Choosing Plants from a Nursery

Choosing the plants that will landscape your land and the trees that will be permanent fixtures in your yard is a big decision. You'll need to spend some time determining which plants are the best for your yard and how much money you want to spend on them. We've got an article for you with the following things that you'll need to really check out before choosing which plants to purchase.

The Roots

• Plants typically come in three forms at nurseries - bagged-and-burlapped, bare root or in containers
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Selecting the Right Plants for You

• Two-story houses can handle taller and larger trees while one-story houses may be overwhelmed by them. If you live in a one-story house and still want taller and larger trees, it's best to keep them on the periphery of the yard and have smaller trees closer to the house.
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Transportation

• Most nurseries will deliver but it will cost extra, though they may offer discounts in the fall when they want to get rid of their inventory before they have to provide winter care.
• If you plan to transport your plants home yourself, be sure to bring the necessary supplies including rope and tarps.
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Balled-and-burlapped Trees

• What to Look For
  
  • Green, healthy foliage, living branches, evidence of recent watering...
• What to Avoid
  • Dried-out root ball, exposed roots, lopsided root ball...
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Bare-root Plants

• What to Look For
  • Well-formed stems, ready-to-burst leaf nodes, moist roots...
• What to Avoid
  • Roots too small to support plant, unfurled leaves, lopsided roots...
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Container Plants

• What to Look For
  •  Well-established root system in firm soil, foliage with a uniform color...
• What to Avoid
  •  Pot-bound roots, large roots emerging from container, roots exposed from the top...
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Read the full article, Choosing Plants from a Nursery, at Better Homes and Gardens.