Clematis: Happy Valentine's Day and chat, 4 by warriorswisdomkathy

warriorswisdomkathy wrote:
glevely>>>>Please don't put those out yet. It's much too early. Is your last frost date approx. May 10 ish? Your too far north to not get any more winter yet. If you plant them you would take the chance of loosing them or atleast the tops being frozen off, causing stunting to the growth. Most plants need to be hardened off when they come out of the greenhouse, gradually tho. You might start by taking them outside in a shaded and protected area (wind and scorching sun), for a few hours a day. Increase outside time as it allows (the weather). and gradually more sun. Just make sure you take them back in at night til night time temps aren't in the freezing range and there's no more snow in your area. I am also z5, and the earliest I've planted is late April, seems like we always get some snow up til 2nd week of May, not always, but mostly. When I take my perennial seedlings out of the house this time of year they go into a sheltered area covered in plastic (back side of the garage has a horse stall which gets plasted in) AND cover them with a frost blanket til mid April. I harden them off and then they go to the driveway where I line them out until I'm able to get to planting. Hope that helps, I know cuz Iv'e learned. lol. Kathy, Good Luck.

pix: seedlings, sorry don't have a pix of stall area.
pix: newbies on the drive, sometimes if snow is forcasted I will cover with one of those frost blankets.
pix: more babies on the driveway
pix: babies on the front porch where it's more protected than the driveway