden - round the side of the house (where the clematis is STILL
flowering) is probably sheltered enough for the moment.

Thanks all for the comments.

Heather
Wiltshire - slightly less a wonderland of white this afternoon.
(and posting this via google from work)

Sacha wrote in message .uk...
If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.

Yep - that's why I put them back outside again - and they promptly
disappeared overnight under a covering of snow! So I've rescued the
ones that don't have their roots in soil and put them in my unheated
shed for the moment until I can pot them into something - hopefully at
the weekend. I will pop the small perennials into a couple of module
trays I have spare and leave it a bit before putting them in the
garden - round the side of the house (where the clematis is STILL
flowering) is probably sheltered enough for the moment.

Thanks all for the comments.

Heather
Wiltshire - slightly less a wonderland of white this afternoon.
(and posting this via google from work)

Sacha wrote in message .uk...
If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.

Yep - that's why I put them back outside again - and they promptly
disappeared overnight under a covering of snow! So I've rescued the
ones that don't have their roots in soil and put them in my unheated
shed for the moment until I can pot them into something - hopefully at
the weekend. I will pop the small perennials into a couple of module
trays I have spare and leave it a bit before putting them in the
garden - round the side of the house (where the clematis is STILL
flowering) is probably sheltered enough for the moment.

Thanks all for the comments.

Heather
Wiltshire - slightly less a wonderland of white this afternoon.
(and posting this via google from work)

Sacha wrote in message .uk...
If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.

Yep - that's why I put them back outside again - and they promptly
disappeared overnight under a covering of snow! So I've rescued the
ones that don't have their roots in soil and put them in my unheated
shed for the moment until I can pot them into something - hopefully at
the weekend. I will pop the small perennials into a couple of module
trays I have spare and leave it a bit before putting them in the
garden - round the side of the house (where the clematis is STILL
flowering) is probably sheltered enough for the moment.

Thanks all for the comments.

Heather
Wiltshire - slightly less a wonderland of white this afternoon.
(and posting this via google from work)

Sacha wrote in message .uk...
If they've been raised in a frost free tunnel, they shouldn't be given more
than that now. Bringing them into the house won't do them any favours, IMO.
That will only 'soften them up'.

Yep - that's why I put them back outside again - and they promptly
disappeared overnight under a covering of snow! So I've rescued the
ones that don't have their roots in soil and put them in my unheated
shed for the moment until I can pot them into something - hopefully at
the weekend. I will pop the small perennials into a couple of module
trays I have spare and leave it a bit before putting them in the
garden - round the side of the house (where the clematis is STILL
flowering) is probably sheltered enough for the moment.

Thanks all for the comments.

Heather
Wiltshire - slightly less a wonderland of white this afternoon.
(and posting this via google from work)

The message
from "Heather" contains
these words:

Hi all

I've put them all outside - the instructions that came with them said don't
put them in a dry or heated area as they will dry out too much. I've
unwrapped the plastic wrapped ones and put them in an unheated shed to keep
the snow off the roots.

I hope this doesn't mean you've left the roots open to the air. It's
important to keep the roots from drying out.

Janet G