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New England Gardening

Urgggg! Too late to put plants in ground?

14 years ago

I just bought some perinnial plants and read on another forum (someone in zone 5) that it is too late to set out plants now. I thought I had until at least mid October. To be safe, I'll put them in the garage for the winter if I can't plant them now. If the safest thing to do is over winter them in the garage, I'll do that. Please let me know what you think about planting now. The specific plants are raspberry, blueberry, Astribe, Heuchera, Laminum and Geranium Biokovo. Thank you.

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Comments (4)

NHBabs z4b-5a NH
14 years ago
I plant things until a couple of weeks after first frost. I just make sure I water them in well, and then I mulch around them so that the soil stays warmer and so that the plants are less likely to be pushed out of the soil with alternating freeze/thaw cycles over the course of the winter and spring. The warmer fall soil with cooler air temperature seems to make the plants settle in better than spring planting for me. If there is a dry stretch before hard freeze, I will water again, but often there's enough rain in the fall to keep them moist enough. I live in an area with fewer freeze/thaw cycles than slightly warmer areas, since it tends to stay frozen all winter here. Other folks may do things differently, depending on what their weather is like.
asarum
14 years ago
I agree with everything nhbabs says. I think you live in Brookline, MA. The aim is to have the plants settled in before the ground freezes. The ground freezes much later than the first frost. If you put these plants in the ground soon, they will have plenty of time to get established by then. The downside of keeping plants in an unheated garage is that you have to keep checking to see that they don't dry out. I do this for some items that aren't quite hardy, but since there is time, the ground is the best place for your plants.
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zahzeen
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you both for your replies. Yes, I do live in Brookline, MA and just received shipping confirmation from Bluestone Perennials that my plants shipped today and according to UPS, should be here Wednesday. I'll plant them then. In the meantime, I went to Mahoney's in Winchester Saturday where they have a special on most (but not all) perennials for 1/3rd off. However, in the back they had a section with perennials for 50% off. I bought two big pots of different types of Solomon's Seal for $5.50 each and some other types of perennials for mostly shade. I wanted the Solomon's Seal since I think they take a couple of years to grow from seed. I also bought 3 raspberry bushes at Lowes and even though they specify sun, I'm going to try them in a pretty sunny spot (they were only $1.00 so I made the "investment"). A friend (ohsillyme is her Gardenweb name)went with me to Mahoney's and convinced me to spend $20.00 on a Lenten Rose (Black)- yipes that's the most I've ever spent on a single plant. I've been wanting one for over a year. I really tried not to buy it but succumbed in the end. So that is now the one I'm really nervous about planting now but I kept the receipt just in case. Thank you again. Please keep your fingers crossed (I'll be saying a prayer) that the perennials I'm planting now will survive and pay off next year!
defrost49
14 years ago
I bought potted perennials and shrubs at two NH nurseries. I don't think they would sell things this late in the season if they knew it was too late to plant. In fact, I just got them planted yesterday so I'm happy for today's rain.

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