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The Tucson Gardener |
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In the Garden Calendar
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Nursery Survey By visiting a Home Depot garden center on a weekend one gets the impression price, especially for bedding plants, is the most important thing when it comes to buying plants. The growers drive fresh plants in by the truck loads and stock the tables weeding out anything that's become spindly or missed getting watered once to often. A wilted or ugly plant is an unsold plant. All The Home Depot employees have to do is keep the plants watered and ring up the sales at the cash register. Of course the Depot is also selling a lot of other products related to home and garden. So why shop any where else? That's like asking why eat anything but fast food? Chances are a good quality nursery will have a wider selection when it comes to plant materials and they may grow many of their own plants so they're well suited for Tucson's climate. But more important is the service and knowledgeable people selling the plants. They can answer your questions and make suggestions for your growing needs. I dropped into a local nursery in mid September on a Monday morning. I went with the intention of buying a 15 gallon mesquite tree, some bedding plants and other miscellaneous gardening necessities. The nursery wasn't busy. In fact I was the only customer there. I browsed and checked out the quality of the plants and waited patiently for someone to come and offer "service". It didn't happen. Needless to say I drove on down the road to another nursery where I bought my plants, saved some money and got the service I deserved. I doubt I'll return to the nursery that didn't offer much help on that Monday morning because there are too many other places to shop in Tucson. Another example is the time I wanted 25 bags of composted steer manure but couldn't get the help I wanted loading it into my truck. I went elsewhere. Admittedly I paid more per bag but I got it loaded into the truck and saved a little wear and tear on my back. So my basic criteria for shopping for garden plants and related items is
My nursery survey is brief and not very scientific. I started at the Star Nursery at Ina Road and I-10 and then headed east. I drove into one place on River Road but their business was mainly bedding plants to the wholesale market so it was scratched from my list. I did go to Mesquite Valley Growers for the first time. I'd heard numerous radio advertisements for the place and have been curious. Who says advertising doesn't pay? In the future I'll make sure that I visit more of Tucson' nurseries. (There are many and they come in all sizes and locations. Some are specialized in what they sell.) I must admit I'm amazed by the gardening business the Home Depot on Oracle at the Rillito River does. Often it seems they're selling bedding plants none of the nurseries are carrying at the time. I watched a gardener purchase one gallon tomato plants in mid October. He got out of the building before I could catch up with him to ask him how he was going to grow those with cold weather not more than a month or so away. I also saw a woman buying tomato plants and I did ask her. She said they were Early Girls and it would be no problem. And here I had a whole raised bed of tomato plants that I'd planted in August and I'm still questioning whether I'll get any ripe tomatoes before the first freeze kills the plants. Keep in mind plants grow well in the controlled environment of a greenhouse. That doesn't mean they're going to do as well in the uncontrolled environment of your garden if they haven't been hardened off. Now for a disclaimer. The prices I have listed below were taken from what was posted on the plant's container or from nearby signage. The varieties available may not be the same at every nursery. Some of the nurseries grow their own bedding plants instead of purchasing them from a grower in Phoenix or some other location. That means they'll be more acclimated to our desert climate and should be expected to get off to a better start when planted. Peat moss brands varied between nurseries and garden centers.
Editor's note: The prices
in the table below were late 1998 prices.
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