Bargain Hunts!

I love this time of year for plant buying. While seed and plant catalogues abound, I much prefer to delve into the local garden centres and pick up some half dead, ratty looking pots of plants, to me they are like little treasure chests full of green gold.

Yes I know, most people (including myself) will tell you to buy plants in the best condition possible, new growth, no flowers etc. However, I've always championed the underdog and head straight to the reduced section. I get a great sense of satisfaction seeing them come alive again even if I've only really helped a little bit. So I'm hoping to pass on some tips and gain some more from other bargain hunters.

I generally don't buy from any store that has the outdoor plants indoors, usually they've spent their time in artificial lighting, heat, have been moved around and not looked after properly. They don't cope well in garden situations when they've spent the best part of the year in these conditions. Instead it's the garden centres and nurseries who offer the better bets.

Look for new growth at the base of the plant, shoots or leaves, this is especially important on herbaceous and evergreen plants. Anything that is just green at the top could well be dying (but more on those later).

Take a look at the roots, the plant is pot bound if the roots are massing beneath the pot. This isn't the end of the world, if it's a decent price and the roots aren't too thick. I'm quite rough and do what you're not supposed to, that is tear those outside roots off to get the plant out of the pot and ease the fibrous roots away from it's pot soil to try and stop them from continuing to wind around the root ball. If the tap root is coming out the bottom and is discoloured, have a good think about how much you really want the plant!

Look for pest damage and avoid plants showing it like the plague, more like as not, baby pests are being harboured somewhere on the plant.

Look for weeds and moss in the pot or evidence that they've recently been pulled out. If you really want the plant you should try and get the whole of the weed out before it goes in the garden. You may also be introducing weeds from seed that are dormant in the pot soil, keep a close eye out for anything germinating in there. Moss isn't a huge problem and once the plant is in the garden or replanted, it goes, it's usually a drainage and/or over fertilisation and watering problem. It just shows that your plant hasn't been cared for by the garden centre.

Back to plants with green only at the top. It's not so bad on decidious plants, if you can see healthy leaf buds then it's usually fine but anything that is brittle ... avoid! If you really want a plant that only has green at the top, you could use it for propagation if it's suitable for cuttings, so it's worth knowing what you're looking at in that situation.

At the end of the year we tend to see pots of soil with a label in it for sale, beware, it really could be just a pot of soil! I surreptitiously dig about in the centre of the pot to see if I can see or feel any shoots (covering it back over of course). If you can only feel them at the very edge of the pot it could well be a weed rather than the plant you want so buyer beware!

This time of the year it's likely that the label and plant don't actually go together or simply don't have a label, if in doubt, do nowt! Books and experience come in handy here. I used to grow Viola hederacea (Ivy leaved Violet) and spent quite some time trying to find another plant to buy, last autumn I went past a reduced section and spotted it, no label, no price, sad, unloved and loney. I immediately picked it up and said nothing going through the checkout, I got an absolute bargain on that species and it's flowering like nobodies business right now, all because I happened to recognise the wilted leaves.

Anyone else an inveterate plant bargain hunter and what are yout tips?

This message was edited Oct 25, 2003 12:30 PM

I don't have any great tips. Yours sound great to me. In the beginning of August, Home Depot was clearing out their plants. Perrenials for $3 and annuals for $1. They all looked practically DEAD!! But I did see potential. My DH thought I was nuts, but I brought home 30 plants for $1 each. They all came back and are STILL going strong! I have been able to enjoy Lantana and Scaveola among other annuals that I have never thought to purchase. And collect seeds! Oh, and I did get a purple coneflower for a buck too. I love a bargain!!

Baa, thanks for your great tips.

Stan and I cruised Home Depot's "Outdoor Plants, 90% off" racks the other day. I got a quite nice six pack of very large blue and purple pansies for 40 cents and Stan, looking on the top racks, found a Rhododendren rosea for 50 cents. Unfortunately, the rest looked pretty much like 90% off plants, and I'm not talking about the price.

I think you pretty much covered the tips, Baa, other than bring someone tall with you to check out the top rack.

Thanks :)

Ahh see there were some great tips there, Celia, you mentioned the bonus of seeds (which more than makes up for a dollar or two and you know what they are straight away). Kathleen, can't beat a tall man for seeing what's on the top shelf. Unfortunately I don't have such a handy man which is why I suppose I grew extra long arms for a shortie *G*

I know what you mean about 90% off type plants, I saw some beautiful Rhododendrons whose leaves had gone yellow and were dropping off, pity becuase I might have been tempted to haggle on a white flowered one.

I have mums all over my yard and paid only $0.25 for all of them. In most cases the nice big pots they were in were worth that much. Mums usually always make a come back if soaked well, cut way back, and planted out. Have also bought $0.25 dead hanging baskets just to get the baskets.

October is my absolute favorite time for plant shopping. I just bought 5 plants from Park Seed for 50% off. They are field grown and are very very nice. We also have a nursery here that puts everything 50% off during the month of October. They don't sell flowers. Just shrubs and trees. Really nice ones too! I've bought camellia, hydrangrea, crape myrtle, clethra, and dahpne from them. This is a very upscale nursery and even at 50% off they are still a bit high but definitely worth it. Their things are so nice. They have azaleas, rhododendrens, all sorts of shrubs and trees. I never run across the half dead stuff but I wouldn't hesitate to buy it if I could find it. I do remember being at Home Depot once and they were giving away free african violets. I think you were allowed 3 or something and the checkout lady put two more in my cart. She said they had plenty LOL...

Catlady

25 cents for a basket? I'm coming shopping with you next time! Definitely a bargain.

Vic

That sounds like a great nursery when even their discount plants look good. Can't beat a better bargain than free plants ... when are Home Depot coming to the UK? *G*