What to look out for when buying seedlings for your garden:

• vibrant small versions of the plant
• Avoid seedlings if they have grown loooong and tall like these – follow the stem from the bottom of the picture way up to the flowers up on the 2nd shelf in the shop – this will not give edible parts to eat!

• look for Look for dense groups of leaves –  ‘leggy’ seedlings are best left in the shop.
• check roots are in the pot – if they form a mat below the pot they are best left as these roots will need to be cut off to plant the seedling – which will decrease its ability to take up nutrients. Find a pot where the tiny roots are just visible at the base if there are any to choose from.
• Wilted seedlings bolt to seed early – look around the nursery – are all plants well watered or not? Be wary if the nursery doesn’t care well for their plants.

Wise choices in purchasing seedlings will provide strong, quality plants for your garden to feed you for a long time. Or – grow your own! Then you can plant them at the best time so they grow abundantly and flourish for you.