[ti:Help with Buying Young Garden Plants in the Spring] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Many gardeners do not begin to grow their plants from seeds. [00:07.08]Instead, they buy young plants, also called seedling or "starts." [00:14.92]These are plants that are grown in a nursery: [00:18.44]a place where plants are grown and sold. [00:22.92]Many gardeners buy seedlings in containers for their gardens. [00:29.24]Most nursery seedlings are either plants [00:32.96]that last for one growing season or are vegetables. [00:39.32]They come in plastic containers holding four to six plants. [00:45.52]Many people also buy "starts" in individual containers. [00:52.36]But it is important to pay attention when buying spring starts. [00:58.92]A gardener usually cannot go back and begin again [01:03.40]in the middle of spring or summer. [01:07.20]And a good gardener wants to have plants that perform for the season. [01:13.80]Here is some helpful information to help get good plants: [01:20.08]The first step is finding a good nursery. [01:24.28]A good gardener will ask themselves [01:27.44]if it looks like the nursery grows its own plants, [01:32.56]or buys them from larger growers. [01:36.68]Nurseries that grow their own spring starts [01:40.64]usually take good care of them. [01:44.48]The larger growers, or wholesalers, might not be able to do so. [01:51.96]Make sure the plants have been watered correctly. [01:56.52]If not, the seedlings will have a hard time developing. [02:02.48]If there are lots of half-dead or dried-out plants, [02:06.60]it is often a sign to buy elsewhere. [02:11.04]Next, before buying a grouping of seedlings, feel the soil. [02:17.80]In addition to being wet but not flooded, [02:21.36]it should not be dense. [02:24.44]That is a sign of it having been dried out. [02:29.28]In fact, the soil should smell fresh. [02:32.80]Look at the holes at the bottom of the container to see the roots. [02:40.04]If the roots are too dense, that is a sign not to buy the plant. [02:46.68]Look to see if there has been damage from the wind or sun. [02:52.64]Damaged plants will take time to repair. [02:56.56]Also look for signs of fungal or bacterial infection. [03:03.12]Plants should be free from insects [03:06.28]and not have the smell of chemicals. [03:10.20]When buying spring plants in cell containers, [03:14.08]all the plants in the group should be healthy. [03:18.28]If one out of four plants in a grouping is not healthy, [03:22.92]the others might not be far behind. [03:27.12]A gardener should also know what plants they are buying. [03:32.20]Look for the name of the kind of plant, [03:35.16]the color and the height. [03:38.08]That information can help gardeners [03:40.92]buy the same plants in the future if they perform well. [03:46.76]Many people ask about buying plants that are already flowering. [03:52.72]Some plants will flower all season long, [03:56.40]so that will not be a problem. [03:59.92]However, other plants will flower once and never again. [04:05.92]Avoid plants that have already flowered early in the season. [04:11.60]Finally, always have a plan when buying plants. [04:16.92]Something that helps gardeners is a simple drawing of their garden [04:22.12]and a list of the plants they will buy. [04:26.16]Some people even have it on their phone [04:29.48]so it is always with them when they are at a nursery. [04:34.68]I'm Gregory Stachel. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM