You've been automatically redirected - this is the new home for our blog posts - please update your bookmarks to hub.suttons.co.uk/blog

Perennial Plants and Annuals Growing Guide

perennial-plants-annuals-crocosmia-plant-george-davidson-[227091]

Last Updated on March 15, 2023 by Suttons Horticultural Team

On receipt

When you receive your Suttons plants, remove the plants from the packaging immediately. Check that the compost is adequately moist and water if necessary.

Planting Suttons Potted Perennial Plants

Your perennial plants can planted out in the garden straightaway. Choose a free draining, moisture retentive soil. Dig over the area, incorporating garden compost or other well rotted organic material to help retain moisture, this is especially important on light, sandy soils. Rake in a general fertilizer such as Growmore or Bone meal prior to planting.

Take out a hole large enough to accommodate the root ball so that the top is level with the compost surface. Fill in around the roots with soil or a mixture of soil and potting compost, firming as you go. Water the plants immediately after planting to settle the soil around the roots. It is important to keep the plants well watered during dry spells.

Planting Suttons Potted Annual Plants

The plants are ready to be planted directly into their final position. Fill your baskets, tubs and containers with a quality potting compost, incorporating water storage crystals and a slow release fertiliser if available.

Remove the pot and plant ensuring the root ball is covered with compost. Water the plants immediately after planting to settle the soil around the roots. It is important to keep the plants well watered during dry spells and feed on a weekly basis. Regularly remove faded flowers to encourage further flower production.

Grafted ‘Turbo’ Tomatoes

Our grafted tomatoes are selected for and best suited to greenhouse culture but will also thrive outdoors in most summers. The root systems of these plants have great vigour and should be given plenty of room if the plants are to achieve their full potential. When planting always ensure that the graft union is kept above the soil level to prevent the scion rooting into the soil and reducing the plants resistance to soil borne diseases.

We recommend that, if they are to be grown indoors, a deep pot no smaller than 30cm (12″) should be chosen, or alternatively they can be planted directly into the greenhouse soil as the modern rootstock used has increased resistance to soil borne diseases. (Note that most grow bags are unlikely to afford the root space for best results). If growing outside plant 60cm (2′) apart. Support the plants from the outset with canes tying in the main stem regularly. Vigorous growth can be expected and great care should be taken to prevent plants drying out, moderate
regular watering being the best practice. Once the fruits start to set a quality tomato fertiliser should be applied twice a week.

The greenhouse should be lightly shaded to avoid exposure to strong sunlight. In hot, sunny weather damp down the floor to increase the humidity. Misting the plants with water will aid fruit setting. This is best carried out around midday, but do not spray the foliage under strong direct sunlight or on cool, dull days.

The side shoots which appear at the leaf joints should be pinched out when they are about 2.5cm (1″) in length. Under normal greenhouse conditions, these plants are capable of setting and maturing six to eight trusses depending on the size of fruit and you will be able to harvest more tomatoes if you do not remove the growing tip at the three to four truss stage.

In commercial greenhouses these vigorous plants will produce in excess of 20 trusses of top quality fruit. As the fruits ripen pick as required and remember that the finest flavour will be achieved if tomatoes are allowed to mature fully whilst still on the plant.

Tomato Hundreds & Thousands

Plant this vigorous bush variety individually into a 35cm (14″) basket or container, or three plants to a 40cm (16″) basket. Keep your Hundreds and Thousands plants well watered and once the fruit starts to set feed twice a week with a quality tomato fertiliser. The plants are easy to grow as they do not require stopping or the removal of side shoots.

More related articles below.

Share this post

PinIt

One thought on “Perennial Plants and Annuals Growing Guide”

  1. William Ernest Roberts says:

    Hi Thank you received my seeds today, order No:SO5701025
    Account No 1333905

    I must have missed judged my sowing times, will it be ok to sow seeds a greenhouse in a covered tray as commonly used and kept in the green house until March / April or unti frost has disappeared.

    I will keep the seeds until the dates shown on packet quite happy to wait .

    Thank you
    Take care stay safe .
    W E Roberts.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *