Supermarket Shrubs

Hope you like my catchy title

So yes, supermarket shrubs. Thoughts I’d set a little thread up to get people’s thoughts?

I am very new to gardening however my parents were always very keen gardeners and now I have my own home and hit 30 I’ve taken a liking to it myself. One thing I have noticed is the increase in supermarkets selling everything from plants, through to small trees. The biggest mover in this market for me is Morrison’s. They seem to have a huge gardening section which has just popped up and changes as the seasons progress.

So my question to you, what have you bought from the supermarket ‘shrub wise’? And have they turned out to be decent purchases? Or is it something that should be avoided? I often get sucked into the lovely displays at Morrison’s but yet to part with any of my hard cash.

Scott

 

The people who grow for the supermarkets are good growers, its the way the plants are shipped, and stored that is the problem. Take B&Q for example,one of the companies that supplies the plants here, is a company called farplants, who also supply big garden centres, and some supermarkets, they also have supplied plants for RHS show gardens, they grow perennials and bedding. the bigger stuff like the Olive trees and rose bushes etc come from Holland, all very good growers, but here is the problem, the plants are forced in glasshouses, or field grown stock (which is dug up by a machine and potted), the plants are sold in massive 24 hour auctions, once bought, they come out of the warm, into a chilled lorry (the chill is just enough to put a pause on the plants growing), then shipped to a distribution hubb, sorted onto another lorry that is chilled, then to the retail store, and put out for sale, usually somewhere around 48 hours for this journey, the last time they were fed and watered, was Holland, they have no time to harden off, poor care from the staff in most of these places, and by the end of the 2nd day of display, they look knackered. Its not the plants that are crap, its the process.
Just a quick story, last summer, I shot off to Lidl, and I was about 10 mins before opening, the trollies of plants were out side, and gagging for a drink, and all wilting, a young man came out the store, he had obviously been sorting the cut flowers, as he came out of the store with 2 buckets, my thoughts were, good lad hes going to give the plants a drink, he walked over to the trolly, and bent over beside the trolley, and poured the water from the 2 buckets down the drain. The plants have little chance in these places. But if you get there at the right time, you might ge lucky. Just for confimation, no I have never bought a plant from a supermarket etc.

 

Yep the plants are good, just get in there before they get trashed.
If it looks bad and dry dont buy it, otherwise they are good but just be careful as they have not been hardened off.
But you can do that bit, if you are careful.