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Gardening

To plant or not to play?

(5 Posts)
Azalea99 Wed 01-Mar-23 09:46:19

I recently bought several winter flowering heathers in order to create a swathe of colour in part of the garden.
16 heathers in pots are now sheltering in my (unheated) greenhouse, but I’m unsure whether it’s wise to put them into the ground right now. Luckily they do have labels showing colour and size, so I can wait if it’s best for them. What would you do? Btw, I live in the Heathrow/Watford vicinity.
Thanks in advance

Azalea99 Wed 01-Mar-23 09:59:36

Bother! I checked everything except the title! Should be “To plant or not to plant?”

J52 Wed 01-Mar-23 10:04:57

Heathers are very resilient, they like to grow in ericaceous soil. Sorry if I’m telling you something you already know.
When I did a similar thing, on a mostly clay soil, I dug a trench and filled it with ericaceous compost, I suppose big holes would work as well. Then planted the heathers in that. I also added some large rocks as heathers grown on barren hillsides. In no time they tumbled over the rocks.

J52 Wed 01-Mar-23 10:06:20

I meant to add, I’d put them in now. If you’re worried about frost or a long period of rain, I’d peg some fleece over them.

Azalea99 Wed 01-Mar-23 14:36:25

Fleece! Why didn’t I think of that? Thanks so much J52 👌👌