TOBY BUCKLAND
Toby ponders the challenges of reviving plants sent by post
WHEN I was younger, I used to like the sound of the postie whistling his way up the path, but now I just assume he’s delivering bills. This year, though, I’ve rekindled the bundled-up joy of waiting for the post by buying mail-order plants for our garden.
Ordering plants by post is a first-class way of supporting far-flung nurseries, and sourcing varieties that you can’t get your gardening mitts on locally.
Mail-order veg plugs also get my stamp of approval – especially those that are a hassle to sow at home – such as heat-loving aubergines and chillies. Although the price per plug is more expensive than for individual seeds, it compares favourably to the cost of the seed packets – and as I’m one for variety over quantity, that suits me just fine.
The big disadvantage of buying in this way is the condition that orders can arrive in. Unlike the chauffeur-driven treatment given to subjects conveyed from the garden centre on the back seat, there’s nothing special about the actual delivery itself; boxed and mailed plants tend to travel in steerage, and generally arrive jet-lagged and jaded.
Just as tender flowers require hardening off in spring, posted plants also need to acclimatise and find their feet before planting. The longer they’re kept in the box, the more their shoots will twist in search of sunshine that isn’t there. So remove from the packaging as soon as you can, water and redirect to a sheltered spot until all their foliage faces the same way – this takes a few days.
With the drive to reduce plastic, pots are often removed and recycled before dispatch, so the rootballs need to sit in trays of water to thoroughly hydrate. If you’re not planning to plant for a few weeks then either re-pot or wrap the rootballs in shopping/freezer bags, pinned in place with elastic bands to prevent the outer roots dehydrating.
Most importantly, never open plant packages on the kitchen table. As well as the risk of compost in your cornflakes, the paper and barley-straw packaging gets everywhere. This tricky extraction job is best tackled by a compost heap, where any spillages won’t matter – and the boxes can go when they’re empty.
“Never open plant packages on the kitchen table”