Don't get me wrong, I buy from Ikea and Home Depot too. But there are some things you need to know when buying cheap plants from big box stores.
What you need to know...
The reason big box stores can sell their plants for so much cheaper than plant boutiques is multi factorial.
One - they purchase A LOT and can get a bulk discount from suppliers.
Two - They don't pay sales associates with skills to look after the plants in the store. The store associates can water the plants, but they may not recognize pests or care about solving the problem. They also may not know that an Alocasia needs frequent watering and Snake plants need monthly watering at most. All plants would be treated the same.
Three - They purchase their plants from cheaper nurseries. And the reason these plants are cheap to begin with is because pests aren't controlled, and cheap soil / straight up coco coir is heavily compacted (affecting root growth and watering). The plants that are shipped to these stores are already not off to a good start.
Four - The plants go straight from a nursery environment, to a big box store environment. The plant will be in shock, and cannot thrive in a drafty, cold, lacking the right kind of spectrum lighting.
So what does this mean for me??
This means when you purchase your big box store plant you will need to do some TLC as soon as that plant goes home.
Here is what you will need to do:
One - Check for pests. I always do a soap insecticide spray down then a thorough rinse in the shower. Then repeat.
Two - Repot. Save the roots that are good, cut off any rotting or dried out roots. Give that plant fresh, airy soil so it can grow and thrive.
Three - Be patient. This plant is AGAIN going to need to adjust to a new environment. It just got new soil. It's in shock. Give it time to adjust to your homes environment. This might mean your new plant may look ugly for a bit. But it should bounce back. For those who have bought Fiddle Leaf Ficus plants - you may loose A LOT of leaves. Mine took about a year before it settled down and grew new foliage.
If this sounds like too much work for you, I recommend you purchase from your local plant boutiques. The staff are trained - they won't let you go home with a pest infested plant. Your plants roots should be just fine - the staff know each plants watering requirements. The soil from better quality plant nurseries won't need to be replaced right away. You can wait until you have a reason to repot to change the soil.
If you can't pass up on the right plant for the right price at a big box store - I get it. But please be aware it will take work to make that plant it thrive.
*all photos are credit to wix media
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