Digging in compost and leaving overnight?

Hi. I want to dig in come compost to someone's rather tough and weedy garden, which has not been tended to for a long time. Once I have loosened up the soil, removed the weeds and dug in the compost, should I leave it for a few hours or overnight to become established, or start planting the new flowers straight away?

 

Shouldn't make any difference Simon, as long as you've raked it fine lob em straight in. The roots & worms will do the rest.

Have you hardened the flowers off already?

 

Unfortunately I haven't actually bought them yet! I'll probably do so on Sat afternoon - and I assume you'd advise hardening them off throughout Sat and Sun daytimes before planting Monday morning?

 

If they've been kept outside where you're getting them from they can go straight out, but if they've come from a greenhouse then you'll need to leave them out during the day for 10-14 days. Normally not so much of a problem at this time of year, but with these freezing winds things'll get shocked.

 

Thanks. I think I'll stick to garden centers where I know they will have been properly cared for and prepared. Supermarkets are taking over anyway.

 

At least the garden centres will tell you if you ask, doubt if anyone in the supermarket will know, although the lady behind the cigarette counter in Tescos knew how someone had killed the roses he was trying to return

 

Simon z, if your plants are small I would not plant out just yet. Better to pot on and plant out later. Plants in pots grow very quickly just now so delayed plantIng will mean much bigger plants.
Concerning your turned ground, make sure it is firmed well before you plant anything

 

SimonZ make sure your turned ground is firmed well before plantIng anything and reasonably level. I do like to leave turned ground for a few days even after firming
If your plants are small it's best to pot them into bigger pots and grow on for a while before plantIng out. Plants in pots grow very quickly just now and you will get much bigger plants better able to thrive in the garden. And they will make a better immediate impact. And make sure any plants are fully hardened off before leaving outdoors.

 

Oops! Thought my first post failed.

 

Thanks.

 

My simple take on tihs would be: if the plant is outside at the garden centre, or supermarket, and is clearly not being brought in at night, then you can plant it straight out.

If the plant is indoors (whether "greenhouse" or just inside the "building") then it will need hardening off before planting out.

Anything small should be grown on first as Verdun said, but you can overcome that by buying larger plants if available - and if Wallet doesn't Wince

 

Don't have to buy larger plants....pot them up into larger pots, grow them on a bit then plant them into the garden when they themselves are bigger and both soil and conditions are more favourable.
I'm a great believer in buying certain small plants now but growing them on.....it's what I do with many perennials and annuals that are growing fast now. In mid spring I then have large plants available

 

Depends ... needs a greenhouse, or conservatory, or similar I reckon ... windowsill unlikely to be enough space.

If that covered growing space is available then I too would always buy-cheap and buy-small and grow on

(Recently I bought 170 x cell grown Berberis atropurpurea, probably about 4" tall and now potted in 9cm pots; will pot on during the Summer, by Autumn next year will be ready to plant out. Additional cost if I had bought plants in 2L pots now? £1,250 )