When Should I Plant Bedding Plants To Last Til Autumn?

[anthro-nerd]

Is it too early to plant bedding now? Is there a plant I can use that will bloom til September?

:-)

[melv16]

Pansies have a long flowering season.

[anotheoldgit]

My favourites are petunias.

[bhg481]

You really need to wait until the chance of an overnight frost has subsided. A good guide is to wait until the garden centres are selling them and then wait a couple of weeks. The garden centres sell them early to give you time to harden them off before you plant them out ie, put them out in their pots in the daytime and back indoors overnight.

[rowanwitch]

Unless you are very methodical with dead heading most annual bedding plants will not last the whole summer. The best for a long season are probably fibrous rooted begonias, and tagetes, if size is less of an issue pelargoniums will flower until a severe frost as will dwarf dahlias. I buy bedding in mid April and grow them on in a sheltered spot. Ideally with protection until the second week of May. If you feed them well they soon catch up.

[Chipchopper]

I agree with others, who have said its far too early yet.
even when bedding plants first appear en mass in the shops, they may still need to be hardened off far a while.

[malagabob]

You can still get frosts in early May. Many bedding plants will be killed off if planted out in their final position early. Seeds can
be a better option. Go by the guide on the back of the packet. Go for annuals. Ones that grow flower and set seed All in one season. May to October. Deadhead faded flowers to extend flowering.

[murraymints]

I don't plant anything out until end of May /beginning of June.... but winter pansies and primula ok for now..