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Is It Really Better For A Garden Enthusiast To Buy Plug Plants Over The Internet Or To Purchase Seeds?


 

Purchasing plants over the internet has never been more straightforward now that plug plants are so readily accessible. But what exactly should you be taking into consideration whilst purchasing plants on line and will the plants once received need any extra care.

Plants by post is not new. There have been plants available in magazines for many years. Mail order plants were shipped at the beginning of the season as immature plants with their roots enclosed in damp newsprint and properly protected in cardboard boxes. Soaked in a bucketful of water for a few hours and planted out into a garden bed they quickly established.

What has improved is the technology for secure packing materials and a Personal computer or Laptop in most homes. Buying plants on line includes a very good selection of perennial plants as well as the younger and more affordable forms perhaps best described as plug plants. Even trees and shrubs can be ordered using the web for home delivery. Not so long ago roses were purchased bare rooted which meant planting towards the end of winter or perhaps early spring. Today you can still order bare rooted roses that are more affordable to acquire however most shopping at a garden centre or perhaps nursery will likely buy a rose already established in a container.

However what can you do if you do not desire to purchase established plants and do not have the proper facilities to grow your own annuals and perennials from seeds? When growing hardy annuals you could of course wait until your soil has warmed and direct sow. That is all right whenever you have the garden soil free however those with small gardens do not always have that luxury.

This can be one instance when plug plants come to the rescue. Modern-day technology and recent packaging materials enable growers to offer plants which can be posted securely and at an inexpensive price.

When you have bought the plug plants over the internet what should you do once the plants are delivered?

Remove the trays of plug plants from the cardboard packaging. If you have ordered established plug plants they are often in plastic root trainers and not trays. The procedure is the same; make sure that the compost has not dried up. Having the young plants in dry compost for too much time will at the least cause them to struggle to become decent healthy plants but there is a chance they may not survive. They really are your babes and are completely dependent on you and the care you provide. Stand the tray in a shallow tray of water or alternatively gently mist them. When the compost is soaked leave it to drain out and keep the plug plants in a well illuminated and draft free location.

As soon as you can pot on the plugs, equally spacing them in seed trays filled up with good quality compost as you would when sowing from seed and pricking out, or maybe directly into individual pots of suitable potting compost. Water in, drain and do not water once more til the compost is nearly dry. Young plants like plugs detest having their feet sitting in water, the roots will probably rot and perish. A word of caution, do not pot on the plug plants in the event their compost is very dry. For the best possibility of success water the plugs one to two hours before potting up.

Position the potted on plants somewhere where they will not be in a cold draft. A greenhouse is ideal, a cold frame great and a windowsill fine however if you have a spacious sill where it is feasible to close the curtains do not ever leave the plants between the shut curtain and the glass. They will be in a situation during the night, that should it go very cold, they would be severely cooled by cold trapped air.

After 3 to four weeks your plants really should be big enough to plant outdoors but do not do so before all danger of frost has gone. And prior to planting out harden off the plants. Accomplish this by leaving the glasshouse entrance door open during the day, cold frame lid open during the day, or possibly putting them outside in the day and bringing them back in at the end of the day. You will soon see a change in the plants that will have a stouter appearance as opposed to looking very soft stemmed.

So is it more beneficial to buy seeds and sow them yourself or to invest in plug plants? Both techniques are satisfactory and both of these require the gardener to furnish sufficient care and attention to produce good quality plants for the garden or flowerbed. In point of fact, irrespective of whether a gardener has the amenities to germinate seed and a greenhouse to grow the plants on, it can be advantageous for the gardener to grow some plant varieties from seed and purchase plug plants supplied ready to grow on for a brilliant summertime bedding show.

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