Lavendar Plug Plants

Hello everyone

Hope you are enjoying the weather. My plants and weeds are loving it.

My bluebells have opened at last and boy they are beautiful. I love them

I bought 3 lavendar plug plants. I don't know if I made a mistake but I put the straight into my patch. Should I have put them first into a pot to grow a bit before planting them on? They seem to have disappeared in the ground so I dont know if I have killed them.

I also put some aqualegia into the ground and they seem to be growing but they are very small and spindley and seem to be laying on the ground. I am wondering if I should put some sort of small stick or a part of a tree branch and tie them up?

thanks for any advice

 

If plug plants are small - if the plug of compost is less than 2" diameter - then they will struggle if you plant them straight outside. The plug is not large enough to retain much moisture, and the plant is not sufficiently developed to grow into the surrounding soil so it can get moisture before it dries out. You might get away with watering them carefully to make sure the plug retains moisture, but they are still at prey to the drying effects of breezes, and as they are so small any damage from slugs and snails will probably be terminal.

Plugs are cheap to buy, but they need growing on in 3" / 9cm pots, or decent sized module trays, until they are large enough to plant out.

They have also probably come to you direct from a greenhouse, so they also need to be hardened off before putting outside - put them out during the day, somewhere sheltered, and bring them in at night (the garage will do, somewhere where the temperature will not fall below 10C minimum) for a week.

 

Would it be ok to take them out of the patch and replant them into pots or is it too late?

If its ok should I do the same with the acqulegia also?

I do hope I haven't killed them

 

If you've got some pots and multi-purpose-compost to hand I think that would be best, as I reckon they will struggle where they are I'm afraid.

They've got 2 chances, as the saying goes :(

 

Kirsten, thank you so much for your help. I am so lost but am trying my best. I have now taken the lavender out and put them in pots then if they survive and grow a bit i will plant them out in my patch.

I also found some sweet peas I had planted last year coming up. They didnt get far last year as I have a hedge at the back of my patch. I planted the sweet peas at the bottom of the hedge thinking they would grow through it but of course I have since learned that sweet peas love sunlight. I have taken them out and put them in pots. I am wondering if they would be happy climbing up a tree?

So much to learn but I learn a little bit more each day.