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How To Pick Out Healthy Plants
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It is always important to pick out healthy plants for a garden. Whether you are buying them yourself or receiving them as a gift, there are several things to consider before you go ahead and plant them in your garden.
Generally you will get good quality plants from a garden center or nursery. They should be regularly inspected to avoid disease or infestation of pests that could spread to other plants in your garden.
However, sometimes the nursery is not so careful and the plant may not be the healthy specimen that you expect. If the plants are stored too closely, disease can spread between them easily in a nursery. So it is still important to check this out before you spend any money.
You can usually pick out a healthy plant just by looking at it. Plants will always show signs of distress if there is a serious problem. If it doesn’t look healthy, then it probably isn’t.
You will see any signs of mites, fungus or other disease if you look closely. Wear your reading glasses if you need them to see detail.
Look at the leaves, stems and if possible, also the roots of the plants. Check the underside of the leaves. Look at any flower buds. Also, consider the condition of the soil. Does it seem that the plant has been well cared for?
With flowering plants, it is better to pick out the ones that have not flowered yet, if you can. They are stronger because they have not yet started to divert their energy into producing flowers and seeds. This means that they will be better able to withstand the trauma of being moved and transplanted than the plants that already have flowers.
If you don’t have a choice, either because it is a gift or because you want a particular plant and they are all flowering, some experts suggest removing all the flowers before transplanting the plant. I know it seems a pity to destroy its blossoms but you will probably end up with a stronger, healthier plant. However, if you received the flowering plant as a gift, it is probably better not to remove the flowers in sight of the person who gave it to you!
Trust your instinct and you will find you can pick out healthy plants that will be a real asset to your garden.
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