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Insiders Guide to buying plants at a nursery

The days are longer, the air is warm and the time is ripe for gardening! Whether you’re starting completely from scratch or looking to fill bare patches in your beds, before you make a bee-line for the garden centre, make sure you read our tips on what to look for when buying plants at the nursery. It will hopefully save you a head or heartache in the long run.

The irresistible clearance rack – While the prices can be incredibly tempting, think twice before purchasing plants on clearance. If it’s only a slight rip in the leaf or the pot is missing a label, it’s likely to be okay. However, these plants are usually there for a reason, they’re typically past their ‘plant by’ date – their leaves are broken, completely wilted or worse, dead. Avoid at all costs!
Root around – When plants have been in their pot for a little too long, especially if they’re mature shrubs or trees, they can become pot bound. Their roots are completely entangled and spiralled within the pot and these plants won’t thrive or last long. Ask the nursery hand to help you remove it from the pot for you to assess. Also, make sure the roots are light brown to white – it’s a sign of a healthy root system.
Hidden nasties – Check leaves, stems and potting mix thoroughly for any signs of pests or diseases. Otherwise, you may be unwillingly inviting any unwanted guests into your backyard.
Lean and green – Choose multi-stemmed, bushy plants over tall, stretched, spindly looking plants. The latter ‘leggy’ plants did not receive enough sunlight and generally won’t recover well from this. Besides, a fuller plant is so much more attractive, especially when you’re looking at planting out a hedge.
Divide and conquer – If there are any plants that you can see with multiple plants or clumps, add it to the basket quick smart! They can be divided into multiple plants and spread across the garden or smaller pots. Two or more plants for the price of one, how’s that for value!

Once you bring your plants home, plant them up as soon as possible. If you can’t, water them well and place them in a well-lit spot, with protection from the hot afternoon sun.

Prior to planting, ensure you improve the soil well with Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food. Once planted, water in well with Yates Thrive Natural Seaweed Tonic, which will help support the growing needs of a young plant.