Growing conditions
The first thing to know about a plant, when you want to buy it, is the way it has been cultivated?
Cold resistance
Has the plant been grown in a heated greenhouse, cold greenhouse or outdoors? A plant grown in a greenhouse, where temperatures do not go below 0°C for a cold greenhouse, does not have the same capacity to resist the cold as a plant grown outside. The first climatic hazard will be fatal.
Disease resistance
Has the plant received phytosanitary treatments or not? If, during its first months or years of cultivation, it has received treatments, its capacity to defend itself against external aggressions is null; it will thus remain dependent on its treatments, to face possible future diseases.
The capacity to feed itself
Has the plant received regular fertilization or not? A plant that has grown with a lot of fertilizer has not developed an efficient root system. If, once planted, you stop giving it nutrients, its recovery may be compromised.
A plant from an organic nursery that uses natural treatments in a reasonable way is prepared to grow and prosper later on with a minimum of care.
Points to check
At a glance you can also verify, in part, the quality of a plant for sale.
The root system
A plant that is not sufficiently rooted has little chance of recovering after being transplanted.
If when you gently pull the plant by the stem to remove the root ball from the pot and some soil remains stuck on the edges of the pot, the rooting is bad.
On the other hand, too strong a rooting, visible by roots that turn at the bottom of the pot, can cause the formation of a root bun, which will eventually suffocate the plant.
Tip: good rooting can be seen when the root ball is firm and keeps the shape of the pot when unstuck.
Branching
Numerous branches are a sign that the plant has been pruned several times, by a professional, to give it a bushy and dense habit, ideal for a hedge.
The root ball
The trunk, just below the collar, must be attached to the root ball. If it is not the case, do not buy it.
