Plunk and Run Method of Planting out?!?!

12 years ago

Hello, I was active on this forum several years ago, but am back now in full effect!! I love you all! ANYHOOOO.....

I WS'd so many dang seeds that I am running out of time to get them in the ground! Have any of you had success with the "Plunk and Run" method. As in, putting the whole clumps of seedlings in the ground and hoping for the best? I mean, in the wild, a plant might drop a ton of seeds directly underneath it, and the strong will survive, right? RIGHT?!?!?! PLEASE tell me I am right! LOL! All advice will be welcomed. I just need to get done with the "pot ghetto" of 2 liter coke bottle bottoms in my yard before the neighbor says anything else to me!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (14)

bakemom_gw
12 years ago
I have done it for years. Just plunk and run. Let the sprouts sort it out.

I can't tell you how many spots in my garden are milk jug shaped.
kqcrna
12 years ago
I've done it too. Depends on how many sprouts are in the jug. If it looks like a chia pet I've generally divide into at least quarters and plant 4 separate hunks.

Karen
Related Discussions
Plunking & Running, or Planning & Placing?
Q
Comments (29)
Plan, plan, plan, plan. I make charts for plant height, space, flower color, leaf color/shape, sun requirements, moisture requirements, time of bloom, etc. The beds are graphed and plants placed. There is always something blooming in each area of the beds. When planting out I refer to the graph, making adjustments here and there. Later if, who am I kidding, when, I have seedlings left they get tucked in but still in relationship to the plan. The only beds that do not get planned are the holding beds. I still keep height in mind but generally group similiar plants so don't pay much attention to color and texture. I also move plants that don't grow as expected which requires new graphs in the fall, mainly to help me remember where something is planted and to help plan the next year's additions/changes.
...See More
Plunk and Run?
Q
Comments (19)
I think this will be my method this year. I tend to be a perfectionist (hate it!) and last year I separated every single seedling to put in its own hole. I hadn't yet found this forum so I didn't wintersow them but that's beside the point. It takes a l-o-n-g time to do it my old way. I would agonize over every minute detail and because of that I was here planting my seedlings into September. I don't even know if some will make it over the winter because of getting in the ground so late. I'm almost certain they'd have been better off with the HOS method because I bet I could have gotten everything planted by June had I not worried so much about the fine details. I don't know if I could do the plunk and run method because I'm not one to hurry that much and do like to take my time with gardening, but I don't want to take THAT much time with it anymore. The sooner they get in the ground the more time they'll have to establish themselves. Because of finding this forum, I now have more things planted than I have had other years because back in those days I had to cram everything on my windowsills, but NO MORE! My seedlings have been liberated! lol I have over 80 jugs and other containers sitting outside with seeds sown in them and still have most of my annuals to plant yet. If I'd fiddle around with separating every seedling, I'd probably be here until 2010 trying to get it all planted and hoping for extremely mild winters. lol YAY for HOS! If I get desperate enough, I might even do plunk and run if I'm still planting in June because I want the plants to get well established before our first frost, which is usually the beginning to middle of October. I've also started a lasagna garden to save time and wear and tear on my back. I only got 1/4 of it done one exceptionally nice day here last week when it was in the 50's, and now we've had cold weather since that and some nasty snowy, icy days. So my lasagna garden is put on hold until we get another nice day. I figure it won't do much if anything this time of the year anyway, but if I get it started now it will be that much time saved in the spring. I have other gardens/beds here that I can plant before I get to that one, so I figure it will hopefully be ready by the time I get to it.
...See More
plunk and run
Q
Comments (4)
I plan to do something similar myself too. I am starting many containers of native grasses, clover, and wildflowers (seeds purchased from Prairie Moon nursery) to plant in the back 1/2 acre or so of my lot, which is a wild area with a mix of shrubbery, trees and a little meadow. It will much harder to water out there so these babies will probably get less pampering. Do you think the seedlings would be more likely to survive if you plant them Hunk-o-seedlings? I'm planning to plant the grasses and clover and maybe some wildflower HOS. I'll probably put some into a nursery area to grow for a year and transplant some out in the meadow this year to compare how they do under both circumstances.
...See More
Now I get plunk and run!
Q
Comments (2)
I also confess to my first "plunk and run" this week! Enjoyed it so much after doing the first container (a "wall to wall" liatris-filled milk jug bottom) that I used it at least 3 more times that day! Mostly with plants that were so either looking pretty sorry (too crowed, too eaten by tiny bugs, too something) or containers where only one or two sprouts made it. Lots of those were LOVING their space in the container and had fill it totally with roots - so it plunked as one plant. I see a whole lot more of this in my future, especially the next couple of weeks. It is TIME to just get stuff in the ground, no made what it takes (SMILE)! The family wants to reclaim the deck and I can't blame them....
...See More
silverkelt
12 years ago
Yes, pack them in..

