Nowadays, more and more people are getting hooked to growing their own house plants. Before, plants used to be an annoyance for some homeowners since they didn’t like the idea of having to take care of them.
However, over time, people started learning about the plethora of benefits that owning a house plant brings. Plus, the best thing about these types of plants is that they don’t even need that much attention or care to survive.
That said, many people are now keen on buying plants whenever they see them displayed in nurseries or the streets.
While it may be fun to go out and personally choose your plants up close, some people love to buy them at online stores, too.
There are local plant nurseries that tend to only stock plants that they think would sell the fastest. This means they don’t often display rare house plants, making them available online only instead.
So, don’t be surprised if you see more selection of plants online than in physical shops. As such, here are five tips for you to learn the ins and outs of buying plants online:
1. Consider Your Growing Zone
While you may have a long list of rare plants in mind that you’d like to purchase online, don’t forget to consider your growing zone first.
Your growing zone refers to the temperature of your house and your entire region. It’s a well-known fact that each plant has its own set of temperature requirements, so you may check first the USDA plant hardiness zone map and see if the plants you want to buy can survive in your region.
This way, you won’t end up spending money on plants that’ll only end up dying due to a mismatch of temperature.
2. Take Your Time Browsing Online Plant Shops
Before you get too excited and settle right away on one website, make sure to browse other online stores, too, for comparison.
It’s best recommended that you look into Yelp or other browsers where you can read online reviews from past customers.
More often than not, it’s other people’s testimonies that can tell you if they deliver quality plants or if they’re reckless with their products.
If they have an official website, check for their vision, objectives, online reviews, and FAQs to see how they handle their plants during delivery.
Once you know a lot about different online plant shops, that’s when you can start comparing each other before eventually choosing one.
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3. Understand That Buying Plants Online Is More Expensive
When you buy plants online, you have to understand that they’ll be more costly than when buying them at local nurseries.
That’s because aside from paying the price of the plants, add to that the shipping fee, plus other expenses made to ensure your plant can survive being boxed up for a few days.
Some online plant sellers also offer rush delivery, which means another extra charge for you, but you can guarantee that your plants will be delivered quickly to your doorstep.
4. Read the Fine Print
The first thing that would draw your attention to a particular plant is its photos. Fancy images are also one of the sellers’ marketing methods to attract clients to buy from them.
These plants would look healthy, fresh, and large in pictures, so you might expect that they’ll look the same when you receive them; hence, you buy them quickly.
However, buying plants online isn’t only about looking at their pictures. You need to read the fine print carefully as well, including the plants’ descriptions.
The description usually consists of information about which type of soil suits a particular plant or other requirements that the plant needs to survive.
It should also include information about how tall a plant can grow or how long it takes before it completely sprouts and dies.
Remember to read thoroughly the fine print and not only base your decision on pictures so you can wisely decide whether or not that plant is a good choice for your home or garden.
5. Don’t Overlook the Return Policy
It’d be best if you buy from a seller with a generous return policy. A seller with a favourable return policy is more likely to become more mindful in packaging their plants and delivering them on time to ensure that their freshness won’t suffer during the travel.
You can also be assured that these online sellers will do their best to minimize any returned products, as returned plants would only mean more cost for them.
Wrapping Up
Before you pack your online shopping cart with the plants in your list, take note and have a run-through of these tips first to make sure the plants you see on the Internet will match, or better yet, exceed your expectations when they arrive at your doorstep.
