Vegetable Plants

Vegetable plants FAQs

Starting your ‘grow your own’ journey with quality vegetable plants allows you to skip the seed sowing and jump straight to the growing. Our quality vegetable plants arrive ready to be potted up or planted out. Whether you want to fill your patio pots with herb plants, try a new gourmet root vegetable in the veg patch or fill the greenhouse with cucumber plants, start with Dobies’ vegetable plants for the best results.

When are vegetable plug plants available?

Vegetable plug plants usually start to be available from early spring. Small plug plants available early in spring need potting on to develop, whereas larger garden ready plug plants available later in the season are ready to be planted straight out into the garden upon arrival. Make sure you harden off your tender veggies before they go outdoors, it’s best to keep them undercover until the risk of a late frost has passed.

How to protect plug plants when planted

Keep your new plug plants safe from pests using plant protection and netting. Cover brassica plug plants with a fine mesh to deter cabbage fly and pesky pigeons, taking care to use cabbage collars to keep cabbage root fly away from your hardy greens. Frost protection fleeces keepa tender varieties like tomato and bean plugs snug.

Place beer traps and scatter slug pellets to keep slug and snails away from your precious veggies. Companion plants like nasturtium and are a great distraction for pests while attracting beneficial pollinators with their lovely blooms. If you regularly see rabbits or deer, consider covering your crop with a heavy cloche to stop any unwanted nibbling.

What veg plants to plant now

There are fantastic veggies to plant in the veg patch all year round. Heat-lovers like aubergine, chilli and tomato plants do best when planted in spring in a sunny warm spot. Cold tolerant brassicas, lettuces and broad beans are flexible and have a longer planting window that stretches into the winter months. Find out what to get in the ground now and which delicious treats to harvest month by month using our helpful 'veg to plant by month’ chart.