Why you should avoid buying plants online this season (or any season)

We are getting ready to enter the month of April. April is the month when the most enthusiastic plant lovers go to the garden centers and nurseries. This is because they want to be at the beginning of the line when the newest trees and shrubs arrive.

Since the plants come from many diverse locations, a garden center is never fully stocked. The different types and varieties are grown as crops maturing at different times. So, as you are shopping know that the phrase “there is plenty more where these come from” truly does apply.

When you shop in the spring, in April and May, you're most likely to see plants that are new and different for this season. When a plant is new, they are almost always very limited. The propagation process of plants takes several years to create an abundance of inventory. If you have been checking out new plants online through the winter, start looking locally now.

Shopping locally is always the way to go when looking for plants. Of course, as the owner of a local garden store, I am biased. However, the reasons are pretty simple. First, there is the reason that applies to all local businesses. The money you are spending supports the community where you live. You are also helping to employ your friends and neighbors.

When it comes to shopping for plants, you want to be able to see and touch what you are buying. When you shop for plants online, you're looking at pictures that are rarely related to the actual plant that will be delivered to your house. Plants that have to be shipped are typically comparably small to what you can buy locally.

Some tips for choosing the right plants

The quality and the actual size of plants sold at different places locally will vary. This will affect what I like to refer to as the perceived value of the plants. The size of plants being sold is related to the size of the pot the plant is growing in.

This has become increasingly confusing over the years. The standard for years has been the pot size related to gallons. These days, there can be multiple variations of a certain size pot such as a three-gallon pot. The multiple sizes came from regulations requiring the identification of the specific size of the pot.

When the plant gets to the store from the grower it is identified by the size it is most easily related to.

Even before the new size regulations, the grade of the plant in what was then a standard-size pot could vary. The grade is the actual size of a plant. As an example, you could have a Boxwood in a three-gallon pot. The pot is relatively the same size. However, the grade of the plant could vary from 12 to 18 inches tall and wide.

This is why I would also discourage you from shopping for plants via telephone or email. Garden stores get all kinds of these calls and emails looking for plant prices. This is understandable to do if you are making a large purchase of plants, as it is good for setting a budget.

Before you make your final decision, you should see the plants. Once again, this is where the concept of perceived value is important. The difference in the price of a plant between different sources will most frequently be related to the quality and size of that specific plant.

Included in the perceived value you need to account for the level of service you expect when you are shopping for plants. You need to have confidence in the knowledge of the employees working at the store where you're buying your plants. To retain the best employees to deliver quality service, the stores need to make sure the employees are being compensated appropriately.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why you should avoid buying plants online this season (or any season)