More clearance plants

[ChanellG]

Yesterday I was at Lowe's getting some things for the new herb garden and decided to take a look at the clearance plants. It was very hard not to buy more (there was a chardonnay grape vine for $5!), but I settle on two smallish pots of cheiranthus, two little pots of pansies, and two little pots of bloody dock.

I really hesitated over whether or not to buy the bloody dock. It's leaves are beautifully variegated with red veins like beet leaves, but almost all the plants had a number of leaves that looked like they had powdery mildew. I picked around through them to find which looked the healthiest, and segregated them in a plastic bag for the ride home.

I sprayed them with aspirin right away just in case, and set them slightly away from the other plants. I've gone through this before, thinking something might be wrong and discovering the plant was healthy, so I have my fingers crossed that I won't have any trouble.

Two of the pansies have these beautiful dark red blooms; I plan to put them in a container in between the cheiranthus and the bloody dock. The cheiranthus also have deep red blooms, but they are much taller. The bloody dock have the pretty foliage, and they will bloom later on after the pansies have long faded. I just have to be sure they all have the same soil/light needs.

 

[Rosyrain]

It always cracks me up when I see plants on clearance. They are like the little orphans that nobody wanted and I feel compelled to but them and give them a home.

 

[marlingardener]

When I see a "clearance" shelf at any nursery or big box store, I can't help but search through for something I might just have to take home! I'm not as lucky as you, Chanell. The plants I find are pretty common--crotons, geraniums, and the lonely, forgotten parsley.
Your plans for your adopted plants sound lovely--and I'm sure they will thrive for you!

 

[Cereus]

I like going through clearance plants because you never know what you can find in there. There's interesting gems that I've found over the years that's been shoved in the sad clearance corner. A honeysuckle vine that's in my mother's garden was one such plant. Lowe's touted it as an annual plant due to the zoning and the tag never really went into detail what kind of variety it was. Either way after lots of care, I managed to make the thing bloom twice in the year and survived the first winter without any issues. After that year after year it faithfully filled the garden with a heady, sweet fragrance until I moved out.

 

[ChanellG]

When I see a "clearance" shelf at any nursery or big box store, I can't help but search through for something I might just have to take home! I'm not as lucky as you, Chanell. The plants I find are pretty common--crotons, geraniums, and the lonely, forgotten parsley.
Your plans for your adopted plants sound lovely--and I'm sure they will thrive for you!

I hope so, they are all plants I've never grown before. From what I read, they all seem like easy care annual and perennial growers that easily self seed and multiply. I would love to get geraniums on clearance! Usually the good stuff either doesn't get marked down or it's still a bit pricey to take a chance on. I love when the $1 plants turn out to be something good.

 

[ChanellG]

I like going through clearance plants... A honeysuckle vine that's in my mother's garden was one such plant... after lots of care, I managed to make the thing bloom twice in the year and survived the first winter without any issues. After that year after year it faithfully filled the garden with a heady, sweet fragrance until I moved out.

I love honeysuckle! I never realized until now that it blooms in the winter here! I just took a few cuttings about a week ago from an established vine that I stuck with willow water. So far so good; I am hoping they all make it. I've been wanting a honeysuckle vine for years!

 

[peachdejour]

It always cracks me up when I see plants on clearance. They are like the little orphans that nobody wanted and I feel compelled to but them and give them a home.

I feel the same way about clearance plants! I feel like if someone took them home and sang to them and loved them, they would thrive and be beautiful. However, I seem to kill the little orphan plants. It makes me so sad. Somehow my battered vegetable garden is still green, but has not grown at all. I don't quite understand what has happened. It's like the plants went dormant for the winter. My dog seems very confused by them too. She stares and stiffs and whimpers. I sigh and tell her she cannot pee on them because it's my box only. My neighbors probably do think I'm crazy.

 

[Chuck]

I feel the same way about clearance plants! I feel like if someone took them home and sang to them and loved them, they would thrive and be beautiful. However, I seem to kill the little orphan plants. It makes me so sad. Somehow my battered vegetable garden is still green, but has not grown at all. I don't quite understand what has happened. It's like the plants went dormant for the winter. My dog seems very confused by them too. She stares and stiffs and whimpers. I sigh and tell her she cannot pee on them because it's my box only. My neighbors probably do think I'm crazy.

Many times clearance plants have been in the container for so long that they are root bound and starved half to death. Otherwise they wouldn't be so cheap. If they are root bound just get a sharp knife and cut the roots on one side and give them a good meal of liquid organic fertilizer when you plant them. 9 times out of 10 they will perk right up if you plant them in good soil

 

[claudine]

Sounds like you bought really lovely plants ChanellG
I must look for plants on clearance too. I want to find something nice for my new apartment. I'm moving there next week

 

[ChanellG]

Somehow my battered vegetable garden is still green, but has not grown at all. I don't quite understand what has happened. It's like the plants went dormant for the winter.

What vegetable plants are you growing? Are you feeding them with any kind of homemade or purchased plant food or fertilizer? I have a couple cherry tomato plants from last spring that are still flowering and producing fruit. I gave them epsom salts, coffee grinds, and crushed eggshells. From time to time I also place banana peels on top the soil in the plant container, and I have sprayed with aspirin and potassium (banana peel water) periodically.

On the other hand, nothing is happening with the greens I planted (I think it's too warm) and the lettuce keeps trying to go to seed.

 

[megankl]

I love checking out the clearance section for plants at the stores I visit. I usually end up walking out with some great finds and can nurse them back to health perfectly with some sun and being replanted I actually always check the discount section first before paying full price definitely worth it.

 

[Mockingbird]

Lowes is actually very generous with the plants they put on clearance, if you go inside they often have houseplants on clearance too. I do buy plants if they are in relatively good shape off the cart of clearance (yes we have a cart here) thats how I got my stone crop and it does okay. I used to have a neat succulent that reminded me of a weird asparagus but for whatever reason that plant ended up on the floor more times then once so I gave up. I have had a few potted plants that have fallen and broken and no one knows how. I suspect street vibration from trucks going by, It is frustrating so now I stick to the heavier pots indoors.

 

[ChanellG]

Many times clearance plants have been in the container for so long that they are root bound and starved half to death. Otherwise they wouldn't be so cheap. If they are root bound just get a sharp knife and cut the roots on one side and give them a good meal of liquid organic fertilizer when you plant them. 9 times out of 10 they will perk right up if you plant them in good soil

Here they just rotate the plants every few weeks, especially with seasonal and flowering plants that are annuals. If they don't re-bloom people might not want them so it's necessary to move them while they are still in bloom to make way for the next batch that are about to bloom.

That's why you'll rarely see certain other plants on clearance (wishing, waiting and hoping for a hydrangea.)

 

[ChanellG]

I love checking out the clearance section for plants at the stores I visit. I usually end up walking out with some great finds and can nurse them back to health perfectly with some sun and being replanted I actually always check the discount section first before paying full price definitely worth it.

Most of my clearance plants have bounced back with pruning and watering. If they only cost a dollar, and I can't manage to take care of them well enough to keep them going I don't feel so bad. Some plants require a learning curve, like orchids. i still haven't learned them, but I think a lot has to do with my schedule.

 

[Rosyrain]

I find that the clearance section at just about any store is worth checking out because you never know when there is a cheap treasure to be had. Plants are not exception to this rule and you can sure find some beautiful ones.