Growing On Small Plants to Maturity

Planting Out Immature plants that can be grown on to flowering and cropping are the mainstay of most garden centres. In this case the nurseryman has done the difficult job of germinating the seeds and rooting the cuttings, providing you with the young plantlets for you to re-pot and nurture.

Plug Plants

These tiny seedlings need potting on immediately after they are purchased. Fill a tray with a suitable compost and transplant the plugs 24 to a tray. Keep warm and well watered. After a few weeks transplant into larger quarters using a regular potting compost such as Miracle-Gro All Purpose Growing Compost or Levington John Innes No.3 Compost.

Bedding Plants

Keep well watered and gradually harden off so the plants are ready for planting out in the garden at the end of May.

Improve the soil with plenty of organic compost and enrich with a controlled release plant food. Dig a hole to fit the roots and fill in with good soil.

Water the plants in with a solution of Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food applied over the leaves and around the roots. This will encourage quick new growth and help the small plants to recover from transplanting shock.

Container grown plants

Young fruit trees and potted perennials appreciate a good deep soil enriched with organic matter and plant foods. Follow the instructions in the ’Planting beds and borders’ section for complete success.