What makes a good plant?

We have bought dozens of plants over the years from various sources. Some have done really well, others not so good. They have all had the same attention but some just fizzle out and die. Assuming that plants are placed in the correct position and in the correct soil, what is it that the growers or nurseries do or don't do to determine the plant's longevity?

 

Interesting question Outlander!
I used to propagate and sell plants and made it essential they were grown well from the start....viz., without checks in growth, potting on as soon as roots were beginning to fill their pots, pests were kept at bay and regular pinching out to maintain density. Not sure many growers do this. Regular watering too, often plants are neglected; proper rewatering is then difficult
Another thing growers dont do to ensure longevity is to use those hairnet/ hessian nets to grow their plugs in. They restrict growth and roots struggle.....I always remove them. (I did a comparison a few years back....some plugs had their nets removed, some did not; plants grew much faster when nets removed)

 

Nothing in most cases. All they're interested in is the maximum growth in the minimum time. So what should be hardy (perennials) or rampant (annuals) gets forced in a greenhouse with artificial lighting and as such is weaker in the real world.
This article is pretty lengthy but it gives you an idea of how they go about it..................

Commercial growers guide for kalanchoe

Correct position and soil is subjective. Are we researching the plant or going by the generic guide that comes with the plant? I've seen Lobelia tupa with the advice to plant in moisture retentive soil (presumably because it's a perennial Lobelia) - wrong! In the wild it is a prairie plant so it needs free draining soil on the dry side to thrive.
Other factors;
Full sun - full sun in the summer might be shady in the winter. So (for example) some tuberous Iris need full sun at soil level in the winter to stop the tubers rotting in the average wet British winter.
Garden tidy freaks - cutting down spent growth in the autumn might look nicer but it puts the plant at the mercy of our winter wet. Lobelia and some Salvia are two good examples as the hollow stems allow water to trickle down into the heart of the plant and rot it from the inside out.
Location - what is hardy for @Verdun in Cornwall is far from hardy deep inland here in the Cotswolds.
In the real world plants can be tricked into early growth by an unseasonal warm period which then gets followed by a cold snap.

The list goes on. I have a gardening philosophy - if it's easy it ain't worth the effort!

 

I would add, it is up to us, as consumers, how good our plants become. I avoid suppliers whose plants I have experience of as not up to the mark. So I stick to the good growers and continue to build the quality once I have them here

Ha ha longk.....my philosophy is completely different. For me, it definitely is worth the effort if it aint easy. Some of my best plants have involved effort and planning

 

Yup, that's what I said

 

Interesting answers too. Thank you.

I agree that the advice on labels is not always the best advice. I have had plants flourish in the most unlikely positions and vice versa. I also realise that a garden can be an on-going experiment. Confusing though for novices like myself who have to rely on the advice of the seller. Another confusing thing is that when they are forced, they are in flower when they shouldn't be, so the following year they don't flower when expected.

I did flick through your link @longk although I have to admit I didn't read it in great detail; but it does show just how many rules there are for producing a healthy plant.

My local garden centre is relatively large for the area but I do find their plants a bit.... weak, I suppose, compared to other outlets. I have bought plants from them that have fallen apart when the pot is removed but I am slowly learning to look for the signs.

Thanks for the replies, I will have to read through them again to make sure they become lodged in my tiny brain.

 

For me a good plant is something that has been grown hear in the uk,my local little plant centre grows about 80 % of their stuff themselves which seems to lead to very good plants. The price reflects that as well but unlike the big stores your not getting a massive plant right off the bat. This seems to me to mean that your getting a young plant that you have to nurture properly that hasn’t been forced allowing you to establish it properly.

 

A good example is that we recently bought four Snakeshead Fritillaries from diffe

I suppose the problem is that most customers want an instant result.

 

I like Monty but he does often plant huge specimen plants so encourages folk to crave the instant result.

Always more satisfying to buy something more reasonable in size and cost

Agree with Matt about local growers and nurseries.....I am on good terms with my local nursery and know how they grow their stuff. All grown to high standard.....at low prices too!

 

Often depends on the plant in question, but mostly it is down to YOU, once you buy the plant, if it has been forced you need to know that, and gently settle it in.

I do know some growers are just out for money, but it is up to you to spot this and do what is needed for the long term health of the plant, or just walk away.

 

Apologies. Not sure what happened there. I think my keyboard is haunted. Anyway, two Fritillary from one garden centre and two from another. All planted in the same area. two are great, the other two are really weak.

There, I made it.