Every once in a while I can't help buying a sad, lonely plant that I think I can rehabilitate, especially if I see the magic word 'sale'. But plants—and seedlings especially—are not like a sad little puppy. You need a great start to ensure great results. Here's a short list of things to look for:
- When buying from an ocean of seedlings (like the packs of Impatiens, for example) don't grab the nearest one. Take a look overall and see if any group looks healthier than the others.
- Look for plants that have been displayed with care. Hot sunny sidewalks for small packs of seedlings or uneven watering can take their toll on these young plants.
- If you are buying seedlings, check to make sure there is only one per cell/pot. Although a few growing in one pot may look lush, they are all competing with each other.
- Look for the absence of yellow leaves, black leaf spots, or blackness at the base of the stems. These all can indicate disease. If you see any sign of tiny insect life, be cautious.
- Look for deep green leaves and compact growth. In the beginning this is important, and the less flowers the better.
- Unopened buds are good–much better than many open flowers. If you buy a flowering plant you may want to pinch off flowers to help promote root growth on your new plants or give it a rest as it settles in.
- When buying larger plants make sure the plants are not greatly out of proportion to the pot. This could indicate that the plants are root-bound.
- If lower leaves are yellow, or if you see a wide gap between the growing pot and the soil, both can indicate that the plants were left without sufficient water at one point.
Although not related to the health of the plant you choose, I did want to say that with bedding plants (again, think Impatiens) the flats with smaller cels will dry out faster and need to be transplanted quicker. And in a perfect world all growers would be using biodegradable pots (like in the photo above), some of which can be composted, while others can be planted with the plant. But they still seem to be the exception and not the rule, and may be harder to find.
Do you have any hints for choosing your good plants? Let us know! We'd love to hear how you pick the best, or if any of the hints above have ever been helpful.
(Image: Matthew Noiseux)
(Re-edited from a post originally published on 4.30.2010 - CM)
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that's just it: buy from a nursery. i made the mistake of trying to nurture a plant from a big box store, and ended up with a house full of gnats. FUNGUS GNATS that lived in the soil. look not only at the pretty leaves, but the soil!
find out what day of the week the store gets its shipment, (especially if buying at a big box type store or less reputable nursery), and plan your visit around that. they were likely better cared for at their place of origin than they will be there.
however, do your research on the plant type you want to buy. some plants, especially some sensitive indoor exotic types, need to acclimate after their journey. a responsible plant seller will hold these in the back while they transition. if the staff doesn't know/can't find out when the plant arrived at their facility, that's a bad sign and you may want to think twice before spending a lot on a specimen plant.
Make sure whatever plant you've chosen is marked and clarify with the nursery staff that they haven't sprayed herbs and other edible plants with pesticide or any chemical solutions that they would use for the non-edible plants.
Roots should not be growing out of slits or holes in the bottom of the pot, and if you can knock the plant out of the pot to see if roots have started growing in a circle (don't buy) , so much the better
I didn't know that about the roots growing in a circle. I would add that you should make sure the roots don't look funky or moldy.
Yes, what Artfemme11 said - I always check if the plant is root bound. If it is, I will avoid it unless I desperately want it and it is the only one available. In that case, i would probably ask for a discount (pointing out the roots).
The most successful greenhouse trip I had was on a crappy, cold day with a late snow. I wanted hardy perennials. So I selected from the plants that the staff *weren't* rushing to bring inside as the May snow fell. My hands were pretty chilly when I finished, but all of those shoots are laughing at this year's April snows and frosts so far.
You wrote: "Unopened buds are good–much better than many open flowers. ..." The rule of thumb I use is, "Buy a big plant, not a big bouquet." Fewer or no flower buds, lots of new green growth, and lots of well developed branches are good. Also, if you're buying a shrub or tree pull it out of the mix and look at it's overall shape.
I've actually had good luck with the "sad puppy" approach, at least for outdoor plants and if the price is reduced enough. If you are a teeny bit knowledgeable about plants and flexible about species those can be a good buy. I know they were a godsend for my low-budget garden.
Here are some tips if you want to try:
A few yellowed leaves near the base or general wilted appearance probably means it wasn't watered enough. Generalized or spotty brown is more likely a disease that you won't overcome with TLC. Don't buy anything if you can see insects on it!
Look for perennials. Sometimes bargain annuals are OK, but since there will be a rehab period when the plant won't look so great you probably need the longer timeline of a perennial. Veggies are rarely a good buy if distressed, but herbs tend to be tough and often recover just fine.
Leggy foliage can and should be cut back. If it is a flowering plant, be prepared to wait until next year for blooms.
Don't worry about it being "potbound." If the soil is dried out place the pot in a bucket of water to soak before trying to transplant it. Once the plant is out of the pot massage the roots out of their bound state. The plant won't be hurt if you break some roots.
Soon your bargain plants will be living happily alongside the ones you paid more for and only you will know which is which!
My rule is to stick to plants that are still small and avoid any fruiting/veggie plant that is already flowering and bearing fruit/veggies. It's tempting to buy a tomato plant that has tomatoes on it but it's probably fruiting from stress and lack of care. Not because it's healthy and will continue to bear more.
I always say my plants need to have a strong will to live - so I start with a healthy, vibrant plant.
can someone explain why it's better to buy a budding plant than a flowering one? thanks.
An even bigger issue is how prepare your garden for the plant, and how well you match it. Unlike animals, plants can recover from a poor early seedlinghood.
Someone wise once counseled to put a $10 plant in a $100 hole (not a $100 plant in a $10 hole). A large hole, appropriately amended, and in the lighting conditions preferred by that plant will quickly allow a sad plant to catch up.
And for @pestle - a flowering plant has not only put energy into making the flowers, but if they are fertilized might shift all its energy investment into seed production. But if you cannot help yourself (thats me sometimes), just be sure to cut off the spent flowers.
---a.botanist
well crap, looks like I did it all wrong. On Sunday I bought a bunch of plants from the big box store, most of which had the roots popping out the bottom of the pot, and planted them probably too early. I needed this article last week!
Tequilared, you'll be fine. I don't agree that potbound plants are such a big deal. Just loosen up the roots and spread them out in the hole. Big box stores rarely have the best selection, but you can often get some good discounts/coupons, and they often have a money back guarantee if they die. Home Depot sends me $5 coupons frequently, and I keep my receipts in case anything dies. They had a BOGO sale a few weeks ago, and I made out like a bandit with $1.48 6" lavender plants. Just be selective when you go there and know you will have to hit up other nurseries for broader selection. My Home Depot actually has pretty knowledgeable staff.
Thanks for the list; I didn't know about nipping buds to encourage more root growth.
A few years ago I bought two INCREDIBLY colored azaleas from a big box store. They never bloomed again. I assume they way-overfertilize them to lure in the saps like me.
Another big-box experience was a seemingly great price on gallon perennials. When I took them out of the pots, they were simply quart-sizes that had been place in the larger pots and surrounded with more soil. People who do stuff like these two ripoffs can go die, as far as I'm concerned.
Thanks macbride...I do still have the receipt, so there is that. We have generally had good luck with the plants from our Home Depot so here's hoping!