How to Buy Shrubs and Trees

Whether you're transforming a stark, bare-dirt yard into a lush refuge or just filling in some bare spots in an established landscape, you first need to know a bit about how plants are sold and when and how to buy them. Here's an introduction to what you'll encounter at your neighborhood nursery, as well as online and in mail-order catalogs.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn the basics about shrubs and trees, called woody plants, as opposed to soft-tissued annual and perennial flowers, vegetables, ferns and such. Shrubs and trees form the foundation of any garden, whether blooming or not.

2. Distinguish between deciduous and evergreen plants. The former lose their leaves every year in the fall. This category includes most oaks, maples and forsythias. Southern magnolias, camellias and other evergreens keep their leaves year-round. Evergreens with needles and cones (pines, spruces and firs) are called conifers.

3. Understand your climate. Find out your climate zone on the USDA's Plant Hardiness Zone Map at the U.S. National Arboretum Web site (usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html). In the Western states, refer to the climate zones in Sunset's Western Garden Book.

4. Select plants that will flourish in your climate zone. Look for this information on nursery tags, in garden books, on Web sites, or from experts at nurseries and county extension agencies. Ask about the particular demands of your garden, based on it's sun exposure and soil (clay, loamy, sandy and so on).

5. Start shopping in early spring or early fall, just ahead of the two best planting seasons. Fall is an excellent planting time except in the coldest climates.

6. Shop for plants while they are performing (blooming or displaying fall foliage) if you're landscaping with specific colors in mind, as long as the timing is not poor for planting (for example, in the heat of the summer).

7. Select plants sold in 1-gallon, 5-gallon and 15-gallon containers throughout the growing season or year-round in mild climates. Prices will depend not only on the plant's maturity, but on market factors including scarcity, difficulty of growing and transportation costs. The range can be huge: A common 1-gallon lavender may be only $5 or $6, while a magnificent 1-gallon rhododendron may cost $25 and up.

8. Check out container-grown plants for signs of healthy, vigorous growth: new growth, no yellow leaves, compact shape, no leggy branches.

9. Inspect the roots to make sure they're not constricted (rootbound), which retards development after planting. Look for telltale roots poking through the container's drain holes or emerging above the soil. If you're not sure, ask a nursery worker to help you gently pull the tree or shrub out of the pot so you can take a look.

10. Shop for balled-and-burlapped plants mainly in spring and summer. B-and-B plants have been grown in fields, then dug up and wrapped in burlap. This growing method is used for large specimens, and is often the best way to buy trees. Cut away the burlap once the plant is sitting in the hole, and have someone let you know if the trunk is straight before you fill the hole.

11. Shop for bare-root trees and shrubs in winter and early spring. Mail-order and online suppliers often specialize in bare-root plants because of the ease of shipping them. Bare-root is usually the least expensive way to buy deciduous plants, especially roses and fruit trees, and is also a good way to get plants started (see How to Buy the Perfect Rosebush). Bare-root plants are small-- only 2 or 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) high--and the roots, stripped of soil, are protected in moist wood chips or sawdust and packed in a plastic bag.

12. Look for bare-root plants without broken branches. Avoid trees with crossing branches that form an X and rub against each other.

13. Pass over bare-root plants that are beginning to leaf out--a sign that the plant is breaking out of dormancy and will have greater demands for water and light.

14. Prune bare-root trees or shrubs before transplanting if the nursery has not already done so. Both tops and roots need to be cut back a bit to keep them in balance (this is best done by someone with expertise).

15. Get bare-root plants into the ground as soon as possible so they don't dry out. Before planting, bury the root mass in a pile of damp ground bark or other organic matter to protect it.

Tips & Warnings

• The younger and smaller the plant, the lower the cost, but the longer you'll have to wait for it to become large.
• Mail-order and online catalogs offer great selections and good values, and prices may be half the nursery's, but shipping and handling costs (10 to 25 percent of the total shipment's price) can offset the savings.
• Mail-order container sizes tend to be smaller than what you find at neighborhood nurseries. The catalog listing should indicate container size.
• Home centers and warehouse stores offer bargains. Shop frequently so you can buy when new shipments come in.
• Become acquainted with the delivery patterns of local nurseries and garden centers. For the best selection, shop on Thursday or Friday before the weekend shoppers descend.
• Take a pass on trees or shrubs that have been sitting around, particularly in a supermarket or other nontraditional plant source. High temperatures and artificial or insufficient light may have stressed these plants.