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Zone 5, please tell me if I can still plant these.

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)

11 years ago

It's Oct 19, and once again, I think I have stalled too long. I lost my motivation during this summer's July heat wave, and never got it back. Everything that I was not sure about where to plant, was not planted.

I have about 10 perennials left to plant. If any of these still can be planted, please let me know. Otherwise I will cut out the pot bottoms, and sink them into my vegetable garden, cage, and cover with leaves.

Heuchera Bressingham hybrids (That's all the tag says) (quart)

Heuchera Caramel (gallon)

Heucherella Brass Lantern (gallon)

Heucherella Yellowstone Falls (gallon)

Daylily Highland Lord (gallon)

Daylily Pardon Me (quart)

Autumn fern, (quarts)

Hey...at least it's only 10...this is an improvement for me. :) Thanks!

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
two truisms in my world:

1) anything would be better off in mother earth ...

2) you can plant until the ground freezes solid ...

the issue is heave in late winter/early spring ... have a big pile of mulch available.. and once the ground nears freezing.. in a month or so.. apply it thickly and tightly AROUND the late plantings [right up to the crown w/o burying the plant] .. so as to blanket the soil.. so that with late winter soil going thru freeze/thaw cycles.. the soil around the plant.. does not heave that sucker right out of there ... [and cover the mulch.. so it doesnt freeze solid BEFORE you need it.. lol]

i too lost the will to live late this summer.. garden-wise ..

pots arent that hard ... but tricky ... and frankly.. not worth it ... IF you have other options ...

ken
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
11 years ago
About 3-4 years ago, when a nursery was going out of business in October, I bought a boatload of plants. I got all of them in the ground. It was in a new bed and it was easy. Soft new earth; nothing to work around. Almost all of them made it. Of those that didn't, by spring it was like nothing had ever even been put there.

But I also think I got lucky. Lately around here, there has not been consistent snow cover in the winter. A lot of temperature variation.

I already have a big bag of bark mulch. :) I'll have curly willow leaves later: they are still hanging tight.

When even on a decent weather day this year I did not feel like working in the garden, I wondered if I had lost my interest in gardening. I did the barest necessities of maintenance, but not the grooming I normally do.
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katob Z6ish, NE Pa
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What ken said for planting, but the pot thing will work too. Don't even cut out the bottoms, just plant pot and all in the veggie garden..... No root disturbance that way. Mulch after frost. Fill pots to the rim with mulch or soil, that way if the ground is frozen water won't sit on top and drown the crown.
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