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Post by oldmoleskins on Sept 17, 2006 18:42:52 GMT
Just bought - at no small expense I might say - a couple of yew cones from a Wyevale GC. Not only are they in pots filled to the brim so it's impossible to water them - it just rolls off - they are completely pot-bound. They must rely on quick turnover!!
Now, as it happens, I knew this and it's not a problem for me - I'm re-potting into larger stone planters anyway.
But just in case anyone is buying container plants to keep in containers, do, always check - they may need instant repotting - awkward if you bought for a container back home that's the same size!
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Post by madonplants on Sept 17, 2006 19:32:10 GMT
To be honest I would rather buy a potbound plant, as long as the plant has not been starved, to one that has just been re potted. I have to admit, I want a watering gap though. I remember finding a lovely Prunus Serrula, that had the perfect shape, that when I picked it up, by it's stem, it just came out of it's pot, without the compost! It looked like it had just been dug up, put in a pot and some compost put in. It was the wrong time for bare rooted plants to go in, so I gave it a miss. Shame really as it had a great stem and shape. Whether it survived, I will never know, I never went back to that particular garden centre!
Good point though.
Keith
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2006 20:22:34 GMT
I must admit I very rarely buy from Garden Centres, always preferring nurseries. However today I made an exception, I found some unusual Corydalis (they have a silver marking on the leaves) and they were incredibly pot bound and reduced from £7.99  to £2.00. Bough some, took them home and split them, I now have 27 little plants, just right for growing on  |
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Post by jlottie on Sept 17, 2006 20:44:55 GMT
I do try to buy from nurseries when I can but every now and again I am tempted. After seeing an employee going round and taking off all the dead leaves from obviously stressed plants so they looked healthy and then moving them to the front of the display did put me off. I check anything I buy and make sure that there are lots of fresh new growth and roots showing through the bottom of the pot which hopefully tells me that they haven't just been potted on.
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Post by MamIDdau on Sept 17, 2006 20:59:36 GMT
I work for B&Q and know that there are some good bargains to be found for plants that are near their "sell by date". Plants and cement are 2 of a few products that have a sell by date so if they're not sold by that date they are discounted down to a silly price and if they still don't sell then they are written off and put in the skip. It's awful watching a plant that just needs a little tlc being chucked away! Shame I don't have room for them :-(
I personally would rather have a pot bound plant as at least it's a good grower! I try telling this to some customers who feel the need to complain about this fact...
Anyway, I got 24 delta orange pansies for 20p today so I don't mind if they don't do too well (even though there's absolutely nothing wrong with them so there's no reason why they shouldn't).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2006 21:10:46 GMT
I saw some plants at B&Q yesterday and they were in an awful condition, Hebes that were 80% dead and they weren't cheap! I do wish DIY stores would stick to DIY items. They hadn't got any strimmer line, small bayonet lightbulbs or the hacksaw blades I needed but they had masses of tatty plants  |
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Post by madonplants on Sept 17, 2006 21:57:59 GMT
Thinking about it a bit more, that Prunus was from a nursery and not a garden centre, so that is not always the anwer. It was in Leicestshire ( I won't go further) and the majority of its plants were OK, but that one plant put me off. It is a shame as when I lived nearby, I could just about guarantee getting what I wanted from there, and quite often a rarer species. As for B & Q, some outlets are better than others. If you have a manager interested in plants, they will look after them better. I am in no way connected with them, but I am sure this is the explanation as the one I go to, and it is a superstore, has plants that aren't bad. There is always someone out there checking them. This is not, as stated, always the case. I have known bad ones as well!
Keith
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2006 22:54:40 GMT
I think you may be right - all of the ones in Cornwall are awful for plants, but we have superb nurseries (as well as a couple of dire ones - how these keep going I will never know).
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Post by Plocket on Sept 18, 2006 11:22:39 GMT
I think all places vary whether they are part of a large chain or a small nursery, depending on who works there. Our B&Q isn't too bad on plants and as I drive past I can often see a member of staff watering them - my main concern is with plants drying out particularly as lots of places overfill the pots. I nipped into B&Q a while back when someone on the Beeb said they had some lovely clematis: the clems were looking a bit shabby and there was only one left of the particular one I wanted. I hoiked it out and took it to the cash desk and pointed out that it was really naff looking, and that they would never sell it - and made them an offer. The manager was hauled forth and accepted my offer, so I got a 3ft clematis for about £3 I think it was. It was a group 2 clem so I planted it up, nurtured it a bit and was rewarded with new growth and a second flush of flowers.
Actually talking about overfilling pots, last year my neighbour commented on my "meanness" with compost in my pots. I pointed out that the water wouldn't flow over the edges when I watered, and he said "mmm I didn't think of that"!!!
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Post by oldmoleskins on Sept 18, 2006 22:10:54 GMT
I used to have about 6 or 7000 container yew and box at one time. No automated water system ever seemed fully reliable and we watered mainly by hand. Rainy days can seem strangely blissful under certain circs... and you certainly want a 'water space' with that sort of stock or you could spend an hour on one!
OM
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2006 13:26:43 GMT
Oooo, I LOVE going to B&Q on a rescue mission, there are loads of us St Georges of the 'not- much- longer- for- this- world plants' out there, who like to pick up the plants past their best for next to nothing and nurse them back to health. I'd much rather do that than buy something for full price, I can't justify it any more, and I've hardly had any fatalities. Like aprilaydee says, most of them only need a bit of tlc. It's the same with the sale shelf in the garden centres. It's got to the point where I go head straight to the 'bargain basement' every time I go there for a good rummage.
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Post by MamIDdau on Sept 19, 2006 17:36:40 GMT
We haven't got any half dead hebes at our store! lol If you ask at the checkouts anyway if you can have a further reduction on them, they might say no, but you can always ask and the gardening manager might always agree as they know when they are due the next delivery in and how much space they need to decide whether they will allow the plant to go for that price. I don't see why they wouldn't anyway as surely any money for the plant is better for it eventually being put into the skip and cashed off for 1p!?
Anyway, I was happy with my 24 20p pansies and violas and hanging basket collection :-D
There are bargains to be had everywhere if you're looking in the right place at the right time...
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Post by MamIDdau on Sept 19, 2006 17:38:22 GMT
Oh and we have strimmer line, hacksaws and replacement blades and and SBC lightbulbs hehe Come to north wales for all your DIY needs <tries not to think of a smutty remark to go with that one>
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to £2.00. 
