![]() There are of course some exceptions, and some species will germinate under warm conditions regardless of having first been exposed to a cold period. The winter’s freeze/thaw cycles can push plugs out if the roots did not have enough time to establish and anchor them in.įor most forbs - also referenced as flowering perennials - the best time to sow is during fall and winter to expose seeds to the natural cycles of alternating cold, moist and warmer weather that they have evolved to require in order to germinate. As a side note: if you are installing plugs in the fall, you might want to plant them so that the crown is about ¾” lower than the surrounding soil. For large projects, you may want to mulch the area before planting, rather than tiptoeing through it after the fact. Be sure to keep it away from the crown of the plants. Mulching is recommended after installation to help keep weeds down while the plants establish. Depending on the size of the project and the type of soil, the process can be beyond what an average drill will bear. ![]() If you use an auger, you will need a powerful drill. We recommend using a soil knife, sometimes referred to as hori hori, or a drill-adapted auger if it’s a large installation. Installing plugs cannot be easier: dig a hole large enough for the roots to fit snugly inside, then water them in to eliminate air gaps. Any disturbance and amendments will only encourage weeds to emerge that never had a chance to do so before. If you chose the right plant for the right conditions they will thrive. However, as a rule, we recommend disturbing the soil as little as possible, and we do not recommend amending the soil. We are not going to address area preparation because the process can be complex and is always site-specific. They establish faster than plants in larger containers, because they don’t have the luxury of a lot of growing media that can inhibit the roots from venturing outside of their comfort zone. As soon as planted the roots will immediately expand into your native soil. Plugs are at an aggressive stage of growth. The plants are healthy but they have used up all the growing medium available to them. Other times, the plants will appear to be root bound. In some cases you will have to go about it gently, wiggling the plant by the crown, and possibly squeezing the bottom of the liner to compress the growing medium and release the roots. We consider plugs ready to ship when the plants’ roots have filled the entire liner cell and the plants can easily be pulled out. If it is best adapted to dry soil, do not over-water. The key is to respect their growing requirements: if the species requires full sun, do not store them in the shade. Over a couple of days, you should gradually move them into their preferred light exposure, and water them as per their requirement.Īlthough we always recommend putting your plants in the ground as soon as possible, they can stay healthy in the flats for a considerable amount of time. They’ll fill back in in no time.Īfter receiving your plants’ journey in a dark box, it will be important to acclimate them to sunlight again. Don’t worry, though, these guys know what they’re doing and would not compromise the health of the plants. In some cases, your plants might have been cut back before packing, if the grower deemed them to have become too tall for safe packaging. You may also gently “fluff” them a bit to speed up the process. ![]() They will straighten out within a couple of days. When you unpack your plugs, the plants will have been somewhat flattened by the netting or craft paper. The flats are wrapped in netting or craft paper to secure the plants, and spacers are used between flats to keep the plants from being crushed. Multiple flats can be shipped in a single box. Plugs are shipped in full flats, sometimes also referred to as trays. The goal is to have all plants delivered by the end of the week. The farther your plants need to travel, the earlier in the week they will ship. Our growers ship orders Monday through Wednesday. Your plants will ship using each grower’s preferred method: FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or Spee-Dee Ground (in select midwestern states). ![]()
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