Plug crops save time, area and cash. They’re a cost-effective back-up plan for failed sowings and assure a outcome for issues that may be difficult to germinate at dwelling. In addition they symbolize wonderful worth when in comparison with bigger potted crops. If you wish to begin your flowers, herbs and vegetable crops from a combination of various sized plugs, listed here are our high ideas that can assist you obtain the easiest outcomes. 

Browse our assortment of bedding plug crops to get began.

What’s a plug plant?

A plug plant is a really younger plant, annual or perennial, grown in a single cell with a small wholesome root ball and younger high progress. It’s a fast, straightforward and cost-effective method to supply your favorite flowers and greens with out sowing your personal seed. For a deeper dive into why they is likely to be best for you, learn our ‘Why purchase plug crops?’ article. 

At Suttons, we provide our plug crops in 4 most important sizes. Our backyard prepared plug crops are the most important, and require the least quantity of care. The 4 sizes are:

• Plug crops. The most affordable and smallest plug measurement, (roughly 3 – 6cm) these plugs provide an effective way to bulk order perennial and annual flowers for the backyard. They’re often out there from early spring, providing you with loads of time to develop them on earlier than planting out.
• Postiplugs. One other mini-plug, however a little bit extra mature (approx. 5 – 9cm). They nonetheless match inside a particular postbox-friendly container and needs to be potted on till they’re sufficiently big to plant out. 
• Jumbo plugs. At approx. 5 – 11cm, these are an important possibility for planting straight into baskets and containers. Hold the shows beneath cowl and harden off your crops earlier than putting them open air of their remaining place. 
• Backyard prepared plugs. That is our largest measurement of plug plant at approx. 10 – 15cm. Able to plant into the backyard straight after supply, these backyard prepared plugs want the least quantity of care once they arrive. Pop them straight into borders, container shows and the veggie patch. 

No matter measurement you select, it’s necessary to hydrate your plug crops as quickly as they’re delivered. Use a mist spray or gently pour water over the foundation balls to ensure the compost is absolutely rehydrated. You’ll discover a useful comparability of all of the sizes we promote over at our plant sizes web page, together with some easy rising directions for every plug measurement on our weblog. 

What to do when your plug crops arrive

As quickly as your plug crops arrive, open the packaging and stand them up of their cells. They’ll have to breathe after their journey! Discover a heat and shiny spot, out of direct daylight, so that they don’t dry out or get scorched. Don’t fear if the stems are bent barely, says our resident knowledgeable Rob Smith. This simply exhibits the place the little plugs looked for mild of their container. As quickly as you stand them up, they’ll begin rising straight, he provides.

As quickly as they’re up, fastidiously rehydrate the roots of your plug crops. After 24-hours or so, they’re able to be potted on:

• Fill 9cm pots with peat-free compost and poke a beneficiant gap into the floor. 
• Raise the plugs into the outlet, holding them on the similar depth as they had been grown earlier than. It’s necessary to deal with them by a leaf or the foundation ball to keep away from injury to the stem. Gently press the foundation ball into the brand new pot and backfill.
• Water your newly planted pots and transfer them to a shiny spot like a greenhouse or windowsill to develop on.
• Label every pot as you go. It’s simpler than you assume to lose monitor!

For extra ideas, watch Rob’s quick video the place he demonstrates what he does along with his tomato plug crops once they’re delivered. 

Easy methods to develop on plug crops

When you’ve moved your plugs into 9cm pots, develop them on beneath cowl till they’re sufficiently big to plant out. Smaller plug crops recognize having time to develop actually robust roots earlier than they transfer into their remaining positions. Very small plugs will want a few months beneath cowl, whereas backyard prepared plug crops can usually go straight out, offered it’s heat sufficient. 

