On 2014-10-03 15:54:00 +0000, stuart noble said:


A lot of shrubs are doomed from the start if the root system isn't
right. I always soak them overnight and tease the roots but, if the
root ball is too dense, they will always be rather feeble specimens. I
have learnt not to trust garden centres in this respect. You're better
off buying from a market stall where the turnover is high.

Most nurseries and garden centres have a very rapid turnover! There are
certainly some good market stalls and bargains can be found but it is
then a case of caveat emptor all too often.

I'm sure the family run centres are as good as they ever were :-)

Too many round here appear to be part of large groups. Shrubs that
don't sell hang around till the following year and the price increased
because they're that bit bigger.

Our experience with a gc near us is that they chuck things out,
especially once they stop flowering. Only the very largest and most
expensive things are kept over. They never, ever re-pot or pot on,
which is a tragic waste of money and is of course a hidden cost passed
on to the buyer! Nurseries, by contrast, do pot on and a higher price
reflects that in terms of time, pot, compost, general nurturing. I do
wonder if the OP, being rather new to gardening, checked the root
system of his shrubs, and dug a big enough hole to let the roots spread
easily into their new home. It is just possible that, if he waits for
the plant to go dormant and then digs it up very very carefully, he'll
find the roots still need a bit of teasing out. As you say, if they
were pot-bound they won't get off to a good start.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon