Ten Tips to Look for when Picking out Landscaping Plants

Landscaping and gardening requires a lot of time and effort as well as tender loving care on your part. When you decide to add some new plants to a garden landscape, want to expand your landscaped area, or are starting a brand new landscaping project, you want to invest your time and money wisely by picking out healthy, vibrant landscaping plants. What should you look for when picking out the plants to use in your landscaping projects? Here are some tips to help you choose the very best plants available:

Choose the right place to purchase landscaping plants. Whether you are buying plants from a discount superstore gardening department or buying from a nursery, look at the overall nursery and plant department. Determine if the majority of the landscaping plants appear to be healthy and well cared for. If many of the plants appear to be barely surviving, sun burned, or in very bad condition, you should seek another source for your purchases. Notice whether the plants have been watered recently and whether they are clearly labeled. A good nursery or plant department will have plant stock that is well groomed and healthy in appearance.

Look at the plant foliage. Take a careful look at leaves of the plants you are considering purchasing. Are the leaves green and lush or are they yellow and faded in appearance? If the leaves are yellowed, wilting, limp, or unhealthy in appearance, chances are the plant has been seriously stressed and may not be strong enough to recover.

Look at the shape of the plant. Is the plant compact and full with multiple stems? Steer away from plants that are taller and leggy in appearance. This indicates the plant may have been forced to grow taller to obtain enough light to survive and the spindly, thin plant may not grow well in your garden.

Look for disease. Are there any blackened areas, mushy spots, moldy looking growths, or stickiness on leaves? If so, the plant may have a disease that can spread to your whole garden. Choose a plant that has no signs of disease.

Look for insects. Carefully inspect the plant and the soil in which the plant is growing for any signs of insect infestations. While you may not see actual insects, you may find distorted leaves, holes, and leaves with uneven edges which have been nibbled by insects. Black spots, stickiness, or egg cases are signs to watch out for. You can easily bring pests into your [garden] on a new plant which can spread and wreak havoc on your entire garden.

Check the roots. Look at the root system of the plant and determine if the plant is pot bound. If the roots are growing out of the holes in the bottom of the container, the plant is most likely stressed from being root bound and may or may not recover well. If the plant lifts out of the pot very easily, the plant has probably been repotted recently and will become stressed when you replant it into your garden.

Observe the stem. Look at the main stem or stems of the plant. If the stem is thick or woody, look for cracks or scars indicating a plant that has been damaged and may be too weak to become well-established in your garden before the seasons change.

Look for weeds in the pots. If the pot containing the plant is infested with weeds, you know that the plant has been competing with the weeds for the available nutrients in the soil as well as neglect by the nursery. Choose a plant that is weed-free from a source that weeds their plants regularly.

Examine the root ball. If you are considering a tree or shrub with a burlap-wrapped root ball, be certain the root ball feels solid. If the root ball seems to have been broken, the roots may have dried out, weakening the plant.

Look at any buds or blossoms. A plant that is in bud will survive the stress of transplanting it much better than a plant that is in full bloom. Choose plants with small buds rather than open flowers whenever possible.

Choose plants that you love and will enjoy caring for, but keep in mind that starting with a healthy plant will help ensure your success growing that specimen. Don't settle for a plant that doesn't look healthy even though the price may be reduced. Seek out garden supply stores and nurseries that provide a wide selection of healthy stock and is appropriate for your climate and weather.

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