Unpack plugs immediately, and stand them in water for an hour. They may be slightly dry, or look a bit yellow - this is quite normal after they've been in the dark for a couple of days, and they'll quickly recover. Put them somewhere light, airy and not too hot or cold, to help them acclimatise to life outside the greenhouse. For mixed plug plant collections, the blister packs or "mini-greenhouses" will have a label on the outside, listing the individual varieties inside, and referring to the embossed "A, B, C" etc. on each cell of the packaging.
When potting on ("pricking out"), handle plugs carefully by the leaves and not by the stalk-even though they're tougher than they look! For small plug plants in trays, push them out using a suitable small instrument through the hole in the bottom of each cell - e.g. a "dibber" or a pencil. Pot on using our Windowsill Planters or Shuttle Trays with 9 cm pots, using good multipurpose compost like our Premium Professional mix. Don't press the young plants in too hard, just gently push a hole in the compost large enough to fit the plug plant in, press in lightly and tap the pot to settle the compost. Firming down the compost hard will result in water pooling on the surface, so make sure they are not too firmly planted.
Give your plants a good water, ideally in the morning to allow the water to evaporate rather than pooling on the leaves overnight, which can encourage ' damping off'. Also use tap water rather than rain water from a water butt, as the fungus that can cause ' damping off' can thrive in water butts. Just water sparingly when the surface of the compost is dry. The most common cause for plug plants not surviving is the ' damping off' fungi, which can be spread in water, in air or on reused pots or compost, so its important to make sure you have good air circulation and the plants are not too wet or humid until they have fully established. If you are reusing pots always wash out with Jeyes fluid or similar before reusing.
Once the plug plants are large enough to plant out, prepare the ground well, removing weeds and digging in some compost or well-rotted manure if your soil is not already rich. For beds, borders and containers, plant your plugs approx. 20 cm (8") apart to allow them room to grow. We recommend using our Easy Fill Hanging Baskets for the very best hanging basket displays. Plant 1 grown on plant through each planting hole, using good quality compost and our excellent Swell Gel & Feed. A full video planting guide is available on our website.
Feed using a high-potash feed such as Blooming fast Superior soluble food, to encourage flowering. Dead-head when flowers fade to encourage more flowers.
Important: Only plant out spring bedding after the last frosts - e.g. late April/early May