Help with Buying Young Garden Plants in the Spring
2022-03-22
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1Many gardeners do not begin to grow their plants from seeds.
2Instead, they buy young plants, also called seedling or "starts."
3These are plants that are grown in a nursery: a place where plants are grown and sold.
4Many gardeners buy seedlings in containers for their gardens.
5Most nursery seedlings are either plants that last for one growing season or are vegetables.
6They come in plastic containers holding four to six plants.
7Many people also buy "starts" in individual containers.
8But it is important to pay attention when buying spring starts.
9A gardener usually cannot go back and begin again in the middle of spring or summer.
10And a good gardener wants to have plants that perform for the season.
11Here is some helpful information to help get good plants:
12The first step is finding a good nursery.
13A good gardener will ask themselves if it looks like the nursery grows its own plants, or buys them from larger growers.
14Nurseries that grow their own spring starts usually take good care of them.
15The larger growers, or wholesalers, might not be able to do so.
16Make sure the plants have been watered correctly.
17If not, the seedlings will have a hard time developing.
18If there are lots of half-dead or dried-out plants, it is often a sign to buy elsewhere.
19Next, before buying a grouping of seedlings, feel the soil.
20In addition to being wet but not flooded, it should not be dense.
21That is a sign of it having been dried out.
22In fact, the soil should smell fresh.
23Look at the holes at the bottom of the container to see the roots.
24If the roots are too dense, that is a sign not to buy the plant.
25Look to see if there has been damage from the wind or sun.
26Damaged plants will take time to repair.
27Also look for signs of fungal or bacterial infection.
28Plants should be free from insects and not have the smell of chemicals.
29When buying spring plants in cell containers, all the plants in the group should be healthy.
30If one out of four plants in a grouping is not healthy, the others might not be far behind.
31A gardener should also know what plants they are buying.
32Look for the name of the kind of plant, the color and the height.
33That information can help gardeners buy the same plants in the future if they perform well.
34Many people ask about buying plants that are already flowering.
35Some plants will flower all season long, so that will not be a problem.
36However, other plants will flower once and never again.
37Avoid plants that have already flowered early in the season.
38Finally, always have a plan when buying plants.
39Something that helps gardeners is a simple drawing of their garden and a list of the plants they will buy.
40Some people even have it on their phone so it is always with them when they are at a nursery.
41I'm Gregory Stachel.
1Many gardeners do not begin to grow their plants from seeds. 2Instead, they buy young plants, also called seedling or "starts." These are plants that are grown in a nursery: a place where plants are grown and sold. 3Many gardeners buy seedlings in containers for their gardens. 4Most nursery seedlings are either plants that last for one growing season or are vegetables. They come in plastic containers holding four to six plants. Many people also buy "starts" in individual containers. 5But it is important to pay attention when buying spring starts. A gardener usually cannot go back and begin again in the middle of spring or summer. And a good gardener wants to have plants that perform for the season. 6Here is some helpful information to help get good plants: 7The first step is finding a good nursery. A good gardener will ask themselves if it looks like the nursery grows its own plants, or buys them from larger growers. Nurseries that grow their own spring starts usually take good care of them. The larger growers, or wholesalers, might not be able to do so. 8Make sure the plants have been watered correctly. If not, the seedlings will have a hard time developing. If there are lots of half-dead or dried-out plants, it is often a sign to buy elsewhere. 9Next, before buying a grouping of seedlings, feel the soil. In addition to being wet but not flooded, it should not be dense. That is a sign of it having been dried out. In fact, the soil should smell fresh. 10Look at the holes at the bottom of the container to see the roots. If the roots are too dense, that is a sign not to buy the plant. Look to see if there has been damage from the wind or sun. Damaged plants will take time to repair. 11Also look for signs of fungal or bacterial infection. Plants should be free from insects and not have the smell of chemicals. 12When buying spring plants in cell containers, all the plants in the group should be healthy. If one out of four plants in a grouping is not healthy, the others might not be far behind. 13A gardener should also know what plants they are buying. Look for the name of the kind of plant, the color and the height. That information can help gardeners buy the same plants in the future if they perform well. 14Many people ask about buying plants that are already flowering. Some plants will flower all season long, so that will not be a problem. However, other plants will flower once and never again. Avoid plants that have already flowered early in the season. 15Finally, always have a plan when buying plants. Something that helps gardeners is a simple drawing of their garden and a list of the plants they will buy. Some people even have it on their phone so it is always with them when they are at a nursery. 16I'm Gregory Stachel. 17Jeff Lowenfels reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. 18__________________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20garden - n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown 21soil - n. the top layer of earth in which plants grow 22fungal -adj. having to do with fungus: a kind of plant-like living things that do not have flowers or seeds 23drawing - n. a picture or image that is made by making lines on a surface with a pencil, pen, marker, chalk, but usually not with paint 24We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.