Yep, all those reasons are why I don't shop t the big box stores for plants, that and not knowing where they came from. Our nurseries start 80% of the plants themselves, know hwo they were grown, what they're planted in, fertilized with, etc. Not to mention the plants are meant for this area and the workers can and will tell you what's good, what's grows faster, what spreads and so on. People at the big box stores give you a blank stare if you ask them something beyond what you might find on the plant tag and half the time don't even know what certain plants are.... I find it a bit annoying TBH.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 223
- Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:59 pm
- Location: Southern Ca
yesterday I went to the stores looking for pepper plants, since I never have any luck getting them to grow from seeds, but the stores don't seem to have any variety this year, in the way of peppers all I saw was jalapeno and green pepper, didn't even tell me what variety. In the way of other plants there was tomatoes but I didn't even look at them since we are not ready for them yet, I saw some corn, broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, and other cold weather plants (it's getting to warm for them here now) but nothing else, I would have liked to pick up some egg plant but that was only available in the large containers, I would have liked some other varieties but they didn't have any, I didn't even look at the ones that were individually potted though because those were about the same size as the ones in the pack and I wasn't going to spend extra money for the same exact age plant (no the multi packs were not root bound, I just planted them today and the roots had not even made it half way to the bottom.)
The stores here don't have live plants in yet, thankfully! Our last frost is late April/early may.
It must have been 40 degrees when I bought my manure and I was the only one in the garden section. We had to wait 20 minutes for someone to come and open the cash register so we didn't have to haul 1000 pounds of manure through the whole store. That would have been fun!!
That's the only stuff I buy at the "box stores" I mail order my seeds, and try and avoid fertilizers, et al. Not sure if there's any real nurseries around here, now that I think about it.
It must have been 40 degrees when I bought my manure and I was the only one in the garden section. We had to wait 20 minutes for someone to come and open the cash register so we didn't have to haul 1000 pounds of manure through the whole store. That would have been fun!!
That's the only stuff I buy at the "box stores" I mail order my seeds, and try and avoid fertilizers, et al. Not sure if there's any real nurseries around here, now that I think about it.
I always have to look through the garden center when I go the box stores (like staring at a car wreck, you just can't look away). I've been planning a blueberry bed, so for grins I looked at the variety names they had. After several months of research on varieties for the south, you'd think I'd recognize a few names from the tags - nope. Not one single name that has come up in my "blueberry varieties for the south" research. So, are they making up their own names or are they just sending whatever varieties they can get to any store that orders them? I saw no mention on ANY of their tags about "rabbiteye" blueberries, which is what's usually recommended for my locale. I have also researched south/heat adapted lowbush-type blueberries and didn't see any of those names, either.
Things that make you go, hmmmm.
Things that make you go, hmmmm.
- applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30550
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Re: Blueberries -- I just received Blueberries I ordered on-line. One variety is called "O'Neal" (SG:SG1 ). I hope this selection turns out as super *performer* as the "Enterprise" apple tree. I also have a dwarf pear tree I'm styling as espalier called "Magness (Magnus)"
...actually I do read and research the varieties quite a bit before making purchases.
...actually I do read and research the varieties quite a bit before making purchases.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 223
- Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:59 pm
- Location: Southern Ca
I wish I could order live plants online and have them shipped to me but unless they were grown in southern ca then they can't be shipped here, so I have no choice but to buy what is available locally (which isn't much) or at least that's the way it seems because every time I go to order something it says it can't be shipped to my area.
ordering seeds online is so expensive, I spent $2-$3 per packet of melon seeds that only contained about 8-10 seeds in each.
ordering seeds online is so expensive, I spent $2-$3 per packet of melon seeds that only contained about 8-10 seeds in each.
- stella1751
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1494
- Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:40 am
- Location: Wyoming
We have only one local nursery up here. The plants are ideal for our area, and they are started locally, so they get a nice start. However, each year they trot out the same three varieties of cucumbers, six varieties of tomatoes, two varieties of pumpkins, and so on. I know what they have before I even walk in the door. That's why I prefer the box stores. The Home Depot and WalMart up here have a huge variety, a dozen, at least, of each plant.
However, the local nursery has a 50% sale (or better) at the beginning of July each year. If I have a gap in my garden, I'll run in and buy some leggy 3' tomato plant for $4.95. By mid-July, it's begun to produce, and I can get tomatoes off it until October
However, the local nursery has a 50% sale (or better) at the beginning of July each year. If I have a gap in my garden, I'll run in and buy some leggy 3' tomato plant for $4.95. By mid-July, it's begun to produce, and I can get tomatoes off it until October
- Rogue11
- Senior Member
- Posts: 202
- Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 2:22 pm
- Location: Orange County, California
Actually there are some places that do ship to California. I know some plants,e specially citrus can not be shipped, but I have ordered peppers and tomatoes before (I think they came from Ohio) and blueberry bushes (bare root) from Washington state.annastasia76 wrote:I wish I could order live plants online and have them shipped to me but unless they were grown in southern ca then they can't be shipped here, so I have no choice but to buy what is available locally (which isn't much) or at least that's the way it seems because every time I go to order something it says it can't be shipped to my area.
ordering seeds online is so expensive, I spent $2-$3 per packet of melon seeds that only contained about 8-10 seeds in each.
