Wendy's Wanderings
March 10, 2022
Plant Shopping
Spring is the time of year when the aisles of garden centers are packed with excited gardeners. Young and old, those with experience and first-timers, are loading their shopping carts with dreams of creating beauty in their home landscape. I know that they have all done their homework to follow the first principle of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ — putting the right plant in the right place. Luckily the resources provided on UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions and your local county Extension office will help you get the all information you need to select the right plant for your landscape, before you go shopping.
What the crackerjack horticulturalists who work at IFAS cannot do is jump in your car and actually go to the nursery with you to help pick out the best plants. Choosing healthy plants is important to getting off to a great start. Here are some tips to get you started.
When you get to the nursery give yourself a minute to figure out how they have the plants organized. Once you find the type of plants you're looking for, look at the leaves. Make sure the leaves are not wilted and that they have a healthy color. If they don't look vibrant or are drooping, keep looking. Choose plants that are full of healthy leaves, with no insect holes, or disease spots.
Actively flip leaves and look for insects on the plant; you don't want to bring any pests home with you. Next evaluate the stem or trunk of the plant; stems or branches should be evenly spaced and straight. There should be no obvious damage or spots on the trunk. If you see something funky on the wood of the stems, select another plant.
Most importantly look at the root ball. If there are roots circling the trunk, this is not the tree or shrub for you. Also, if you see roots coming out of the drainage holes of the pot, the plant is most likely root bound. These plants will need extra care when planting, so try to find a plant that isn't root bound. Lastly look for weeds in the pots. If the plants are full of weeds you will be bringing home trouble; many landscape weeds come into your yard via the nursery.
I know that some of you like to hit the bargain rack at the garden center. This is where the plants have been deeply discounted. Please don't shop from this rack. The plants in the discount/clearance area are usually in trouble. They might have been accidentally neglected and not watered, they could have diseases, insect issues, or other damage. You are not getting a bargain if you are bringing these problems home. You could even infect your healthy plants with the problems brought in on these "bargains."
Before you head out to the garden center or plant sale have a plan in mind and do your homework on the plants you would like. Select the healthiest plants out of the lot and keep those impulse buys to a minimum. And if you find an unfamiliar plant, you can always research it on the spot by visiting Gardening Solutions or Ask IFAS.
-- Wendy Wilber