In early Spring I bought some Zinnia plants as very small plugs. They have been a splash of stripy colour for several weeks now and with a bit of deadheading look set to on and on.

Yesterday I saw some ‘plugUgrow’ plants of early spring flowers .  I thought it would save me time and effort compared to seed sowing buying some Primroses and Violas, to say nothing of the certainty over germination.There was a fair selection of Winter Pansies and Violas but I opted for 24 Plum Velvet F1 Violas that are a deep purple with a mauve center according to the picture. The Primrose Terracotta Shades came in packs of 12 and were larger plugs and better plants.  I hope the flowers are as seductive as the picture suggests.

Plug Aftercare

• If the compost is totally dried out or the gel is no longer supplying water to the plants I would give them a gentle water and leave for a couple of hours. My plugs were damp.
• On the day of purchase, with a short stick I pushed through the bottom of the plug to ease the plant out and potted it into a 3″ pot already filled with multipurpose compost.
• After a gentle watering at the base of the pot to help bedding in I put 15 pots to a seed tray in shade and shelter and will leave them for a few days to recover from repotting.
• When I have space in the garden the plants will be well established with a good root system and they can be planted in their flowering position.
• I will plant them close together to make a small mass of blooms of the same variety rather than have a pepper pot approach.
• If the colours and plants habits are suitable I may allow them to survive as perennials but if they do not appeal I can compost them after flowering  and I am only down £2.50 per Plug pack.

Tip – for little more than the price of a packet of seeds, plugs can guarantee 24 plants germinated and ready to pot on or plant out directly. It is  a quick and easy way to a patch of glorious colour.