Plant Inspection
Learn how to choose healthy plants before purchasing them.
When you are purchasing plants, trees & shrubs you should follow this guideline to ensure you are buying a healthy plant.
A Healthy Plant Should:
- have no broken branches
- have no stem damage
- no insects
- no wilting
- soil moisture (make sure it has enough)
- not root bound
Check leaves:
- number
- size
- color
- check for rips
- and overall appearance
Deciduous Tree Inspection
Make sure leader is intact. The leaders are extremely important to the tree, it is responsible for producing a growth hormone (GAA) that controls how fast the plant grows, where it grows.
* There are exceptions; Locust doesn’t have a central leader.
Check for:
- Straight stem
- Crown (check the crown to make sure it isnt cracked)
- Make sure branches are on a 45 degree angle to ensure proper balance, it must support the weight of leaves and fruit.
- No crossing limbs
- Branches are well spread out (balanced)
- Size and color of leaf
Evergreen Inspection
Check for:
- Straight stem
- Sound Leader
- Crown (for cracks)
- Growth buds (make sure it isnt damaged)
- Needles (run hands along the branch, make sure it doesn’t have excessive needle drop.)
- Broken branches
- Wilting
- Insects
Deciduous Shrubs
Check for:
- Leaves
- Roots ( not all dried out)
- Diseases
- Insects
Evergreen Shrubs
Check for:
- Excessive needle drop (tap shrub on the ground)
- Growth tips (make sure they are succulent)
- Diseases
- Insects
