Bedding Plants - A Guide to Growing them

All gardeners like to use bedding plants because of their instant and beautiful seasonal colour. They are also excellent for closing spaces between plants and shrubs that are not yet fully grown, for growing in pots or planting up a whole bed for immediate effect. They also grow rapidly and provide great value for money.

What time of year to plant your bedding plants

At Jersey Plants Direct they have a wide range of spring bedding plants including Geraniums, Begonias, Impatiens and Petunias, sold in the spring for your summer flowering displays. They also sell a wide range of autumn bedding plants and winter bedding plants online including Pansies, Primroses and Violas in the late summer, early Autumn for your autumn and winter displays.

Growing bedding plants

As mentioned earlier bedding plants can add an immediate splash of colour to any garden. They can be planted in containers, hanging baskets, pots, or in mixed borders. Bedding plants are usually temporary so your bedding plant displays can be changed every year.

Growing bedding plants from seed

Most bedding plants are relatively easy to grow from seed, but some of the smaller seeds, such as begonias, can be hard to grow. You usually do not need a greenhouse or heated device to germinate the seeds. Placing a seed tray or pot with a polythene bag over it on a window-ledge can do the trick.

Growing from seedlings

You can order your seedlings with only a couple of leaves - usually two or three leaves. They are normally bought mail order and will arrive in trays which contain between 50 and 500 plants. These bedding plant seedlings will require 'pricking out' very soon after they are delivered and moved into seed trays or individual pots.

Bedding Plant Plugs

Young bedding plants called 'plugs' and are more progressed in their development than seedlings and as a result are ready to plant out immediately. Bedding Plant plugs mean you can grow plants that could be hard to germinate yourself from seeds. It is important when you are buying trays of bedding plant plugs that you check they have good root growth. Also check that the shoots and leaves not broken, have any mould or are turning yellowy. First 'prick' out the plugs into individual pots and place them in a greenhouse. It is advised to Water the plants regularly and then put them in a cold frame to harden them off about two or three weeks before planting.

Once you are ready to pot them into the final pot stage before bedding out you should follow these simple steps to help you succeed.

Water the young plug plants well before you begin.

Try not to touch the stem when potting them on this can cause damage.

Use a liquid feed to water the plants into the pots.


Bedding Plants in pots and trays

Bedding plants can be bought ready to plant out in pots or trays. Trays containing lots of plants are usually cheaper to buy than individual modules, but their roots are often damaged when they are pulled apart at the time of planting. However, in individual modules, or cellular trays, plants develop their own root systems, which makes them healthier and less prone to damage at planting time.

Once your new plants are potted on they should grow quickly. Keep feeding them and remove any flower buds that form in the first two weeks.

Ideal bedding plants to grow from plugs are Geraniums, Bizzie Lizzies, and Begonias.

Planting Them Out

Remember that your bedding plants have started life in warm conditions and while still hardy they do like to be acclimatised before being moved to their outside locations. It is useful to move your plants to a half way house like a cold frame, windowsill or a unheated porch before they are finally moved out.

When the planting day comes make sure that the hole in the soil is more than big enough for the bedding plants rootball to fit easily. Gently separate the plants and place in the holes so that any compost is slightly lower than the level of the soil surface and fill in any spaces with soil. Firm the ground gently around each plant and water.


After Planting

Always water your plants daily especially in the summer although any plants in containers and hanging baskets could need watering more frequently - for example on warm days they may need watering at least twice a day. Feeding your plants in the early weeks is important and can be applied once a week or more by adding some liquid feed to a watering can. Once your plants start blooming it can be beneficial to remove any dead flower heads as this will keep your display at its best and will prompt your plants to produce new blooms.

Bedding Plants to try

Spring or Autumn bedding plants such as Pansies or Polyanthus can withstand frost. Summer bedding plants such as Lobelia or Marigolds will not survive a frost at all. Others to consider Antirrhinum, Begonias, Fuchia, Gazanias, Geranium, Impatiens, Lobelia, Marigold, Mimulus, Nicotiana, Pansies, Petunias, Salvias, Verbenas. Some examples are shown below:-