Roots bring nourishment to the rest of the plant. The roots of chain store plants usually have not been given enough time to fully develop before the plant is put up for sale. Over water a plant with small, thin, poorly developed roots just a few times and those roots turn into a soggy rotten mess. No roots means no nourishment, which means one dead plant. It’s easy to tell when a plant’s roots are in trouble. The plant looks like it needs water; the leaves are soft and droopy, but the soil is very wet. There are just no roots left to transport the water from the soil to the leaves. In florist quality plants the root ball is usually strong and firm. This strong root structure will give you a second and maybe even a third chance if you accidentally over water the plant. The easiest way to check the root structure is to gently pull the plant out of its pot. You should be able to see the roots just starting to take on the shape of the pot.

Next Section: Quality Of Soil