Ready, set, plant! Mother’s Day weekend is not only a time to recognize Mom for all she does, but it is
time to plant warm-season plants. This weekend, why not combine the two and
take Mom shopping for her favorite plants? Don’t forget that Mom will probably expect some help planting them.
Whether shopping for Mom or yourself, here are a few tips to help you get the
most bang for your buck at the garden center.
It is a good idea to shop with a plan of what plants to purchase and how many
are needed. Knowing what you want to buy and the growing conditions of the
location will help you avoid impulse purchases. For many of us it is more
important that we have a budget, because we can easily get carried away buying
every beautiful flowering plant that we see.
All plants purchased should be healthy, stocky, disease-free and insect-free,
with good roots. Inspect the underside of the leaves, as this is where many
insects like to lay eggs. Avoid plants with yellow leaves (unless they’re supposed to be that color). Yellow or brown leaves are signs of insects,
disease damage, lack of care, root damage or frost damage. Look for plants with
new growth.
It is tempting to buy plants that are in full bloom. This is OK if you are
buying a hanging basket or an already potted container. Plants that will be
transplanted should not be in full bloom. Look for annual flowers that are just
starting to bud out. Plants with no buds or few buds have less transplant shock
than plants in full bloom.
Take time to read pot tags. They contain useful information about plant size at
maturity, spacing, requirements for sun or shade and hardiness zone.
Most of us want instant gratification, but keep in mind that plants do grow.
Many gardeners will opt for buying the biggest plant they can afford but if you
are on a tight budget, it is OK to buy market packs. The key with market packs
is patience. If planted, watered and fertilized properly, annual seedlings such
as petunias will become full and lush in no time.
Plants are available for purchase almost everywhere, including grocery stores,
hardware stores, department stores and garden centers. Prices may be cheaper at
grocery stores and department stores, but plant selection and knowledge of the
staff is sometimes limited. Garden centers tend to have more selection, plants
that are better cared for and knowledgeable staff, but prices generally are
higher.
If you will need advice from staff, visit during non-peak times such as during
the work week, early or late in the day or on rainy days. The busiest plant
shopping times are sunny weekend days during May.
If you are growing a vegetable garden for the first time, plan before you shop.
What size is the garden? How much can you realistically plant in the allotted
space? What does your family like to eat? Which vegetables will be purchased as
plants and which will be purchased as seed?
Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, pepper, sweet
potato and tomato are best put in the garden as plants. Potatoes are grown from
cut up seed potatoes and onions are usually grown from plants or sets. (It is
getting late in the season to find potatoes and onions.) The rest of the
vegetable crops are easily grown from seed. Last week, I was surprised to find
individual green bean and corn plants for sale. I was even more shocked at the
price of $3 per plant. A packet of 50 green bean seeds costs less than $3.
University of Illinois Extension offers a couple of great vegetable gardening
Web sites. Tips to growing a successful vegetable garden can be found on Illinois Vegetable Garden Guide Web site, http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/ vegguide/. For information on growing,
storing and preparing vegetables, visit Watch your Garden Grow, http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/.
Ready, set, let’s all plant this weekend.
Contact Jennifer Fishburn at fishburn@illinois.edu.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.
