| I ordered and received this week Shasta daisies and Monarda from Burpee. Unfortunately, no planting guide was included and we have too much snow to plant these right now. How can I keep these plants till I can get them in the ground? And what precautionswill help them survive the winter since I m planting so late? |
| I'm sorry to hear that the timing was off with your shipment from Burpee! Winter has struck many of us earlier than expected. Pot up the plants with moist soil and keep them in a cool (38-45F), dark place for the winter, such as an unheated garage orbasement. Check them occasionally to make sure they don't dry out completely. This will hopefully simulate winter well enough that they'll make it through to spring. Plant them as soon as danger of frost has passed. Both prefer a sunny location in ordinary garden soil. They'll appreciate some TLC until they get established. After that, the daisies require little care other than annual topdressing with a couple inches of compost or well-rotted manure and deadheading. Mulch will help maintain even soil moisture and reduce competition. Be careful to locate your monarda where it can spread, because it will. Unless you want it to spread, there's no need to topdress or fertilize after it's established. Let us know how it works out! |
