Planting Out Hellebores

[chokkie]

Hi Green fingered ABers out there .... I've just taken delivery of a dozen hellebores as young plug plants. I thought about planting them out (in pots) today, but with autumn coming and winter not so far after that, I'm not sure exactly whether I should be doing this right now - but they obviously need planting out somewhere - would be grateful for some advice, please. Many thanks, cheers, Chox.

[woofgang]

They are very hardy and will be fine. If they are small then griw on for six weeks or so in pots and then plant in theit final positions, if theu are bigger, they can go in their final positions now. In either case keep well watered and watch out for slugs and snails ehile the leaves are tender

[murraymints]

I'd keep them in pots if still smallish plugs..place them where you intend planting and be sure to put plenty slug pellets around.. up here..Scotland I'd perhaps protect the young plants with a bit of frost blanket stuff..or straw..then plant out after frosts have gone... may not be necessary if you are in milder climes down south...

[Tilly2]

The jury is still out on the effects that slug pellets have on hedgehogs. Metaldehyde is the active ingredient in most commercial slug pellets and research shows that the amount a hedgehog would need to consume to be lethal would be a very large amount either directly from eating slug pellets or poisoned slugs. However, there have been a few cases of dead hedgehogs being found to have had very high levels of metaldehyde in their system. There is also some concern, partly due to research on rats, that although the slug pellets may not kill hedgehogs they might affect their reproductive ability, having a negative effect on their population.

[murraymints]

obviously if you know of an alternative to pellets..but alas...nowt else works for me..I have no hedgies here and never have had...which is why I need pellets !! would love a few hedgies...

[Tilly2]

If you stopped using slug pellets you might get some hedgehogs, Minty.

[murraymints]

no hedgehogs anywhere around here Tilly ! not just my garden...think the badgers have done for them !

[murraymints]

we are on the edge of a large country estate..loads of badgers...

[Tilly2]

There should be loads of hedgehogs as well, surely. I would prefer hedgehogs to hellebores. :-)

Sorry, Chokkie. I'll stop now.

[chokkie]

Many thanks folks - it's dry outside at the moment, so I'm just popping into the garden to plant them in pots .... many thanks for all your suggestions and advice. Cheers, Chox.

[woofgang]

murray, get the ferric sulphate pellets, very effective, bio degradable and proven harmless to pets and wildlife if used as directed. The problem with metaldehyde, apparently is that it accretes in the body until it reaches the lethal dose.

[ducksie]

wash out and keep your eggshells, crush them small and scatter them around your plants, slugs can't slide over them, hedgehog friendly, to get sharper shells, put shells in oven for a while, then crush them, it works for me.

[Old_Geezer]

Was thinking of getting some hellebores myself. Not done so yet.

I found eggshells did little, but I've just checked out a video on YouTube and it seems I've been doing it all wrong ! My quarter sized lumps of shell should have been masses of tiny bits, apparently. Pain to have to recheck after rain though.

[woofgang]

gardeners world recently did some real world tests and also found that sheep's wool pellets work well and are also safe and bio degradable.

[Chipchopper]

Caffeine is toxic to slugs and snails. so if you can get hold of some spent grounds, then maybe add some to some leaf mold and add it as a mulch