PM me if you want me to check where I ordered the tomatoes and peppers. It was last year but I still have the invoice somewhere.
Shipping for plants can be expensive too, though. But the shipping price per plant usually gets cheaper if you order more.
Home Depot is definitely not the place to shop for tomatoes.
It does make one feel a bit like a genius to start plants from seed - save all that money, know how the plants are cared for and grow varieties that you can't find for sale locally.
And when friends/neighbors admire the garden/plants, one can feel really good about the effort it takes to grow from seed.
It does make one feel a bit like a genius to start plants from seed - save all that money, know how the plants are cared for and grow varieties that you can't find for sale locally.
And when friends/neighbors admire the garden/plants, one can feel really good about the effort it takes to grow from seed.
I heard that Home Depot and Lowes "contract" with the nurseries, and the stores only pay the vendors for the plants they sell. So, it's actually the nurseries that are bringing in and servicing the racks full of plants. That's why the stores don't care if the plants get frozen, because it's no loss to them.Rogue11 wrote:I think Home Depot in general doesn't seem to do well with plants nor seem the people working in their garden section to have any knowledge about gardening.
I have no way of knowing if that's true or not; so my apologies if I'm passing on bad information.
People get anxious to get their garden going, especially when they see plants in stores. It's the thrill of spring syndrome we gardeners have. I've learned the difficult way to be patient as possible to set plants out since we live in the coldest clime in ohio.
As for box stores, I didn't buy anything from there until recently, have always gone to greenhouses and nurseries. They seem more reliable to me, plus I love the atmosphere. What I have purchased at the box store has been very little, can't say those plants did any better or worse.
I know several people who have a 'frost proof" way to get their tomatos out in the garden early; they all lost their first plantings last year. Hey, I've done that, too!
As for box stores, I didn't buy anything from there until recently, have always gone to greenhouses and nurseries. They seem more reliable to me, plus I love the atmosphere. What I have purchased at the box store has been very little, can't say those plants did any better or worse.
I know several people who have a 'frost proof" way to get their tomatos out in the garden early; they all lost their first plantings last year. Hey, I've done that, too!
Our Home Depot, Walmart and Lowe's have people who work in the garden area attending the plants - people we see all year long. They get frost bitten or so dried out that there is always a rack of plants that are nearly free and practically dead.
I know some folks don't have the setup to grow their own plants from seed and one hopes they get their plants early so they can take care of them. I do prefer the garden centers because the ones I shop at do a great job taking care of the plants. (Even though I start my plants from seed, I can't resist an occassional unusual perennial.)
The nurseries are more expensive so people do what they need to.
I know some folks don't have the setup to grow their own plants from seed and one hopes they get their plants early so they can take care of them. I do prefer the garden centers because the ones I shop at do a great job taking care of the plants. (Even though I start my plants from seed, I can't resist an occassional unusual perennial.)
The nurseries are more expensive so people do what they need to.
Some people don't have the setup to start their own seeds? What setup... last year I started mine with a $2 plastic jiffy kit and a bag of seed starter. No lights, no greenhouse, just that and a window. You don't really need the extra stuff (lights, etc) It just helps you have stronger plants. I bought a light this year, but even that only cost $15 with the bulbs and a small space on a shelf in the basement.
You don't need a lot to start your own seeds and not only does it save a lot of money, there's no limit on the varieties you can have.
Then again not everyone becomes an addict like me
You don't need a lot to start your own seeds and not only does it save a lot of money, there's no limit on the varieties you can have.
Then again not everyone becomes an addict like me
- gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
-
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
It's funny you mention the market DD. My DH commented, after seeing my trays of seedlings, that I could probably sell some of them at our rummage sale this spring.
I was like :shock, SELL THEM??? You want me to sell my babies to random strangers who might kill them? I'm sure he thinks I'm cracked in the head, especially after I already killed my blacktail mtn watermelon....
I was like :shock, SELL THEM??? You want me to sell my babies to random strangers who might kill them? I'm sure he thinks I'm cracked in the head, especially after I already killed my blacktail mtn watermelon....
- gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
It COULD very well snow again.TZ -OH6 wrote:Not unless you have ready to plant plants and it is snowing outside.
I saw tomatoes at Lowe's (probably Home Depot and Wal Mart as well) 2 maybe 3 weeks ago. I was a little shocked. Oh yeah they had to move them inside cause we got 4 inches of snow a few weekends ago. Go figure I always see WAY out of season plants there like potatoes and such in dang near Oct.