Immediately upon receipt, stand your plants upright. If your plants are dry, stand in tepid water for a few minutes until the root ball is moist.
Potting on
If necessary potting on should be done as soon as possible upon receipt into 9cm (3½ inches) pots or large cellular trays. Use a light, well-drained compost and water gently. Make a hole in the compost slightly larger than the plug and gently firm the compost around the roots after planting. Water in gently to settle the compost. Place in a greenhouse, conservatory or on a cool, well-lit windowsill. Protect from strong sun and grow on at a warm temperature until they become established. Then gradually lower the temperature, being careful not to over water the compost, especially in the early stages of growth.
Feed every 14 days with a weak liquid fertiliser. In branded compost, no feeding will be required until after the first flowers have formed.
If you decide not to follow this cultural information, then the most important thing you must do is feed and water your plants regularly.
Patio Collection
Your Patio Collection can be planted directly into its final container, without growing the plants in pots first. However, the plants will need to be hardened off before moving outside, approximately 4-6 weeks after planting and when all risk of frost has passed.
Containers & Tubs
Before planting, water the pots well and stand for about half an hour to let them drain. Your container should be 30-42cm (12-17 inches) in diameter to accommodate all the plants. Window boxes are also suitable for this collection.
Make sure that your container is thoroughly clean before planting and that it has a drainage hole or plenty of drainage material in the bottom. Fill it loosely to within 3cm (1 inch) of the top with a moist compost suitable for containers. Scoop out holes large enough to take the roots and carefully plant up.
Plant firmly but without compacting the compost too much. After planting, tap the container to consolidate the compost. There should be a space of about 2cm (¾ inch) around the rim for watering. After planting, water well and stand in a shady spot for a couple of days to allow rooting to commence. Water carefully until the plants are established. Harden off well before moving outside after all risk of frost has passed. When growing well they should be watered regularly and fed every 14 days with a branded liquid fertiliser.
General Aftercare
Water regularly throughout the summer, feeding approximately every 10-14 days with plant food. Remove spent flowers regularly to prolong the flowering season.
Hanging Basket Collection
What next?
To guarantee a superb display, plants are best potted up and grown on first but you can plant them directly into a Flower Pouch, hanging basket or patio pot. If your plants have been supplied in jiffy cells, please do not remove the outer mesh as the roots will grow through this quite happily.
Planting into a T&M Flower Pouch
Mix one quarter of the Flower Pouch Companion sachet with approx. 13-14 litres of good quality potting compost. Fill the pouch, making sure you push the compost firmly down into the bottom corners. Keep adding 3 or 4 handfuls of compost at a time and firm down. Repeat until the pouch is full. This eliminates any sag in the pouch.
Fold over the handle and clip with a clothes peg to save the compost from falling out during planting. Then lay the pouch flat, ideally on a similar sized piece of wood for easy moving about.
Make a hole in the compost by pushing your finger through each of the 10 precut slits in the pouch. Pop in the plants and gently firm in.
To complete planting, place a further 2 plants in the top of the pouch.
Water gently (approximately 3 pints of water) or until your pouch is well watered. Squeezing the bottom of the pouch is a good test to see if your pouch is dry. After the initial watering it is unlikely any more water will be required for 7-10 days. You can then elevate the top end of your Flower Pouch to encourage even growth. After several days your will have sufficient root development to hold plants and compost in place.
Use the Water Wizard™ for regular watering and feeding. Fill a used plastic soft drinks bottle with water, push in the Water Wizard™, turn the bottle upside down and place in the top of the pouch to enable the water to trickle through gently.
Hang your pouch up in a frost-free position. The pouch will be ready to hang in its permanent position approximately 4-6 weeks after planting. Acclimatise to outdoor conditions prior to hanging outside permanently. If strong winds or cold weather are forecast, it's best to bring your pouch indoors for protection.
Please note that if your pouch has been supplied 'free' with your plants, no sachet of Flower Pouch Companion (plant feed and water-retaining gel) or Water Wizard™ have been included. Both are available separately and can be ordered via the catalogues.
Planting into a hanging basket
Generally allow 12 plants per 35-40cm (14-16 inch) basket, allowing 4 in the top and 8 around the sides. Place the mesh liner, moss or any other suitable lining material into a wire or Suffolk basket and half fill with good, moist free-draining, compost. Adding water-retaining gel and slow release fertiliser to the compost will be beneficial. Special container and basket composts are available with water retaining gels and special fertilisers. Cut holes in the mesh liner or alternative material and insert the first layer of plants by carefully pushing the stems through the mesh. Do not push the roots through as these are easily damaged and larger rootballs cannot be pushed though the wires safely. Fill up the centre with compost, gently firming round the roots as you go. Make sure you leave a space large enough to take the roots of the plants that are to go in the top. Before planting in the top of the basket, first arrange the plants to their best effect and then plant firmly, making a slight dip in the centre to prevent run-off. Once planted, water well using a watering can fitted with a rose to settle the compost around the roots, and stand it in a greenhouse for 2-3 weeks. If no greenhouse is available, then place in a cold frame, or outside in a shady spot and bring indoors each evening. During this period, turn the basket each day to ensure even growth. Remove the flowers as they appear and pinch out the growing tips of any long, straggly plants to ensure bushy growth.
When the plants are well established and the weather is mild and warm, with all risk of frost having passed, the baskets can be hung in their final position. Hang in full sun or light shade, sheltered from strong winds. Keep the compost moist, but not waterlogged. Water frequently, usually once a day in hot weather, and preferably in the evening. You can tell when a basket needs watering by testing the top 12mm (½ inch) of compost with your fingers. If it's dry, then the basket should be watered. When you water, water well, roughly giving about 3 litres (2/3 gallon) to each basket. From mid-June onwards it's usually necessary to feed with a good liquid fertiliser once a week, or you can give a weekly feed of a high potash fertiliser to encourage flower production. Once a month replace this fertiliser with a high nitrogen feed to prevent the foliage turning yellow. You can combine watering and feeding using the Water Wizard™ (refer to Flower Pouch planting point 6 for details).
