PLUG INTO FLORAL GLORY
Plan ahead and get off to a f lying start with your summer planting
NOW is the time to start thinking about your summer planting. Whether you devise complex bedding schemes or just grow a few patio pots, results are always better when you plan ahead.
Nurseries are raising millions of tender summer plants. Many will go to retail outlets for the spring rush. But mini- plug plants are also supplied directly to gardeners now. Mini-plugs are tiny life- support capsules for seedlings or baby cuttings.
March is too early for planting such delicate creatures outside. So mini-plug plants must be nurtured in good light and kept frost-free until May. That’s quite a commitment.
Larger plugs, holding gardenready plants, are delivered later. They’re more costly but can be planted outside on arrival. If you’ve yet to try plug plants, the idea may be daunting. But they’re easy to rear, and if wellmanaged, give excellent results.
KEEP PLANTS SNUG
IT’S IMpOrTaNT to plan your planting schemes. Try to choose plants which you know will thrive in your garden’s conditions.
petunias and tagetes love hot, dry climates whereas bedding salvias flourish in cloudy conditions. Double pelargonium flowers rot in the wet. Single ones shed petals easily whatever the weather. Mini-versions for March delivery will come in specially designed packing and need protection. Garden-ready plugs usually arrive in May and are safe to plant outside.
Mini-plugs are always cheaper than garden- ready plants. They’re great for such tender plants as petunias, busy lizzies and begonias.
But because they’ll need full protection until May, a frost-free greenhouse, conservatory or well- lit windowsill will be essential for growing them on. as soon as they arrive, unpack them. The tiny plants can be potted up or transferred to larger cell trays. You can then grow them as you would any tender pot plants.
Developing plants need feeding. I prefer slow-release products such as Osmocote or MiracleGro. You can mix the granules into your potting compost at the recommended levels. No further nourishment will be needed until the summer.
Keep your plants watered over the coming weeks and watch for signs of stress. If you have them in a greenhouse with minimal heating, have fleece ready to lay over them at night, if late frosts are expected.
The early mini-plug season is up and running. Sales are rapid, but big suppliers should still have plenty of choices. There are often tempting late-season price reductions, too, so keep a lookout for those.
SOWING FROM SEED
MINI- pLuGS are brilliant because the nursery does the tricky part — propagation — in almost clinical conditions. But if you prefer to raise plants from seed, it’s time to sow.
You’ll need clean pots, fresh potting compost and bottom heat from a propagator or soilwarming cable. Small propagators are cheap and efficient.
plants must grow large before they can be safely moved outside. an unheated cold-frame gives adequate protection from any late frosts.
Speedy annuals such as tagetes, cosmos and nasturtiums will pop up a few days after sowing. You can prick those out into cell trays or little pots when large enough to handle. By May, they’ll be ready to harden off before planting outside.
It doesn’t matter whether you raise your display from miniplugs, garden-ready plants or packets of seed. If planted outside in May, the best will provide your garden with colour, fragrance and joy from early summer to the end of October.