Tomato plants on Feb.1 in at Home Depot

[SpookyShoe]

I saw these at the store in Clear Lake Shores, Texas. They had tomatoes, peppers, and many herbs. Although it got into the low 70s today, this is too early for my blood.

Donna, Texas Gulf Coast zone 9

[TC_Manhattan]

Geez, those are at least three months away for me...

[jmsieglaff]

HD here last year had them in very late March/very early April--a full month and a half before you should be planting out tomatoes. I guess they are in the business of selling plants and couldn't care less if they die after they are sold. I saw someone looking at them and I just bit my tongue, I didn't want to come off as a know it all ahole.

[SpookyShoe]

I saw a man put several in his basket. Surely he knows not to put them in the ground yet (hope hope). I'll put mine out the 1st of March.

Donna

[DonDuck]

A few years ago, a Home Depot in my area put their garden plants out pretty early after a fairly warm winter. They lost everything to a late freeze, restocked their shelves about one week later and lost everything to another late freeze. I don't care how warm the winter has been. I'm patient enough to wait and let them grow under lights instead of letting them freeze in the garden.

[Worth1]

HD and Lowes do strange things.
If I didn't know better I would think they had some sort of conspiracy going.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Worth1

HD and Lowes do strange things.
If I didn't know better I would think they had some sort of conspiracy going.

Last year Lowes killed lots of plants last year. I met Bonnie delivery guy one afyernoon that night low was forecast like 30. I told him wont they freeze tonight ? He said " maybe"

[MadCow333]

Originally Posted by Worth1

HD and Lowes do strange things.
If I didn't know better I would think they had some sort of conspiracy going.

They aren't bright enough to pull off an actual conspiracy. It's simply monkey see, monkey do.

The Bonnie plants are owned by Bonnie or whatever company sets the racks and delivers plants. The retailers have varied polices regarding how much care they give the Bonnie plants. Lowe's here has the Bonnie racks on the sidewalk out front, and literally could not care less about those plants, because they are not Lowe's property. Kmart is the same. . Home Depot integrates theirs into their greenhouse, where they will at least be watered. Local Lowe's does nothing in the event of a frost or freeze. Not even make sure plants are watered beforehand.

[DonDuck]

i sometimes enter or leave a store and notice the plants are limp and dying from thirst. The water hose is laying on the ground within a few feet of the plants, but no employee bothered to pick the hose up and water the plants. It really isn't any of my business, but it really ticks me off.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Stores put out product at the time when people will buy it. If they don't, the people's spending money will go to another store that has that product. It's rotten that people will end up killing their plants, but remember the store's goal is $.

Nan

[ABlindHog]

I lived just south of clear lake and gardened there many years ago. I bought seedlings around the first week of February and planted them up into larger pots a couple of times before mid march when it was time to set them out. The idea was to get production before the heat of summer set in.
It's been a long time but I think I got my plants in Houston at a place called Sage and there where always plenty of others there at the same time, with the same plan. It worked pretty well.

[SteveP]

It appears to me the retailers only pay for what is purchased through the registers. The loss goes to the supplier. Have you ever watched the suppliers deliver? They just pull up and put damaged product on the truck and fill the racks with fresh plants. I may be wrong, but I think that's how it works.

[Rajun Gardener]

Originally Posted by SteveP

It appears to me the retailers only pay for what is purchased through the registers. The loss goes to the supplier. Have you ever watched the suppliers deliver? They just pull up and put damaged product on the truck and fill the racks with fresh plants. I may be wrong, but I think that's how it works.

That's the way Bonnie's works. It's also the same reason you see Bonnie's everywhere. The store owners have no skin in the game, they give Bonnie's space for the display and profit only from what sells.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

That's the way Bonnie's works. It's also the same reason you see Bonnie's everywhere. The store owners have no skin in the game, they give Bonnie's space for the display and profit only from what sells.

That's the way I understand & Bonnie is also responsible for watering, upkeep, and culling.

Also, the times I have purchased plants - they will ring up every one individually - even if they are the same make and model. Must be a tracking system in the register.

[JerryHaskins]

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

That's the way Bonnie's works. It's also the same reason you see Bonnie's everywhere. The store owners have no skin in the game, they give Bonnie's space for the display and profit only from what sells.

Yep. I tried to buy spme lantana plants that looked pretty bad and it was too late to plant them.

I asked the Home Depot manager if he would discount them since they were headed for the dumpster.

He said that he couldn't. He said that Bonnie owns them and sets the price.