How To Select Healthy Plants For Your Container Garden
Most people like to start off their container garden with small seedling plants instead of waiting for seeds to sprout. Plants cost a good deal of money so you want to know how to select healthy plants to take home from the store. So please continue reading for some valuable container gardening ideas.
Container gardening resources are important, but if you don’t understand how to select the right plants, it will be hard for you to produce a good crop of food.
You can tell right away when you walk into a nursery if their plants are healthy. If you see quite a few plants that look like they are dying, turn around and head to another store.
Foliage
Is the foliage a nice shiny green? And are they shiny and lush? If not, that plant may be stressed and not recover. Proper foliage is the very first thing you should consider before making a purchase
Damaged Leaves and Bugs
Insects may not be on the plant now, but look for damage to see if they have already attacked the plant. Look on the back of the leaves for black spots, holes, or any kind of stickiness.
Buds or Blooms
Sometimes you will find plants, like the tomato plant, that are already blooming. There is nothing wrong with buying these plants, but the ones with buds may stand the transplanting a little better.
Stem Damage
Weak or soft stems could be the sign of an unhealthy plant.
Root Inspection
Many plants can be removed from the container, and if so, look closely at the roots. Make sure the roots aren’t hanging down out of the dirt, looking almost dead.
Weeds soak up needed nutrients of your plants, so if you see weeds it could mean the plant is not healthy.
Paying attention to where the store has placed the plants will help you know which plants need the most sun. This location was selected for a good reason by the nursery care givers. Paying attention at the nursery will help you have a more successful garden.
Ask a nursery worker any questions about plants you are unsure of because most of them are very knowledgeable. Be sure and tell them you are working on a container garden because their answers to you might be different based on that.
Before purchasing your plants find out if the store has any kind of warranty on them. Many of these guarantees are for a good long while. Getting replacement plants for free will help your investment not be so overwhelming, so knowing the warranty is important. Knowing as much as possible about plant selection will insure you have a great container or organic garden this coming season.
Small Organic Gardens is a website dedicated to all things container gardening. Videos, tutorials and more to help your container garden experience be fun and successful, including very helpful information on how to pick healthy plants for your container garden. Please visit us at http://www.smallorganicgardens.com