How to Choose Quality Plants at a Nursery or Garden Center

When you buy a plant at a nursery or garden center you want one which will perform it's best when you get it home

. If it's an annual you want to see it covered in flowers all summer long and for a shrub you want to see it making a bold statement in the garden. I've laid out here a few tips for buying the best quality plants.

Any plant should be well established in its pot. If it is newly potted you will be growing it on through its 'baby' stages with an increased risk it won't survive. If the surface of the compost looks loose and fluffy or the plant lifts from the compost when you gently pull on the stem it may mean it's a plant to avoid.

Check it's not Starved

At the other end of the spectrum are plants which have been in their pots way too long. Check whether it has a thick mass of roots growing from the bottom of the pot. Also take a look at the color of the foliage. If it is turning yellow or bronze (and that's not the natural color for that variety) then it is probably starved of fertilizer and will take longer to grow away.

Another sign of a pot bound plant is the amount of weed growth. It is perfectly healthy to see a few small weeds around the top of a pot, but if a weed is well established then it may prove impossible to remove without damaging the plant. Also watch for weeds which have perennial root stocks (such as dandelions) and for anything growing within the central crown of the plant which will prove difficult, if not impossible, to remove.

Avoid Pests and Disease

Any plant you take home which has pests or disease will not only be unhealthy itself but may also infect or infest the rest of your garden. Look carefully at the growing tips for signs of aphid. A cloud of small flies which take flight when you touch the plant is whitefly. Twisted and contorted leaves could be one of a number of problems. Also look out for: cuts and holes in the foliage; white 'powder' on the leaves (powdery mildew) and orange 'fluff' under the leaves (rust). 'Burnt' leaves may indicate that a plant hasn't been watered enough, or it could be a sign of serious disease.

If plants are grown too close together they will stretch upwards to reach the light - what a gardener would refer to as being 'drawn'. For a herbacious perennial this may only affect this years growth but an annual or a shrub which is drawn will probably remain top heavy and never form an attractive shape.

Shrubs and trees will probably have been pruned by the growers, if so check that their work has left a plant with a clean, open shape, and that growth is not one sided. Also watch out for stems which are crossing or rubbing against each other as this may provide a path for infection.

Negotiate a Bargain

Now you know how to find a quality plant you may be able to use your knowledge to your advantage if you want to get a bargain. If:

* a plant is simply starved or drawn, or newly potted (but always avoid plants which are diseased have pests),

* you don't mind waiting a little longer for it to grow,

* you have a space at the back of a border, or a lot of ground to fill, then

you may be able to bargain with the nursery owner to get plants at a discount. You never know, he may be as pleased to get rid of some old stock as you will be with the money you save.

How to Choose Quality Plants at a Nursery or Garden Center

By: Mike Sutton

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