Feb 05 2013
5 Tips to Choose Healthy Plants
Almost every budding or experienced gardener visits the nursery every now and then to find new plants for their garden.
However, there’s every chance that you might just not necessarily pick the best if you aren’t sure how to look for signs of a lack health.
So, here are 5 tips that you can look for when buying plants, so as to make the best choice:
#1: Foliage
Probably the first thing to look for is whether the leaves are shiny, green and lush instead of wilting and yellowish in color. If they fall into the latter category, there’s every chance that they won’t recover.
#2: Weeds
Look for weeds in the pot, and avoid such plants because they compete for nutrients with the plants itself but more importantly will indicate negligence on the part of the nursery staff.
#3: Stem Damage
If the plant you want to purchase has a thick or woody stem, then look for cracks or scars.
#4: Look for Insects and Disease
For this, you have to take a closer look at the plant, on both sides of the leaves as well as the potting soil. Some of the symptoms caused by insects and disease include mushiness, blackened areas, holes, distortions and spots.
#5: Check the Root System
Make sure you inspect the roots as well, and if you find that they are growing out of the bottom of the pot then they are stressed. On the other hand, if the plants lifts out very and doesn’t have any roots, then it’s time to avoid this particular plant as it might have been re-potted recently and needs more time in order to grow properly in a garden.