Bare-root Wallflowers

I popped into a local garden centre to buy some weed control fabric today, and ended up with an impulse buy of 20 wallflower plants at 20p each. You can't beat that price! They look to be good plants at least a foot high They were done up in bunches of 10 and bare-root, with full foliage and no protection of the roots.

Is this common practice? - I have not been aware of it before. Has anyone else come across this? And how can a plant, that is clearly not dormant, survive with bare roots - and for how long? There were many boxes of them, so I presume they will remain on sale for quite a few days.

 

I saw some down here at the weekend Peter, they were a little droopy but I would imagine that planted fairly quickly they would survive.

 

That is quite usual PeterS, they are on sale in loads of places around here bare rooted, I presume you just plant them straight away.

I like to grow mine from seed, so mine have been in the ground now from late spring I think, and are looking pretty healthy.

 

Thanks Celia and Stingo - I am sure that it must be normal from what you say. Wallflowers obviously have the ability to survive for a while in a bareroot state - though I don't understand why or how.

Like you Stingo, I am growing Wallflowers from seed (for the first time) in pots - but these looked bigger and better than mine!

 

Peter have you ever grown cabbage/ brussels etc.
It used to be common practice to sell the plants bare root, just dug up with a piece of wet newspaper around the roots in a bundle of fifty or so.
You then just used a dibber to plant them and one dose of water if they were lucky.
As a member of the same family I think the same planting methods apply.
I can even remember being advised to cut the tap root back to encourage a fibrous root system, as this made stronger plants.
They stem root, so plant deep.

 

I have never grown any veg pete. But interesting that they are the same family. I went back to the garden centre today (for something else), and had a good chat about it.

The owner didn't know that much but said that it was standard practice, and that they should last for ten days or so as long as the roots were dampened at intervals. He also mentioned cabbage and the Brassica family. He said that it was perhaps a left over from earlier times when we had frosts at this time of year and plants were well on their way to dormancy. He wasn't aware of any other plants treated this way, except roses. Once plants become dormant, of course, many plants are sold bareroot.

I've heeled my plants in and hope to plant them properly in the next two days.

 

The "greens" of old were sold bare root in spring and early summer.
Most of the plants in this family tend to grow with a twist in the stem at ground level. If they are left where sown they make plants that are easily blown over, by transplanting and burying that twist, you get a much more stable plant.
It was always (around here anyway) the norm to pull out cabbage plants rather than lift, in order to break the roots.

 

Pete that is most interesting about the twist. Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' is I understand a devil for getting blown over. Certainly my only one did. It sounds like the solution is to plant it much deeper.

 

Could be worth a try Peter.

 

Just heard Monty Don tonight on Gardener's World saying you will find bear-root wallflowers for sale in garden centres.

 

PeterS

Can't remember when I started mine off but think it was aprox March/April time, then when they got a bit leggy planted them into the garden, but of course I then have to wait untill the following year for them to flower. So I think they are bi-annuals.

Have you got yours in pots now?

 

Hi Stingo
I grew some from seed, starting rather later than you. They are all in pots, along with some other biennials - Salvia sclarea, Hesperis matronalis, Campanula medium, Lychnis coronaria, Foxgloves, Lupins etc. That way they don't take up space in the border. This was a first time experiment. Some of the plants look really healthy, but the wallflowers are weedy.

Thats why I was tempted to buy the bareroot plants - they looked so much better than mine. The new plants have been heeled in and will be planted properly in the next day or two. But with bought plants you have no control over the colours, of course - my seed was of a dark red.

 

I have always set bare root wallflowers for many years with much success,they take several days to pick up in fact they sometimes almost look dead,however they are very resilient and plenty of water usually sees them through,if they become to tall it is customary to nip the top out to bush them up.
However this year change of plan,due to the bare root plants being to awful,due to a dry spell so I am told,I have bought potted dwarf variety,I find that some of the taller variety's when in flower and it rains heavily flop to the ground.
These were 15p per plant,not bad considering they add character to the ground for six months.

 

We must be of the same mind PeterS, that's exactly the reason why I have grown from seed, mine are dark red also!! :D

 

I too have gone for the dwarf variety for the same reason. Mind I also have been successful in getting my little wild wall flower to grow from seed - and if it continues to set and indeed self seed, I may stop purchasing. Its flowering period is so long (there are still flowers on it now) and it whilst it only grows to about 6" its such a pretty golden yellow.