Too Late to Plant Shrubs

Is it too late to plant some small shrubs, seems mild but could get a frost within a couple of weeks, what does everyone think?

 

Best time to plant soil still warm and wet (most shrubs).

What shrubs are you thinking of planting as this will get a mixed reaction on here depends where you live and how tender the shrub is .

Spruce

 

Good thread Jay!!

I was going to ask if I could still plant out bareroot shrubs and perennials or should I now pot them up and over winter them in a cold frame.


Lavender
Heuchera ((deep plum colour, one litre pots, 3 for £5!)
Raspberry canes
Blueberry x 2
Blackberry (thornless)

Also is the advice different for rooted cuttings which were taken in Spring this year?

And is it too late to move peonies and other perennials?

 

Hi Melinda
Lavender & heuchera I would plant in the spring if what is true about another bad winter , they wont be doing anymore growing anyway

Bareroot shrubs you have now until Feb/March to plant them out as long as the ground is not frozen with perenials with me depending on variety I would probaly plant in pots and keep in the greenhouse or next to the kitchenwall until spring , with peony I would split in Feb March as you will be able to see the red shoots emerging and you can divide then so you know you have a viable piece on each plant

Your fruit plant out now into final postions

Hope that helps

Spruce

 

Cheers Spruce!

Much appreciated.

Ive been out and planted the fruit bushes and my garlic!

Ive got a few other Qns, but but I'll stop hijacking the thread and start one of my own!

 

I'm risking it and planting out -- I don't know why but it feels like I get a head start that way. Praying for no sudden frost now!

(but put on a nice warm bark bed!)

 

Hi Soot it does give you a head start as you would be suprised how quickly they root , I had a cherry tree in a bucket of compost until the snow melted and it had already started to produce new roots and that was kept in a nearly frost free garage in January

Spruce

 

I'd be quite confident planting shrubs and most perennials still, it may be mid-November but it's mild, the ground is moist and should be warm enough for plants to establish.

The only thing I would be careful of is if you have any really soggy areas I would perhaps wait until it dries out a bit or wait until the spring, a lot of plants won't like sitting in cold soggy ground.

The area I want to plant my Clematis to grow over my arch is currently very soggy after a lot of rain over the last 2 weeks, so I'm holding off, I've a feeling it may be spring before they get palnted now.

Lavendar should be ok if you put plenty of grit in and it's a well drained site, otherwise wait til the spring as Spruce says.

But on the whole they'll be fine go for it :thumb:

 

Bare root plants need to go in between now and February as long as the ground isn`t frozen or waterlogged. Potted plants can go in at any time of year, again, as long as the ground isn`t frozen or waterlogged.

 

I'd have no qualms at all about planting shrubs out now, bare root or pot grown.

The only two things that might stop me would be:

1. If the pot grown shrub was raised in a greenhouse/polytunnel/somewhere else warm, and had never experienced the cold. In which case I'd be worried about its first experience of cold being a sudden blast of arctic air that drops us from +10 to -5C overnight.

2. If the site I was planting at was especially exposed, and the plants in question are not known to be as tough as old boots.