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Care needed when buying plants

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  • 14-02-2009 7:42pm
    #1
    bmaxi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭


    I was going to post in Consumer Issues but it's probably more relevant here.
    I went to plant 3 Daphne mezereum bushes, purchased in B+Q, for a neighbour and when I removed the plants from their 5 litre pots, half of each rootball fell away. Call me cynical but this suggests to me that the plants were only recently potted on, the aim being, presumably, to achieve a higher price for the larger size. It would be difficult to lay the blame on B+Q as they may not have been aware of the fact but just to let people know what to look out for when buying container plants. Tap the plant out of the pot and check the rootball before buying, it should come out easily and the rootball should remain reasonably intact. Plants of this size are quite expensive so make sure you get what you are paying for.


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    #2
    Sonnenblumen
    Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    You could be right but sometimes it has also to do with the fact that the plants are newly transplanted field grown stock and rather than squeezing young roots into a smaller pot, it is better and safer to pot on into a larger pot. But it's hard not to be cynical as this is an old trick by nurseries (as plants are sold by pot size more so than height)!!

    So retailer probably also innocent party.

    BTW, Daphne mez. is a fantstic plant, great form, colour and a divine scent. One of the best especially this time of year.

    Enjoy.


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    #3
    bmaxi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭bmaxi


    Sonnenblumen wrote: »
    You could be right but sometimes it has also to do with the fact that the plants are newly transplanted field grown stock and rather than squeezing young roots into a smaller pot, it is better and safer to pot on into a larger pot. But it's hard not to be cynical as this is an old trick by nurseries (as plants are sold by pot size more so than height)!!

    So retailer probably also innocent party.

    BTW, Daphne mez. is a fantstic plant, great form, colour and a divine scent. One of the best especially this time of year.

    Enjoy.

    I would say that these were grown in containers as there was a smaller rootball inside, also AFAIK Daphne is difficult to transplant and the failure rate would be high.


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