5 Tips for Picking Out Healthy Plants at the Nursery This Spring

03.05.2024 - 14:23 / thespruce.com / Christianna Silva

Winter is for enjoying time in your home, and summer is for enjoying time in your yard. But shoulder seasons—fall and spring—are for preparation. In spring, we venture outdoors to nurseries and begin looking to fill our gardens with the best flowers and greenery the year has to offer. 

While strolling through the aisles of your local nursery, everything looks spectacular, until you take a closer look. There are some key things to look out for when you’re picking out the flowers and plants you want to care for this summer. After all, it’s best to start with the best and grow them from there. 

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This might seem obvious, but take a good look at the plant you’re purchasing. You want the leaves to be vibrant and glossy, and the stems sturdy. You also want to make sure there aren’t signs of damage or discoloration on the leaves and stems.

Healthy foliage indicates that the plant is likely healthier in its roots too. And make sure your plant has a balanced growth habit, which means that it isn’t super patchy, showing signs that it might be weakened. 

You’ll want to avoid any plants that are excessively dry or totally waterlogged because that doesn’t bode well for the plant once you get it home. Of course, you’ll want to check with someone who works at the nursery to see what their watering schedule is, just to make sure you’re not checking plants immediately after they were watered. Ideally, you’ll get to choose plants that have evenly moist soil.

Examine the roots of the plants as well as you can. You likely won’t be able to take a plant fully out and pull apart the dirt, but there are little