ordering plants and delay in planting them

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Dannar Exton, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 16, 2009

Hi, I'm new to DG and I have a question about planting...I want to order some plants online, but the website shipping schedule says they'd be shipped & delivered at about the same time I'm scheduled to be away. My husband (a non-gardener) will be home. Everything will be shipped in pots, not bare root. I have a couple of options...

1) have hubbie unpack everything from the boxes and put the plants outside and keep them watered; I'll plant them as soon as I return

2) I could pre-dig the holes and label where each of the plants goes and have hubbie plant everything

I'd really prefer to do it myself, but I'm worried about not getting everything in the ground right away once it's delivered (I'm in Zone 6, BTW). Which do you think would be better to do, wait to plant or pre-dig and ask hubbie to plant??

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jul 17, 2009

As long as they come in pots with potting mix and not bare root you can leave them in the pots they came in until you get back--after things have been in a dark box for a few days it's generally best to let them rest for a few days somewhere shady, then work them up to being in whatever amount of sun they want to be in for the long term anyway vs taking them from the box and plopping them directly in full sun. So I think you'd be fine keeping them in pots (assuming you trust DH to water them properly of course!). I order plants all the time during the late spring and summer and keep them for as much as 6-7 months in pots until it's cooler in the fall/winter and I can plant them, so as long as they're watered properly there's no reason you couldn't hold them in pots until you get back in town.

Post #6828611
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Dannar Exton, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 17, 2009


Thanks so much!! I kind of thought it would be OK, after all when you buy from a nursery everything has been in pots for a while, right? It's my first time ordering online though, so I wanted to be sure. Thanks for the tip on acclimating the plants. I'll have hubbie unpack and water everything til I get back, so they should be fine.

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