The idea to write this article arose as a result of my own negative experience associated with the choice of fruit trees or berry bushes for the garden. How to choose seedlings, what to look for when choosing? What seedlings to buy for planting? How to check seedlings in the market? These questions worried me at the beginning of my gardening, and even now I'm not always calm, buying seedlings for my garden. Much depends on my choice ...
It is not always possible to get to the nursery, therefore, when buying planting material, it seems, from trusted sellers, I often felt disappointed a year or two after that.
By myself, I know that buyers when choosing seedlings are attracted by beautiful photos, a colorful description, affordable or, conversely, a very high price, supposedly guaranteeing good quality plants. However, the purchased planting material is not always consistent with the declared parameters. And after several years of hard work, disappointment comes over them: either the fruits are small, then the trees or berry bushes give a weak crop. It turns out that seedlings also need to be able to buy.
What to look for when buying them, so you don’t regret the lost time and money?
How to buy currant seedlings so as not to cheat? I still remember how I bought several blackcurrant seedlings in the fall. The seller solemnly handed me a few thin twigs with a weak root system, assuring me that in the spring it would be chic bushes with a good harvest.
Of course, constant care and a desire to get a good result, in the end helped to turn them into luxurious blackcurrant bushes. But for this I needed three whole years.
And if I reacted to the selection process of planting material with knowledge of the matter, then the harvest would not have to wait so long.
She knew, after all, that currant bears fruit on last year's shoots, but the confident tone of the seller “made” me forget about it. As a result, the next year I received a crop in the form of 1-2 brushes of currant berries from each twig. And if I bought seedlings with 2-3 branches, the harvest would be 2-3 times more.
The conclusion is obvious: buying a seedling with several branches, you save a whole year.
It is very important to pay attention to the root system of seedlings. Indeed, even if there are a lot of branches, the main thing is the root, its condition. Check if zero shoots (future branches) depart from it.
When buying seedlings in the market, observe how sellers get their goods out of cars. So you get the answer to the question, they themselves grew these plants for planting or bought them somewhere. After all, the person who grew the plant himself, having spent a lot of time and effort on it, treats him very carefully. But often we see the opposite picture: bags of plants are simply thrown to the ground.
Sometimes it is useful to listen to the so-called word of mouth. Believe me, the ancient proverb that “good glory is far audible, and bad glory even further”, is relevant today.
It will also be useful to ask where the seedlings were brought from. If from your region, then they are easily adapted on the site.
You can also ask the owner in what conditions the seedlings grew, whether he applied drip irrigation, what fertilizers he used, etc.
Unfortunately, in our markets there are a lot of seedlings brought from Moldova, Poland. The Internet is full of advertisements for the sale of "quality planting material from Poland." The seedlings are of high quality, but will they adapt to our climate, irrigation conditions, diet? After all, they are grown on drip irrigation, accompanied by the active application of mineral fertilizers, or even completely in greenhouses.
Most likely, such plants nevertheless adapt, but far from as fast as we would like, and therefore a full crop will not be soon.
In addition, Polish seedlings are usually focused on combine harvesting. This means that the main thing for such plants is friendly ripening, easy separation of berries, dense skin that can withstand transportation, beautiful appearance, but not taste. But we want to grow and eat a fragrant, sweet berry that melts in our mouths.
The most delicious berries are from your own garden, grown with love, in which a piece of your soul is embedded. And how to choose the right seedlings - now you know. So it's up to you ...
I wish you success and high yields!