Use & Care NotesCompanion Plants
How to Use and Care for Black Pearl Coral Bells in 20-Cell Plug Trays
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Black Pearl brings true dark color to the garden, with glossy leaves so deep they read as black from a few steps away. Here is how to get the most from Black Pearl Coral Bells 20-cell plug trays: what to do the day they arrive, how to plant them and how to care for them through the first season and beyond.
What comes in a 20-cell tray
One 20-cell tray holds 20 large, field-ready plugs of Black Pearl Coral Bells in cells about 2 3/4 inches wide and 3 1/4 inches deep. Each plug has a bigger root system than a small cell, so it can go straight into the garden or into a 1-gallon pot. Planted about 20 inches apart, one tray fills about 60 square feet.
The first 24 hours
Open the box right away and set the tray in bright shade out of the wind. Lift a few cells: if the tray feels light or the soil looks pale, water from below by setting it in an inch of water for 10 minutes, then let it drain. Give the plugs a day or two to recover before transplanting. Plants that have been in a box need 7 to 10 days of hardening off: set them outside in light shade for a few hours, leave them out a little longer each day, and bring them in if frost is forecast.
How to plant Black Pearl Coral Bells 20-cell plug trays
Choose a spot with full sun to full shade and soil that drains well. Water the tray an hour before planting. Push each plug up from the bottom of the cell or squeeze the cell; never pull plugs out by the stems. Plant at the same depth it grew in the cell, firm the soil around it and water in well. Space plants about 20 inches apart, their mature width. These larger plugs can go straight into the garden. If your beds are not ready, pot them into 1-gallon containers and plant them out within the season.
Watering through the first season
Plug cells dry out fast. Check new plantings every day for the first 2 weeks and water whenever the top inch of soil is dry. After that, water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer unless it rains. A thin layer of mulch, kept away from the stems, holds moisture and keeps weeds down.
Season-by-season care
Grows in full sun to full shade; afternoon shade helps in hot spots. Plant in average to fertile, well-drained soil with regular water, and avoid soggy winter sites to prevent crown rot; hardy in zones 4-9. Trim spent flower stems and any winter-worn leaves in early spring, and reset crowns that heave above the soil line. Expect flowers starting in late June with peak bloom in mid July, single flush. First-year blooms from plugs are often lighter; the plants put their energy into roots and fill out by the second season.
Winter care by zone
Black Pearl Coral Bells is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9, which includes West Michigan (zone 6). Fall-planted plugs should go in the ground at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes so roots can anchor before winter. In the first winter, add a few inches of loose mulch after the ground freezes to keep young roots from heaving. Check your zone with the USDA Zone Finder and your last frost date with the Frost Date Estimator.
Growing Black Pearl Coral Bells with lavender
Its near-black ruffled leaves make a strong low edging in front of lavender in a bed with some afternoon shade, though it wants a little more summer water than lavender does.
More help
Read more about this plant in our Black Pearl Coral Bells field note, or shop Black Pearl Coral Bells 20-cell plug trays. Something looks off? The Plant Health Checker can help, and the Care Calendar sends seasonal reminders.
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