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All Those Beautiful Nursery Plants: How Do You Choose? |
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Written by Claudene Wharton
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Tuesday, 01 July 2008 |
The nurseries are bursting with flowers and foliage, and it’s still a great time to plant.
If you’re like me, you’re tempted to simply pick up one of these and one of those as you stroll through the nursery in a gardener’s bliss, dazzled by new plant choices, as well as some of your old favorites. However, impulse buying is not prudent when it comes to purchasing landscape plants. Here is a checklist of considerations to bring with you on your next trip to the nursery.
Know where you are going to put a plant before you purchase it. This relates to several plant characteristics that you should know before purchasing a plant, including the mature size of the plant; light, water and soil requirements; hardiness; bloom time and color; and fall color or winter interest.
Mature size of the plant. It has happened to most of us – we overplant. We purchase a two by two-foot shrub that becomes a six- by ten-foot beast in a couple of years, crowding out all of our other pretties we have planted in the area. If the plant tag doesn’t say what the mature size of the plant is, ask staff at the nursery. You can also ask how long it should take the plant to reach that size. You should also consider that, in our area, many plants will not reach their fullest potential in size, due to our less-than-ideal growing conditions. Many trees that can grow to twenty feet tall, for example, are likely only to reach about fifteen feet tall in our area.
Light requirements. Most plants require either sun, partial sun, or shade. Placing a plant that requires some shade in a very sunny location is a recipe for disaster. I learned this firsthand by planting a holly bush in a full-sun location. I actually thought it would get only partial sun, but the tree that I planted to provide it with some shade didn’t grow fast enough! The poor holly didn’t even survive long enough to brighten up our holidays.
Water requirements. Most plants require regular watering when first starting out, but there are many varieties that are drought-tolerant once established, making them good choices for our area. Whether you are looking for a drought-tolerant plant or not, it is essential to know the plant’s water requirements, so that you can plan your irrigation appropriately. By grouping together plants with similar water requirements, you can more easily design an irrigation system to meet all your plants’ needs.
Soil and drainage requirements. Most plants require a soil with ample organic matter and good drainage. However, some have more specific requirements, such as a soil with a higher or lower pH level. Some dislike “wet feet” more than others, and require more drainage. Years ago, I planted a bunch of irises in my flat backyard that remained quite soggy all winter. Only a couple of my irises survived the winter. Irises and many bulbs require very good drainage, or they will rot.
Hardiness. Our average low temperature is about twenty-one degrees Fahrenheit. So, if you’re buying a plant to be a perennial, wanting it to survive the winters and come back year after year, you don’t want to purchase anything that isn’t hardy down to at least about ten to twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Also, consider that there are microclimates within our area, and within your own yard. For example, I live up a bit in the Reno foothills, and our low temperatures average about eight degrees colder than those recorded at the airport each day. I look for plants hardy down to zero to ten degrees Fahrenheit. And, in the fall, I mulch heavily around my more delicate plants, such as my roses, to provide them with additional winter protection.
Another feature of hardiness that we sometimes forget to consider is how well a plant can withstand our strong winds. If you are purchasing a more delicate plant, tree, or shrub, make sure you have a location for it that is sheltered from our gusty winds. Make sure you stake a young tree appropriately the first year, or you will surely have a “leaning tower of Pisa” tree for years to come! (Unfortunately, this is another lesson I learned firsthand!)
Bloom time and color. Often, we go shopping at the nurseries and purchase a bunch of pretty plants that are all in bloom at that particular time. We end up with a yard full of color for a few weeks, and then devoid of color for the rest of the year. Try to include plants that bloom in early spring, spring, late spring, early summer, summer, late summer, and fall in your yard. Also, think about colors that will compliment each other. For example, bright yellow and deep purple make a stunning combination planted together. Or, picture some soft peach, creamy white, and variegated greens making a beautiful scene for a soothing, serene outdoor area for when you want to kick back and relax at the end of the day.
Fall color and winter interest. Even when the blooms have all faded, plants can still provide color and interest. Of course, there are the leaves that turn vibrant yellows, oranges, reds, and even purplish. Choosing plants that provide a variety of fall color will extend the beauty of your yard into November. For winter interest, in addition to some evergreens, don’t forget to include some other plants, such as red-twig and yellow-twig dogwood, that provide a splash of color and interest. Some ornamental grasses can also add winter interest.
In addition to the above considerations, it is also good to know about potential disease and pest problems of a plant before you buy it. If a plant is particularly susceptible to an insect pest in our area, are you dedicated enough to relentlessly apply pesticides or take other necessary actions to battle the pests? If drought conditions make a tree species particularly susceptible to a certain disease or pest, is it a good idea to purchase that tree for our area? Folks at the nursery should be able to tell you about diseases or pests that a plant may be susceptible to, or if that particular variety is resistant to most diseases and pests.
Staff at the nursery should also be able to fill you in on the plant’s maintenance requirements. Do you want to purchase a shrub that requires heavy pruning? Do you want to care for a fussy plant that requires regular fertilization, deadheading, or other special care?
Finally, just be sure to choose plants that are in good health. Check to make sure plants you purchase:
• Are not dried out. The leaves should generally be soft and pliable, not crispy. The soil in the container should be damp.
• Have not been kept directly on hot concrete or pavement, which can burn the plant’s roots.
• Are in large enough containers. Plants that have overgrown their containers are likely to be root-bound, with their roots entwined and choking themselves.
• Are not loaded with insect pests. Look for holes in the leaves, and look on the undersides of leaves, where many insect pests hide.
• Have a nice shape. Bigger or taller is not always better. Often, a shorter, fuller plant makes for a prettier specimen in the long run than the taller one next to it on the shelf. Taller, less full plants may become spindly and scant-looking.
For more information on gardening, contact University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, 784-4848. Check out many useful horticulture publications at www.unce.unr.edu or “Ask a Master Gardener” by emailing
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Claudene Wharton is the public information officer for the western area of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
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