We are right around the time when you can pick up some bargains at garden centres and the big DIY stores.
Plants that have not been properly cared for will be starting to look sad, and the stores are desperate to get rid of them.
But are these clearance plants worth buying, or should they be avoided? The simple answer is, it depends.
I picked these spring onions up half price, as you can see.
So I planted them up in some multi-purpose compost and gave them a good soaking.
Just two weeks later, and they are looking much better.
These are the kind of bargains you want to pick up as soon as you see them.
If it looks like the only problem is underwatering or that the plants have outgrown their pots then buy them.
Move them onto a bigger pot or plant out and then give them a good soak, with a little time they will be better than ever.
What to avoid
So if these are the types of plants you want to buy then what do you want to avoid?
Simply, any plants that might be struggling because of diseases and pests.
The last thing you want to do is bring these into your garden and risk spreading the disease/pest to your other healthy plants.
Look for signs of small insects such as these red spider mites above. Even though they are really obvious in the above photo they may not be as obvious if the infestation is smaller.
Check under leaves for pests and also eggs.
Also, look for any signs of disease such as these strange patterns on tomato leaves.
This is a sign of tomato mosaic virus. Bring one plant back from the store with this disease and you risk spreading it to your entire crop.
Old Tubers/Bulbs
This can go either way, sometimes you get a bargain, sometimes you get stung.
I bought these Jerusalem artichokes on a half-price offer as they were something I wanted to grow but hadn't got around to yet.
The tubers were old and puffy when I got them out of the pack, almost like they were deflated.
I have planted them but there has been no sign of any growth, looks like they were a complete bust.
But then I also bought some onion sets, again at half price, you can still plant these now - just about.
I planted them up and they are happily growing away, so you win some you loose some!
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