A visit to your local garden center or retail nursery can be an exciting experience. You see many kinds of ornamental landscape plants packaged in several ways.

Most plants are in plastic containers of various sizes. Others may have their roots and a ball of soil wrapped with burlap and heeled-in with moist bark, sawdust or wood chips. These are often called “balled-and-burlapped” or “B & B” plants. Still others may be packaged with their roots in boxes, paper or foil wrapping.

Regardless of how the plants are displayed and packaged, you should always look for good quality plants. What should you look for when buying plants?

First, you should consider choosing species that are not problem- prone. Some plants require an above average amount of pest control and cultural practices (fertilization, pruning and water). Examples of plants that may become problem prone-plants are Russian Olive, Colorado Spruce, Poplars, Purple-leaf Plums and Willows.

Look for good foliage color and strong branches. Avoid plants that are root-bound in containers. Root-bound plants have roots that have become too large for the container. You can see the roots growing out of drainage holes of the container.

Be sure bare roots of deciduous plants have been adequately protected from moisture loss and bud break has not yet occurred.

The soil ball of B & B plants should remain firm, rounded and intact when handled. Fairly new burlap cloth should hold the root ball. Avoid plants with root balls that are too soft, saggy, pancake shaped or too small.

You should prepare your soil area for planting before buying your plants. If you buy plants before you have had a chance to do this, be ready to protect the plants until planting time.

Most important is to protect the plants from drying. Place the plants in a partially shaded area protected from drying winds. Most nursery plants will dry out rapidly. Look at them each day and water them as needed.

If it will be more than three or four days before you can install these plants, you need to provide additional protection for the roots. Cluster the plants close together and mulch the root balls or containers with leaves, compost, straw or pine bark chips. This will help keep the plants moist until planting.

Curt Peterson, Ph.D., is a landscape designer and garden specialist from Union Springs. He can be reached at curt.peters@hotmail.com