Viburnum instructions please.

[Colin]

Hi,

Six Viburnum Tinis shrubs have just arrived and I'm wondering how best to treat these please. They are from J Parker's and come with basic instructions; frost is due tonight and they must be kept in a cool humid place free from severe frost; placing them in a greenhouse or covering with polythene to over-winter them will cause them harm?

Not only is frost forecast for tonight but all day today we've been subjected to high wind and driving rain which seldom lets up here on the steep exposed valley side. Perhaps I've chosen the worst time to buy these Viburnum but now I have them would potting them into bigger pots then placing them on our patio shielded by the bungalow or against the garden hut out of full blast of the wind help them. I'm new to all this gardening but I'm keen to learn and as a novice I've enclosed pictures of what to expect when ordering plants online for the first time.

These Viburnum are tall and slender supported by a stick in each pot so are vulnerable; they are in good condition and I'm thus far very pleased with J Parkers this being my second delivery from them; included are free 40 mixed Daffodil and Narcissi.

I've got plenty of new plastic pots and a couple of big bags of general purpose potting compost; I can't do anything with them today due to the dire weather other than leave them inside our rear cool extension to protect them; as I say I'm learning and I'll only ever learn from my mistakes so any advice or information is most welcome.

It makes a change for me to be posting a gardening topic.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Owdboggy]

Get them potted up. Don't use too big a pot to begin with. The pots should be a couple of inches bigger than the root ball. Put them as you say somewhere sheltered, but do not let them freeze or get too wet. Plant out in Spring.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Many thanks for your excellent and informative reply Owdboggy;much appreciated.

I've now repotted the Viburnum using 6" pots. The instructions state to give them a good watering so I've also done this.

Bron suggested I place the pots in a plastic trough which makes a lot of sense to prevent them being blown or knocked over by cats. I've really enjoyed pottering around playing with these today and it made a change from hard graft to get into the workshop and play with my toys which felt strange after spending so long in the garden; anyway I knocked together the trough seen in the picture below costing nothing it being made of bits of timber I had kicking around; I added a pair of uprights and strung a length of heavy galvanized wire between them; the Viburnum are supported against wind and at the moment they are on our patio shielded by the bungalow so I think they will remain there until I plant them out next year.

I felt frozen by the time I came indoors but am pleased Blackie left me alone whilst I did the work; pity Blackie doesn't leave me alone more often because I dislike working in pouring rain.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Owdboggy]

That looks spot on. If really hard frost is forecast, it would be dead easy to throw something over it. Once the plants are in the ground they will take any amount of cold weather, but just like us they are not partial to frozen feet!
They will not need that much water in winter,so do be careful to just keep the compost reasonably damp, but not saturated. Hard to achieve I know.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks for your additional information Owdboggy; no sooner had I given these a watering down came the rain so everything's awash outside as usual; I'm just surprised I only felt frozen because I'm usually frozen; rained on and blown around. I'm still here though to moan about it though so it's not all bad. You've just given me an idea though; if I add plywood making it virtually an open topped box it would be similar to having these in the ground?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Owdboggy]

I don't think it is necessary. I have a lot of things in pots, just stood on the hard standing. they survive with a lot less protection than yours have in there.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks Owdboggy; given our rainfall I think I might need to attach an anchor? Frost forecast but everything soaking wet as normal.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Owdboggy]

The wall behind and the paving will act as heat sinks and should keep any really nasty cold away. Wind is actually good, it dries things about and moves the air around so frost does not settle.

 

[alp]

Colin: but you might have seen it! Hehe!

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Many thanks alp for posting the interesting video; no I hadn't seen it but I sure have now.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

Colin, if you like, you could buy Sarcococca.

It is a very hardy plant and has fragrance. You can taking cuttings very easily. It also has berries, so a lot of interest in a plant. Have a google ..

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Many thanks alp for suggesting Sarcococca; I have indeed just had a google by clicking on your suggestion and what a large selection there are to choose from; I'm sure I'll be buying a few of these.

Kind regards, Colin

 

[Owdboggy]

Reputed to be hardy, but it did not survive here The first bad winter and it went.

 

[alp]

It's done very well here though, but I live in Essex. Put in near the wall and on concrete where it is SUNNIEST your way, Colin.. One of my cuttings has only an inch and it's covered with flowers! Don't ask me why!

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks for the warning Owdboggy; being further north than you and alp then this could be a problem regarding choosing Sarcococca.

Thanks alp; what I'm after are plants for the actual garden which I'm currently working on; we used to have lots of planters but decided to dump these because they needed time and care with watering; there is so much I want to do but many days I tire myself out especially due to the type of work I'm doing in the garden; hopefully when everything is sorted out then the hard work will ease off?

Kind regards, Colin.