You could have to pot in your plugs twice for those who purchased them very early within the season, however bigger plugs could not want potting on once more. Verify beneath your pot to see if any of the roots are poking by way of. If there are, and there’s now not any likelihood of frost, it’s time to harden them off to plant out. If the temperature isn’t fairly heat sufficient the place you reside, transfer them right into a barely bigger container to develop additional.

Caring for plug crops

Your plug crops choose to have moist roots, however by no means enable their pots to take a seat in water or dry out. Place your pots in a drip tray to keep up a moist atmosphere across the roots and save extra water from working away and being wasted.

For those who discover a slight yellowing of the leaves, or if progress slows down, use a well-diluted, balanced liquid feed like Growmore to offer them a lift. The longer your plugs are in pots, the extra they’ll recognize a supplementary feed each couple of weeks.

As soon as the specter of frost has handed, it’s time to begin occupied with hardening-off your plug crops. Place your plugs outdoors throughout the daytime and produce them inside once more in a single day for 2 weeks to toughen them up. A coldframe is de facto helpful right here; merely place your younger crops inside so you possibly can open the highest within the day and shut it at evening.

Planting out flower plug crops

For those who’ve been nurturing flowers for the backyard, it’s thrilling once they’re prepared for his or her remaining positions. Could and June are good months to plant out your flowers. 

Annual plug crops like begonia, bacopa and petunia are perfect for hanging baskets the place their trailing stems, shiny colors and fairly blooms might be admired from under. There are a number of several types of basket to select from, so take a second to work out which hanging basket is greatest, earlier than you start. Pack your plug crops tightly into your basket to create a thick, bushy show. Then, on the finish of summer season, swap to winter mode with hardy bellis, pansies, violas and trailing ivy. 

Annual flowers are additionally helpful in borders the place they fill ugly gaps between slower-starting perennials. However the true stars of the border are often the perennials like hardy geraniums, coreopsis and osteospermums that carry out yr after yr. Perennial plug plant collections are an effective way to fill a backyard rapidly. For those who want a little bit little bit of inspiration, listed here are some straightforward flower crops to develop for newbies. 

And if you wish to brighten up your patio and fill your containers with color, backyard prepared plug crops will rework your outdoors area in a single day. Whether or not you follow a single color theme or love an eclectic riot, have enjoyable creating a stunning seating space crammed with fairly petals, attention-grabbing foliage and intense perfume.

Planting out vegetable plug crops

Some greens want a really lengthy season to develop and ripen, together with hothouse favourites like beefsteak tomatoes, aubergines and spicy chilli peppers. Ordering these as plug crops offers you a very robust head begin. In addition they make an important back-up in case your seeds fail, for any cause. One other good cause to purchase vegetable plug crops is that some issues, like the brand new Kale ‘Rainbow Sweet Crush’, usually are not but out there as seed.

Rising greens from plug crops is a fast method to fill your plot, and a very good different for many who don’t have the time or area to sow seeds. For those who’ve been rising your smaller plugs on beneath cowl till the climate improves, be sure you harden them off earlier than planting them out. However garden-ready vegetable plug crops can often go straight into pre-prepared beds, offered the soil is heat sufficient. You may prefer to heat the soil with a layer of cardboard or black plastic for just a few days first, to get them off to a flying begin. 

If in case you have a balcony or a small rented backyard, it’s possible you’ll have to develop your fruit and greens in containers. On this state of affairs, vegetable plug crops make lots of sense. You’ll be able to even pop issues like kale, herbs, tomatoes and strawberries straight into develop baggage. For a little bit of enjoyable, plug plant bundles like our herb ‘Gin & Tonic’ combine create engaging container shows. This bundle features a trio of lemon verbena, peppermint and lemon balm – fast and helpful for contemporary natural teas or zesty summer season cocktails! 

We hope this provides you extra confidence to strive utilizing plug crops in your backyard. Tell us the way you get on by sharing pictures over at Instagram, X and Fb.

Picture: Petunia ‘Frenzy Grand Rapids’ from Suttons (©Thompson & Morgan)