Step-By-Step Guide to Potting Up Your Marsh Plant
Each plant variety you order from us will arrive wrapped in damp paper and packed in a plastic bag or tub with an identifying label. Unpack your plant as soon as possible after arrival by cutting off the plastic outer covering, carefully easing the plant out, and removing the paper (taking care to keep the right label with the right plant).
Plants that have arrived bare root should ideally be planted up immediately. If this is not possible, they should still be unwrapped and placed in a bucket of water in a cool but frost-free place out of direct sunlight. Plants that have arrived in pots do not need any special care, but do ensure they don't dry out (you may want to stand them in a tray of water while you decide what to do with them).
Plants that have arrived in pots can be placed straight in your garden in the pot they came in if you wish, but in most cases we would recommend that you pot them on as soon as you conveniently can in order to get the best result. The pots we grow and send them in are generally too small for the plants in the long term. When you do pot them on, ease off the existing pot. If this is difficult, you may find it easier if you snip the pot down the sides with scissors to open it up, and then take it off like that. Be careful if doing this – cut pot edges are surprisingly sharp.
You do not need any special type of compost for the plant, although we would advise against anything that is composed purely of peat if potting Marsh Orchids (this is not nourishing enough for them) or anything that contains mostly clay if potting Marsh Woundwort, Marsh Violet, or Ragged Robin (this is a bit too heavy for them, and it's also difficult to keep hydrated when in a pot). We generally recommend that each variety of plant is potted individually, so that they are not competing for space in one pot. You can find more specific information on each plant's page on our website. If you are keeping your marsh plant in a pot, check it regularly to ensure it does not get too dry – these plants don't need to be continually wet but they will not tolerate bone-dry soil for more than short periods.
Planting Into The Ground
Remove any weeds from your chosen site and dig over the ground. If you have very heavy clay or a very poor soil, consider adding a little organic matter, such as compost, leaf mould, or well-rotted manure, to improve it. Make a hole deep enough and wide enough to comfortably accommodate the whole of the roots and place the plant in it, spreading its roots out. Holding the plant at the base of the growing point, carefully fill the hole with soil, firming it up as you go. The base of the plant’s growing point should be just above the soil level when you have finished. Use a watering can to thoroughly wet the soil and water the plant in well. If the weather is hot, check the plant occasionally – these plants do not need to be continually wet but they will not tolerate bone-dry soil for more than short periods.
If the weather is very hot when the plant is first planted up and it begins to wilt, simply trim the wilting foliage back. This will not harm the plant.
Most marsh plants like a position that is sunny to partial shade.