Planting out of seedlings into an alpine bed

[Neil]

Having never grown alpines from seed before, when is the best time to plant them out to the into an alpine bed which has a 5cm layer of gravel on it.  This year when the temperature is still warm but not hot,  or leave them till next spring.  The roots of some of them are now escaping the pots which are 7cm.  I only sowed the seeds in April this year.

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Neil, in my experience it is better to plant out small seedlings when the weather starts to warm up in mid spring. Keep them well watered through summer to allow the roots to spread and become established. If you are likely to be away during the hottest part of summer, when the plants do not get enough water, then perhaps best to wait until late summer or early autumn. Don,t forget to water young newly planted plants. Lack of enough water is the quickest way to loose plants during dry spells.

[Neil]

So in that case it would be late summer to start with, and if I kill those i will still have some spare seedlings to try again in the spring!  Thank Ian

[Tristan_He]

What sort of alpines are you planting Neil?

[Neil]

Hi Tristan it is a complete mixture

It is the following I have 16 square metres to fill

31 Acis rosea
46 Aconitum kusnezoffii
68 Adenostyles alpina
96 Albuca canadensis
137 Allium dichlamydeum
224 Anaphalis alpicola
268 Andryala lanata
279 Anemone lithophila
327 Anthemis marschalliana sosnovskyana
330 Anthericum baeticum
335 Anthyllis coccinea
364 Aquilegia alpina
389 Aquilegia flabellata nana
410 Aquilegia pyrenaica dwarf
444 Arabis cypria
511 Arum creticum
516 Arum korolkowii
543 Aster alpinus
566 Astragalus coccineus
603 Bellevalia ciliata
637 Bulbine glauca
658 Calceolaria falklandica
756 Campanula saxifraga
810 Cephalaria alpina Nana
840 Chrysopsis pumila
1478 Dryas drummondii
1479 Dryas integrifolia ex Greenland
1484 Dryas tenella
1713 Fritillaria carica bulb
1720 Fritillaria elwesii
1742 Fritillaria kotschyana grandiflora
1743 Fritillaria kurdica
1927 Geum elatum ex CC7164
1959 Globularia incanescens
2008 Helichrysum bellum
2123 Hyacinthus tabrizianus
2141 Hypoxis hygrometrica
2144 Iberis aurosica
2299 Jeffersonia dubia
2301 Jovibarba heuffelii
2330 Lamium armenum
2372 Leontopodium alpinum
2392 Lesquerella alpina
2539 Linaria alpina
2578 Luzula ulophylla
3101 Pelargonium endlicherianum
3161 Petrocoptis pyrenaica
3165 Petrophyton cinerascens
3168 Petunia axillaris
3188 Physoplexis comosa
3189 Phyteuma charmelii
3191 Phyteuma humile
3193 Phyteuma orbiculare
3207 Plantago nivalis
3293 Primula apennina
3361 Primula latifolia
3601 Romulea saldanhensis
3604 Romulea thodei
3832 Scleranthus uniflorus
3938 Soldanella carpatica
3940 Soldanella montana
3958 Sparaxis elegans
4337 Fritillaria pyrenaica dwarf
5320 Wahlenbergia albomarginata - 50
2423 Lewisia rediviva
Saxifraga biflora
Saxifraga bursceriana
Abronia nana
Andryala agardhii
Acis autumalis
Aqilegia pyrenaica ssp dicolor
aristea africana
Dianthus freynii
Dianthus spiculifolius
Dieteria bigelovii
Dodecatheon meadia
Draba hispanica
Dracocephalum botryoides
Eritrichium canum
Fibigia triquetra
Gentiana cachemirica
Gentian gelida
Gentiana septemfida ssp grossheimii
Geum reptans
Geum triflorum
Hymenoxys (Tetraneuris) grandiflora
Inula rhizocephala
Iris cristata
Jasione laevis
Jasione montana
Lachenalia kliprandensis
Lapeirousia corymbosa
Leopoldia (Muscari) weissii
Lewisia longipetala
Lewisia nevadensis
Lewisia pygmaea
Lewisia rediviva
Linaria alpina
Linum elegans
Luetkea pectinata
Mirabilis multiflora
Monopsis unidentata
Montiopsis (Calandrinia) cistiflora
Montiopsis (Calandrinia) umbellata
Noccaea (Thlaspi) fendleri ssp glauca
Oreostemma (Aster) alpigenum v haydenii
Orthrosanthus chimboracensis
Parnassia gansuensis
Pelargonium endlicherianum
Petrophytum caespitosum
Phyllodoce tsugifolia
Polemonium boreale
Potentilla cuneata
Primula waltonii
Ramonda myconi
Rhodophiala bifida
romulea citrina
Rosularia globulariifolia
Ruellia ciliata f depressa
Saxifraga callosa ssp callosa
Saxifraga cespitosa
Saxifraga kolenatiana
Saxifraga paniculata
Saxifraga stribnyi f zollokofer
Scabiosa crenata
Scleranthus uniflorus
Sedum pilosum
Sempervivium arachnoideum
Sempervivum ciliosum
Sempervivium wulfenii
Silene alpestris
Soldanella carpatica
Thlaspi stylosum
Thlaspi zaffranii
Thymus cilicicus
Townsendia incana
Trollius farreri
Tulipa humilis
Tulipa turkestanica
Viola bertolonii
Dieteria canescens
Eritrichium nanum v elongatum
Gentiana occidentalis
Olsynium (Sisyrinchium) douglasii
Saxifraga broncialis
Saxifraga mutata
Sphaeromeria potentilloides

