I have been guilty of bringing plants home and having them die in the pots or tubes. I have to be very disciplined to not go to the nursery until I have the ground prepped.
There can be valid reasons for not planting straight away. Sickness, the weather and travel plans are some of them. Plants that need some more time in the tube to grow a bit bigger is also a good reason for waiting before digging the holes.
Good nurseries grow seedlings in the same conditions that the species should be planted into. For example, ferns and under story plants are raised under shade cloth. The conditions the plants have been raised in needs to be the same conditions in which the tubes are kept at home. Sun loving plants shouldn’t go from the nursery to under the carport. Shade loving plants will quickly die if left out in the middle of the lawn.
Watering is the most important factor for plant health while still in the tubes. Nursery sprinklers go on up to 8 times a day. Black plastic tubes and pots heat up in the sun and quickly dry out. It’s not viable to hand water 8 times a day but tube stock do best with watering at least twice a day. A common mistake is to leave plants sitting in a container of water, like the ones in the photo. Only species that grow in water will do well with wet feet. It’s okay for a few days but avoid leaving them in there for any longer than that.
Next time you visit a nursery stop for a minute and ask, ‘Is my garden ready for these plants? Can I get them in the ground in the next few days?’. If the answer is no, but you really have to have them, keep in mind the tips above and they will have a much better chance of surviving until planting time.
