( Too ) Early del. of plug plants.

cootambear

hmm
stick the !!!!!!s out and let em fend for themselves. thats my motto.

wallbash

All advice gratefully received, but will have to verify your qualifications.

ERICS_MUM

Unless you are prepared to pot them up now and keep them somewhere warm and light (perhaps an inside window sill or heated greenhouse) I think you are right to query with them and ask for the end of April delivery date.

Keeping small plants happy until mid/end May when you can safely plant them outside is not that simple. If they are indoors and don't have enough light they can grow tall and straggly, watering will be difficult to judge and they could get infested with red spider mite unless you keep the air humid but not enough to rot the plants.

peter_the_piper

http://www.garden-centre.org/plants/Begonia.htm

This might be of interest. (they use Deg F)

wallbash

The plants arrived this morning . ( Yes its still March) They were very small, half the size I expected .
Got on to phone , nice lady . Her explanation , Easter / Royal Wedding !!! did not want the plants to be delayed. Size is small because of poor light levels.
Explained about cold green house

Up shot , have agreed to give the plants a go . Phone call comments have been recorded.

Now will give a follow up email , regarding what was discussed.

Hope I have done the right thing.

mismax

We ordered small plugs last year and they arrived late April (from Blooming Direct). Ordered this year from T and M and some of them arrived 3 weeks ago!

Have to admit to being a bit worried about them. We have a polytunnel so we have them in there under fleece and so far they have been ok.

Assuming they don't get any frost damage, I'm sure we will get more value out of them by having an earlier display. I suppose it is a constant juggling act for the company to produce them in the right quantity at the right time.

They are tiny when they arrive but pot them straight on and they will quickly pick up. Don't leave them in the tiny tray they arrive in or they will start to wilt and go over through lack of water. The only hope of keeping them more than a few days in those trays is if you have them on a constant gentle water supply like a cappiliary matting. They are only designed for transporting them.

sallysaver

wallbash wrote: »

The plants arrived this morning . ( Yes its still March) They were very small, half the size I expected .
Got on to phone , nice lady . Her explanation , Easter / Royal Wedding !!! did not want the plants to be delayed. Size is small because of poor light levels.
Explained about cold green house

Up shot , have agreed to give the plants a go . Phone call comments have been recorded.

Now will give a follow up email , regarding what was discussed.

Hope I have done the right thing.

Hi,
Last year my Begonias came from Gardening Direct and I too was disappointed in the actual size - nowhere near the advertised 6cm!! A good few in the middle of the container were dead, the outer ones seemed to fair much better and I like to think my green fingers saved the weak ones.
After asking on this forum for reccommendations, I have now ordered from Jersey Plants and their delivery date is scheduled for end of April beginning of May. I live on the North East Coast and only this week we have had quite a severe frost on 2 mornings so there is no way I could contemplate taking delivery should they change the delivery date on my order. I'll keep my fingers crossed that yours survive. Sally

wallbash

Well after posting at 11.40 rushed outside and potted them , they do look healthy.But then looked at the wrappings, the outer was a clear plastic bag , labelled by the Royal Mail , .... Sorry your Parcel got damaged , if you think something is damaged? missing please call etc.
I thought the outer wrapping was standard !

So these plants are fated . But will repeat the actual plants look very good.

peter_the_piper

Don't know where in UK you are but down here the forecast is for reasonable nights so it looks like they (and you) have been lucky. Hope all goes well.

Sally_A

Wallbash is in Hertfordshire, I reckon s/he'll be lucky, and have an extra month to pot them on and get them raring to go as bigger plants come May.

Something tells me we'll have impressive photos soon.:cool: