Expert: Christopher Littrell - 4/30/2011

Question
Hello, I live in USDA zone 4/5, and I have an outdoor bog garden.  I was wondering when the best time to plant new plants would be.  Most of the stores I have found online are in zones quite a bit warmer than mine.  I would like to purchase my plants fairly soon while most stores have a full stock, but like I said, they are in warmer regions.  My weather outlook for the week is cool and rainy, highs in the mid 50's and lows down into the 30's and 40's.  Would the plants from the warmer zones go into shock if they were purchased and planted in the ground?  Wait or buy now?  Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hello Ted,

If your plant vendors are from warmer regions, it would probably be best to wait until your weather begins to match a more comfortable spring or summer temperature as many perennials from warmer regions are likely past winter and may have lost some resistance to cold weather already. If you can find any vendors in your area, especially ones with stock that naturally grow in zones 4-5, like Sarracenia purpurea and Drosera rotundifolia, you might try to obtain some of them to plant if they are still in dormacy mode. If you can find any plants from warmer zones that are still dormant, you could try to obtain and plant them if you can protect them with a tarp and mulch. North American carnivorous plants are usually best planted just before they come out of dormancy as they are relatively inactive and do not respond so much to disturbance.

Christopher