Make sure bargain perennials are good buys
Just as some people anticipate end-of-season sales on swimsuits and winter coats or deep price cuts on holiday merchandise the day after Christmas, gardeners get positively giddy in late summer when garden centers start reducing the prices of perennials.
As plants are loaded on carts, visions of next year's gardens fill imaginations. But even at clearance prices, care should be taken to choose healthy perennials appropriate for the site.
First, read plant tags if the perennial is unfamiliar. Be sure it is winter hardy in USDA Zone 5 gardens, prefers the light and soil conditions where it will be planted and how tall and wide it grows. Many sale perennials are not flowering, so check out tags for descriptions of blooms, too.
Be on the lookout for words like aggressive, spreading and self-sows, all of which signal plants that don't stay where they are planted. Lax stems are stems that flop; a tender perennial is one that probably won't survive the winter.
Plants purchased now may not be as lush and imperfection-free as they were earlier in the summer because they have been on garden center benches for weeks or even months. Some leaves may be crispy from too much sun or heat without enough water, a few stems may be broken from rough handling by other shoppers or plants may be a bit overgrown. Don't let these prevent the purchase. Old foliage will be cut back in fall or early spring anyway.
It is important, however, to ensure plants are healthy before taking them home. Avoid plants with signs of foliar disease - speckles, spots, blackened areas or deformations on leaves. Check both the tops and undersides of leaves for insects. Webbing and stickiness are more reasons to leave plants behind.
When purchasing bargain plants, the root system is what is most important. Because they have been growing in the same pots all summer, roots may be beginning to grow through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot or they may be a bit root bound.
With a hand around the base of a plant, gently tip the pot, squeezing the sides to slide the root system out of the pot. If it is a tangled mess of circling roots with very little soil, the plant is severely root bound and may not recover even when planted in the garden. Healthy roots are light brown or near white. Avoid plants with roots that are black or dry and brittle.
Push your cart away as fast as you can from plants in pots full of weeds. You may believe you can simply pull them before planting, but there may also be weed seeds in the pot waiting to sprout - in your garden. I don't know about you, but I already have plenty of my own!
Once plants are at home, water them if the soil is dry and keep them in a sheltered location. Continue watering according to their cultural needs until planting time. (Remember plants in pots dry out faster than those planted in the ground.) Get perennials planted as soon as possible so their roots have time to establish in their new homes before cold temperatures arrive.
There is something especially satisfying about procuring a car full of perennials for a fraction of their regular price. Make wise choices and it will be money well spent.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist, garden writer and speaker. She blogs at gardenwithdiana.com.