It’s grow time
FINALLY THE TIME HAS COME TO PLANT SUMMER BEDDING – SO HEAD TO YOUR LOCAL GARDEN CENTRE AND GET SHOPPING
ALL right then, go ahead and plant. Summer bedding will have been tantalising you, I’ll bet, having sat there temptingly in nurseries and garden centres across the land.
And when the likes of me just keep saying: “Wait until the end of May until the danger of frost is past before you plant”, you will have felt understandably frustrated looking at all those floral riches.
Well, certainly in the southern half of the country, you would be safe to plant now, although in the north and Scotland you might be wise to wait another week. Choose your plants carefully. Trays and pots containing plants with a few open flowers and the majority of them in bud are the best bet – that way you make sure they will open at home rather than in the garden centre. Look for trays where all the plants are healthy, where no odd ones have died off or are wilting.
Check that the compost is moist. If it has shrunk from the edge of the container, the plants will have suffered and the compost may be difficult to re-wet. And avoid plants with any signs of pest or disease.
Once you’ve got the plants home, get them into the ground or their new containers as soon as you can. If you have to wait a day or two, make sure you place them in good light
Deadhead your plants regularly to keep them looking fresh
so they do not become drawn and spindly in the shade. That said, busy lizzies do prefer a spot in dappled shade.
Water the plants in their pots and trays an hour or so before you plant them to make sure that the compost is properly moist. Then tap the plants from their trays in one great lump and tear them apart, so that each has a chunk of root.
Plant them 6in to 9in apart to allow for a little growth, then water them in again and keep an eye on them so they don’t go short of water in the early stages of establishment. Throughout summer, regular deadheading will keep them looking fresh and neat, and you will quickly realise what brilliant value for money bedding plants are.
Have a happy, flower-filled summer.