5 Tips for Buying Plants at a Garden Center
A garden center is a one-stop shop for garden supplies, tools, and plants. To ensure a fruitful plant-buying expedition, know these tips for choosing the best plants at your local garden center.
1. Check the Roots
Unlike a nursery, garden centers focus on more than just the plants so they may not re-pot older plants in-house. For this reason, it is vital to check the roots when selecting plants. If possible, slide the plant out of the pot a bit to verify that there is soil space between the roots. Overly dense roots in a pot are root bound, which can cause failure to thrive even after planting.
2. Inspect the Foliage
The state of the leaves is a good indicator of plant health. The foliage should be an even green with no signs of yellowing or browning. Check the underside of the leaves and the stems, as these are areas where pests like to hide. Choose full plants with strong, stout stems, as sparse foliage and weaker long stems are a sign of trouble. A couple of lower damaged leaves aren't a concern if the rest of the foliage is lush and green.
3. Avoid Full Blooms
A pot full of blooms may seem like the recipe for an instant garden, but all too often it will lead to disappointment. Instead, look for plants with lots of healthy foliage and unopened buds. Transplanting can be stressful on a plant, and already being in bloom can weaken it during the adjustment period after it goes into the garden. Plants that have time to adjust before they begin to bloom tend to do better.
4. Read the Tag
Ideally, every plant in the garden center grows well in your area, but there are still site considerations to keep in mind. Have a general idea of where you plan to put your new plants, and then check tags for varieties that will do well with sun exposure and soil quality in the desired planting areas. For example, planting a shade-loving plant in a sunny garden is a recipe for disaster, a disaster that can be avoided by checking plant tags before purchase.
5. Consider the Size
It can be tempting to buy the largest pot sizes to fill out a garden quickly, but opting for the smaller sizes can save you a lot of money. Annuals will grow to the largest size within a couple weeks of planting, while perennials tend to reach peak size within one to two years of planting. Opting for the smaller plants can save you money and you will still end up with larger plants in the long run.
A garden center can be your one-stop shop for both plants and garden equipment if you know how to shop for plants like a pro.
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