Plant Retail – Buyers Beware: Planting season starts as early as one can get a shovel into the ground. Okanagan and Shuswap garden centres and nurseries annually open at the beginning of April and that is the time to go and get plants. By the middle of May, they are usually fully stocked. Later in the season and especially when it gets hot, plants get stressed and their health and future development maybe compromised.
What’s a better choice to purchase your plants from – garden centres or growers? There is not a perfect answer to that question. Big garden centre companies may grow plants in greenhouses with professional staff. Growers, as the name suggests, grow most plants from seed which also requires good knowledge. Smaller retail places may not and so they get plants from either a grower or from a middle-man seller or distributor. What it really come down to is, quality and care by knowledgeable staff. And that again depends on the size and budget of a business and their overall intention. Big box stores also sell plants, but they often lack the knowledge and care.
Mid-summer gardening projects face the greatest challenge which is often to find half decent looking plants and this is where the source can play an important role. Annuals are usually pretty easy to bring back to life if they are not entirely dried up. All they need is a bit of extra water to regain their quality. Shrubs, depending on size and condition, often can also be nurtured back to life in mid-summer. But with trees that may be a bit different as they are are larger plants with larger demand for care. Once they are heat stressed while still in a planter pot, they often do not come back. Their overall survival depends on the environment they are put in and how they are looked after.
In addition, wind storms can take a toll on trees in garden centres. When plants inadequately stored, i.e. when they aren’t protected from being blown over, tips and branches can become damaged leading to problems down the road. Impact injuries to the bark lead to disease as pathogens can enter wounds and can impede the longevity of the plant.
Plant Problems – Canker Disease
Plant Shopping Tips
Annuals, perennial flowers and shrubs for the most part can be purchased without concern from garden centres, especially early in the season. That’s when they are fresh, in good shape and they have ample time to become established before the summer heat sets in. It’s important to always check for quality. Plants with obvious issues should be avoided even when sold at reduced cost. For the purchase of trees, some prior research should be considered. Larger plants are more costly which makes it worthwhile to shop around to see what’s available and which varieties are hardy enough to survive the local climate. Whenever in doubt, it may be a better choice to see local growers whose livelihoods depend on the quality of their products.
Plant Research & Limitations of Google
Hi, I am Matt – the owner of Chasing Sprouts website. The blog, resources and plant database segments feature a wealth of information to master all sorts of gardening projects. Feel free to share my articles with your world. Bookmark Chasing Sprouts to stay in the loop! |
NEED HELP
WITH YOUR PLANTING PROJECT ?
Schedule a Consultation.
.