How to Buy Healthy Plants
Tips for Selecting Plants From the Nursery or Garden Center
This is the time of year when the gardening bug bites and people are beginning to buy a lot of plants. Make sure you know what to look for when buying your plants.
Many would-be gardeners find themselves anxious to put something in the ground this time of year. Unfortunately sometimes sick, weak or unhealthy plants are purchased and soon die in the garden which can be frustrating and unmotivating – especially for beginning gardeners.
Here are five things to look for when buying a plant to make sure you aren’t getting a “lemon”.
- Purchase a Plant with Compact, Bushy Growth – Try to select a plant with many short stems over a plant with few, tall stems. Lanky and spindly growth may be signs of a plant not properly pruned, not given enough light, or possibly root bound. When you buy a plant with many, full looking stems you know the plant will be strong and quickly adjust to being transplanted into its new home. With fast growing annuals look for the plants that are no more than 6 inches tall or so, the best size will depend on the ultimate size of the plant.
- Buy the Plants Not Quite Blooming Yet – Garden centers know people to buy the plants in full, colorful bloom because they look so attractive. Plants already blooming don’t handle transplanting well. These plants are likely to be weakened, which will ultimately shorten the amount of time for enjoying the flowers in your garden. Look for the plants others are ignoring that are just beginning to form buds. Plants grow much better in gardens than in nursery pots.
- Take Home the Plants in Properly Moist Pots. Poke your fingers into the soil of a plant you are considering purchasing. The soil should be slightly moist. If the pot is dry the plant roots are likely to be already damaged, even if the plant foliage still appears fine. Young plants, even drought tolerant specimens, need regular watering to stay healthy until they are well established in your garden.
- Only Buy Plants with Healthy Colored Leaves – There are many reasons for yellowed or discolored leaves including pests, fungal infections, root problems, and others. None of these problems are good so avoid purchasing plants that don’t have fresh green leaves (or whatever colored foliage the plant is supposed to have). Wilting leaves can indicate a lack of water, root rot or other problems as well so check for that before spending your money.
- Look for Plants with Proper Root Growth – Lift up the container and look at the bottom drainage holes. Are there long roots hanging out the bottom? This is a sure sign the plant roots are overcrowded which can weaken the plant and make future growth unsure. Especially in the case of large shrubs and trees, a coiled root system can actually strangle and kill the plant two or three years down the road. The opposite problem, too little root growth, can also be harmful. With too little root development a newly transplanted seedling may not survive the transplant shock. Tip the plant and pull it out of the pot a bit - the plant should not lift out of the pot easily and leave the soil behind. The roots should be established enough to be at least 2/3 through the soil of the pot and form a strong root ball.
With these buying tips you should be able to purchase healthy, strong plants that aren’t overly stressed or weakened. Selecting the best plants to start with gives them a much higher chance for success in your garden!
The copyright of the article How to Buy Healthy Plants in Plants & Bulbs is owned by Angela England. Permission to republish How to Buy Healthy Plants must be granted by the author in writing.
