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Perennials Landscape Design Shrubs

Zone 5 NW Illinois - planting shrubs now?

2 years ago

My local Walmart has 2.25 gallon boxwood for $3 and also some large summer crush hydrangeas for $3. It’s obviously not the opportune time to plant, but do you think these will make it or would I just be throwing my money away? Should I just baby them in their containers for a few months?

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Comments (7)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
They will be far easier to take care of if planted in the ground, not in containers. And as long as you keep them properly watered, no valid reason not to plant now.
Illini Fan
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks I think I’ll go for it. Cheap!
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mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
2 years ago
Something I'd check out is what variety of boxwood they are. Not all varieties are hardy to zone 5 - only the Korean or Korean hybrid types.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
some say you arent a gardener.. until you have 100 pots to plant in fall ... there is no reason to plant ... at the wrong time ..

it was near 100 yesterday in my MI ... it would have been foolish to plant ... im not sure the PNW has such days ... and if they did.. those peeps would probably be forced to take off their windbreakers ... lol ...

if you want to hold them over.. place pots in shade... to keep the pot itself out of sun.. and water them when they need it ... basically no hot roots ...

if you want to gamble.. go for it...

if you have a few days of clouds and lower night temps.. jam them in ...

you make it sounds like its today or never.. you really have so many timing options i dont know why you would waste effort ... doing it precisely at the wrong moment in time ....

ken
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
and to be clear .. you have to figure out if it is the right moment in time.. or not ...

we cant really tell you whats going on in your area ...

you have opinion from the pnw and MI ... may not mean a darn thing in IL ...

basically.. you need the weather divination class at hogwarts to figure it out;.. lol ...

ken
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I’m in 5B, north Missouri, and I plant all spring, summer, and fall. It’s prime Bargain Time now - I’ll be out searching soon. I plant when the weather is conducive; we just came off a stretch of 90+ degree days but should be cooler for the next several, a better time to plant.
Marie Tulin
2 years ago
Improve the chances by rigging up shade for a week or two. Lawn chairs, cloth rigged on supports of some kind. Unless the garden club is coming, forget pretty and go for effective.

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