plants outside

I went to Homebase today and whilst looking around the garden centre part found cucumber, tomato and other tender veg plants outside on racks.
It strikes me that any unsuspecting budding gardener that buys these plants are more or less assured to fail. It was cold and windy, the area was in total shade and the plants were very soft, just out of heated conditions I would say.

How do they get away with this, people buy these plants in good faith and they are basically dead or nearly so as they leave the shop.
People blame them selves when they fail, by rights they should take the plants back and demand their money back.
That way maybe they would stop selling them like that.

 

Well said, Pete. Whatever happened to staff training???
Or clear instructions delivered with the consignment of plants as to where they should be displayed?? Surely it would be in their interests not to have people saying "Don't buy plants at Homebase - they're no good."
But try to contact the Head Offices of these places - it's like trying to break into Fort Knox!

 

I feel the same way Pete, that's the nasty side of commercial horticulture, put them out for sale early and people will buy them early. Too much trust in our GCs. People don't complain enough about these deceptions.

 

sadly i've long known that garden centres put tender stuff out to buy very very early, knowing (well maybe knowing ) that people will buy these in good faith, they will die in the cold weather and will be back for some more a few weeks later.
they really should have large signs near these plants telling people that they're not ready for planing out until all chance of frost is past

 

I got two garden centres opposite each other - one a chain, and one an independant. Both put out plugs and seedlings early - but one warns to grow on under cover and not to plant out til after the frosts. The other doesn't. I'll leave you to guess which.

 

The problem here Fran, is that the plants are outside the shop, chances are if you buy them and look after them, the damage has aready been done.

 

I bough some plants this morning for outside a shop in town and ive planted them outside now, they are primulars are these ok or will i lose them now?
MEF750

 

they'll be fine (as long as they were hardened off properly) it's more the half hardies (like marigolds and certain fruits, like cucumber, tomatoes etc)that you need to be wary of at this time of year

 

Fortunately in both my garden centres, they are under cover - so unless they were frosted travelling, they are fine.

That reminds me I need to go visit for some potting compost - my RHS seeds need potting up soon - I got a whole bunch of salvias, most never grown before, plus a couple of agestache and meconopsis - these last have not germinated yet.

 

It makes me angry when I go round the garden centres and half the plants on display lokk like they haven't been watered for weeks.They already are half dead before the unsuspecting customers buy them.Quite often I feel like asking for a hose pipe so that I can and water them myself.With all the wind we having been having over the last few weeks the pots have soon dried out.I have had to constantly water all my pots and tubs because they are so dry.

I also agree that a lot of these plants are put out for sale far to early with no information at all about keeping them under cover,and once May gets here all the bedding plants will be put out for sale in full flower,knowing that because they are in flower they will sell,but a lot of the customers won't realise that we can still get late frosts right up until the start of June.Profit always comes before customer care...