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elizabeth_101

Plant pet peeve!

elizabeth_101
9 years ago

I have a huge pet peeve when purchasing plants that can ruin the whole shopping trip. Plant nurseries are few and far between where I live so I have to make do with hardware and department store plant sections. My pet peeve is with the stores that buy tons of stock then leave them on the shelves to die! Every time I go shopping in the plant section I feel I am on a rescue mission. You know when you see cacti shriveling up and dying in the pot there has been long term neglect. I confess, there have been times when I've posted a lookout at each end of the aisle and watered the plants myself. Really, if there is no intention of attending to a plants most basic needs, why even stock them?

Comments (9)

  • zzackey
    9 years ago

    I feel the same way. The dollar store gets them in here and if it doesn't rain I don't think they get watered. The plants are on consignment from Bonnie's. Same with Walmart. The truck comes and takes out the bad plants and brings in new ones. We have a great Lowe's in Jax that has the nicest garden center I've ever seen. It's a joy to shop there. I tend to grow from seeds or cuttings or buy one at a yard sale.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    9 years ago

    If plants are cared for, they will cost more. It must be profitable or this wouldn't continue. If you want cared-for plants, please visit an owner-operated store. They could use your support, and the experience is totally different!

    Why should the plants be any different from the other crap that fills a store like WM? If there was a cheaper version of Pothos, for example, that doesn't live as long and 'breaks' easily, they would have it.

    People who wait for plants to go on clearance are part of the problem. If you want it, pay the extra $1.52 and get it while it's still healthy. A plant that's so abused that it dies isn't a good deal, doesn't save you $ or help you live better.

  • summersunlight
    9 years ago

    I agree with purple. If you don't have any good owner operated nurseries near you, consider shopping at online nurseries that take pride in their plants and care about quality. We can give you some recommendations for some places that make the effort to send healthy plants if you want.

  • marguerite_gw Zone 9a
    9 years ago

    The time will come when such cruelty to plants will not be tolerated - perhaps when the planet is in danger of losing many of its green living things to the detriment of human existence - oh, hey, that's nearly now.

  • tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
    9 years ago

    Not to fear, marguerite, long before the planet is in danger those businesses would have been shut down due to their greenhouse gasses. ;-)

    tj

  • flowerpottipper
    9 years ago

    What's worse is when these BB stores not only abuse the plants but absolutely refuse to put them on clearance. ...who in the heck would buy a half dead plant at full price?? My local Home Depot does this...

    And the few local nurseries by me always ask way too much on plants that are so common...why would I buy a basket of pothos for $45 when I can get the same exact thing just about anywhere else at a fraction of the cost...and of course they rarely have anything interesting or rare that would be worth spending the extra money on.... but I still visit them about once a month in hopes of finding something, which happens 'maybe' once or twice a year...

    So i do like a lot of us on here do, online shopping... which can be some trial and error til you find the nurseries you love, I have a few that I make orders from when the weather is nicer....but in these freezing winter months, I'm stuck searching locally. ....so depressing lol.

  • hottomato99
    9 years ago

    Buy from locally owned businesses. You get what you pay for. If you need a specialty item, search locally (pine mulch?). If you can't find it at a locally owned nursery, expect to pay a premium online. True for bikes cars plants food art clothes (pretty much anything worth owning)

    Sorry to rant! My plant pet peeve is when nurseries / garden centers put plants in unsustainable medium just to make them look better on the short term for sale. Especially when they are FULL SUN green houses no one came replicate at home! Oh boy. Looks like I'm ranting again...

  • eaksqueak
    9 years ago

    In the Walmarts, etc. where I am a lot of the smaller plants are sold double potted in some sort of decorative outer pot without drainage. This makes it impossible for the store employees to water things properly. I think they're actually better off not bothering. They kill them faster by drowning than if they just left them to wither.

    There are several greenhouses in my area that carry tropicals. I seem to always be the only person shopping in those sections so I don't know how they make a profit off that part of their business. Maybe they don't.

  • elizabeth_101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I agree with you HotTomato99. I know most experts advise against bringing a plant home and immediately repotting it but sometimes you don't have much choice. It seems they use the same potting mix regardless of the type of plant they are growing.