[Tristan_He]

Quite a list Neil! If you have grown most of those from seed you probably don't need my advice.

Are you in quite a dry part of the country? Many of those won't like winter wet and some of them may struggle without winter protection, so I would get them in as soon as possible if I were you so they are well established. Growing them in protected crevices and on a slope is very helpful.

[Neil]

Thanks Tristan

Yes fairly dry, South Coast near Brighton.

not too many crevices but it is all on a 30 degree slope and its very free drain soil

All the seed was from the SRGC or NARGS seed exchange so not too much money spent so if they don't survive never mind!

[Tristan_He]

Hi Neil, strategically placed rocks are fine too (easy for me to say though, I have a seemingly endless supply here). And a 30 degree slope sounds ideal 

A couple I'll pick out - Arum creticum should be fine in a normal sunny garden setting for you and would probably appreciate some a richer soil to flower well.

Dryas, Soldanella, Gentiana, Primula and Trollius won't want to be too dry. Plant them in the lower part of the slope and / or dry to protect them from the full heat of the southern sun (e.g. reverse slope or in a corner).

Most of the rest will probably be fine in full sun and will want varying degrees of drainage. Pelargonum endlicherianum will grow in very stony / sandy soil especially if it can get its roots down and poor soil seems to help against winter wet.

Hope this helps.

[Neil]

Thank you for the  advise, and having more than one plant means I can try again in a different locations

[Carolyn]

I doubt if the lewisias (especially rediviva) will survive the UK wet outside. They are hardy, but have specific watering requirements, especially during their summer dormancy. They are not keen on our cold winter wet either. An unheated greenhouse and limited watering in winter is fine in my experience.

[Neil]

Carolyn, as I have a lot of seedlings of them at the moment I will give them a try in different locations,  as well as keeping them in the greenhouse.  Hopefully I can find a location that will suit them outside.

[Carolyn]

Then you can report back and let us all know how the lewisias survive. Good luck!

[Neil]

Regarding the Lewisia longipetala,nevadensis, pygmaea,  they have all survived The pygmaea that was left in the pot is flowering, this has been up against a west facing wall and so was sheltered from the worst of the weather and gets all the sun during the winter.  I can't find the label for Lewisia rediviva or see it as yet. 

I only had 12 frosts, coldest being -4C and these were on dry days. Rainfall was below average this winter. 

[Neil]

All the Lewisia have survived the winter and are starting to sprout, plenty of wet and freezing conditions this winter.  How many years do they normally take to flower after germinating?

[Maggi Young]

I'd hope that by next year you'll have flowers everywhere!