I dont bother seperating anything , unless as karen said, its to divide into quarters if its very heavy.

Frankly, when you pack them in tight they generally look nicer , if you try to seperate each seedling.. ug, it makes it look thin, and is way too time consuming.

Once the plant matures those sprouts that cant keep up with die off anyways.

Some clump method plants

{{gwi:384057}}

{{gwi:384059}}

{{gwi:374542}}

{{gwi:384060}}

{{gwi:384061}}

Not even sure these are my best examples I just plunked them and ran =P

Silverkelt
lgslgs
12 years ago
Yep - it works just fine. :)

2009:
{{gwi:384062}}

2011:
{{gwi:384063}}

Plunk and run is a great way to plant out. The hunks of seedlings will sort things out nicely on their own.

Lynda
bookjunky4life
12 years ago
That's how I've done my flowers WS in milk jugs or cups.
{{gwi:374687}}
ladyrose65
12 years ago
My plunks are smaller. This is what I got so far.
{{gwi:384064}}
{{gwi:384066}}
{{gwi:384068}}
gardenweed_z6a
12 years ago
Thanks everyone!!! This is exactly what I wanted to see and hear. I've got WS containers that are thick with sprouts that I definitely want to plunk in so there's a huge, healthy display next year rather than puny "specimen" plantings here and there. I want masses of blooms rather than a flower here and another one over there.

Last year (my first to WS) I planted a few things HOS/PAR. They're looking good so far this year and I should know later this season how they fare.
gardenunusual
12 years ago
Great thread! I've been overwhelmed thinking about how I am going to separate all of these!
daisydawnny
12 years ago
Soooo.......I plunked and ran today, but it was tough getting that big hunk out of the jug. Any tips to make it easier? Cups were easy.....jugs were a challenge.
gardenweed_z6a
12 years ago
I just cut straight down the sides of the jugs at the corners with a pair of sharp scissors and slide or lift out the hunks. I don't reuse very many of them so cutting them open isn't an issue.
kqcrna
12 years ago
I slit a side, dump out the whole blob upside down on it's head, into a regular flat. Flip over, use a knife to cut into hunks.

{{gwi:384069}}

Karen
daisydawnny
12 years ago
Thanks for the tips! Looks like a decent day to plunk and run! First day in weeks with no rain!
jodie74
12 years ago
Yep! Today's gonna be a plunk & run day for me! Happy planting everyone!!!
erinlisa
Original Author
12 years ago
You guys are awesome, and thanks for all the great pics! I am so relieved! Bakemom that is funny about the "jug shaped" plantings! I am gonna do it! I'm heading to the garden to plunk, then I'm gonna run in the house and have a cocktail and not worry about "my babies" anymore! You guys are THE BEST!

Plunk and Run Method of Planting out?!?!

Comments (14)

bakemom_gw

kqcrna

Related Discussions

silverkelt

lgslgs

bookjunky4life

ladyrose65

gardenweed_z6a

gardenunusual

daisydawnny

gardenweed_z6a

kqcrna

daisydawnny

jodie74

erinlisa
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Plunk and Run Method of Planting out?!?!

Comments (14)

Related Discussions

erinlisaOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

erinlisa
Original Author