Before Buying Fall Plants on Clearance, Check These 5 Things at the Garden Center

A fall garden center clearance rack can offer healthy plants at reduced prices, but gardeners should inspect leaves, roots, containers, labels, and the reason for the markdown before buying – Shutterstock

A garden center clearance rack can feel like the gardening equivalent of a treasure hunt. The prices look tempting, the plants still have plenty of green leaves, and suddenly that sad-looking perennial seems like a bargain worth rescuing. Before tossing it into the cart, though, take a closer look because a discounted plant can become a fantastic garden addition or a disappointing pile of compost.

Fall actually offers a useful shopping opportunity because many garden centers reduce plants as they make room for seasonal inventory. The catch? A markdown does not automatically mean a plant has recovered from a rough summer. Five quick checks can help separate a genuinely good deal from a plant that has already spent its last good leaf.