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Today we will look into 10 important tips for purchasing plants from a nursery and what you should look at when buying a plant from a nursery or a garden store. Please follow all the 10 tips till the end, because these tips will help you get the best plants that will survive after you purchase them but also save your time, money and efforts.
10 Tips for Purchasing Plants:
Purchasing a plant from a plant nursery requires patience. Take your time and never purchase anything in a hurry. Remember, if you purchase a plant in a hurry, your time, money, and efforts will be wasted. Please follow these 10 useful tips while choosing your plant. And please watch all the tips till the end, else you will end up buying sick and unhealthy plants.
1. Decide on the Type of Plant
Decide on the type of plant you want to buy, whether indoor or outdoor. You should know where to place it in your home garden, whether it’s shade-loving, sun-loving, semi-shady, or an indoor plant, and whether it suits your climate. This knowledge is really important for the plant to survive.
2. Do Not Hesitate to Ask
Enquire with the nursery staff and question them regarding the name of the plant, how to care for the plant, the type of plant (indoor or outdoor), fertilizer requirements, and so on. Then cross-check this information with reliable sources through a Google search.
3. The First Look of the Plant
First, look at the plant itself to reveal its overall health. Take a closer look and compare it with other similar plants for more bushiness, branches, and new shoots. If it looks fresh and healthy, then decide on it and make further judgment by applying the following tips.
4. Overall Look and Hygiene of the Nursery
Check whether the nursery maintains its overall appearance, including the arrangement of the plants and cleanliness of the nursery.
5. Soil and Watering
Check whether the nursery is using good, well-draining soil for the plant and whether the plant is watered adequately. You can assess this by simply dipping your finger into the soil to check watering as well as soil compactness. Your finger should be moist and should easily enter the soil without much effort.
6. Check for Weeds
If there are a lot of weeds around the plant, it indicates poor maintenance by the nursery staff. The weeds rob the nutrients from the main plant, stunting its growth.
7. Look at Leaves, Not Flowers
Do not buy plants in full bloom. Instead, choose plants with healthy foliage and fresh growth with many flowering buds still to open. Even if it is a fully bloomed plant, check whether it has a lot of buds.
8. Proportionate Size of the Pot or Grow Bag
Check whether the plant is getting adequate space for its root development. If you see larger plants in small containers or grow bags, it can indicate poor maintenance, leading to root-bound and stunted growth.
9. Inspect Roots Wherever Possible
Check for root-bound plants. Root-bound plants grow and mature without space for root development, leading to roots growing in the shape of the pot, stunting the plant’s growth, and potentially causing the plant to die. One tip to check for this is to see if the roots of the plant are coming out of the drainage holes and entering the ground. Avoid buying such plants.
10. Look for Pest Attacks
Carefully inspect the plant, especially underneath the leaves, for insects and pests. Also, check for damaged or curled leaves. Reject such plants even if offered for free or as a gift, as they may harm and contaminate your other garden plants.
Please watch a detailed video explaining these plant buying tips.
