Buying plants from big-box stores
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 10:52 am
I'm beyond excited to share this with you all - I just can't contain myself. I stopped by my local Meijer today and I'm sure many of you have seen those sad, dying fish tanks at your department store. But sometimes you can find hidden gems - live plants that are actually thriving. Today, I hit the jackpot. They had a few plants, including crypts and vallisneria. And let me tell you, this one crypt was massive. I've never seen anything like it - the picture doesn't do it justice. I'm guessing it got so big because it doesn't exactly look like a prize-winning plant to the untrained eye.
I ended up snagging three huge crypts - I think one might be a wenditii brown, but I'm not sure about the other two (they're super dark, though). Feel free to chime in if you know what they might be. Then I spotted the vallisneria and asked for three, but the employee gave me three bunches, so I ended up with six. These department store employees aren't always knowledgeable about fish and plants (no fault of their own), and sometimes there aren't even tags, so they just make an educated guess. I scored each crypt for $2 and the vallisneria for $3.40 each. I didn't realize just how long and healthy the vallisneria was until I got home.
I rinsed all the leaves, cleaned the roots of algae, sprayed them with hydrogen peroxide, and washed the leaves again. So, I highly encourage you to check out those often-overlooked tanks at your local department store - you never know what hidden gems you might find. For reference, this towel is 4 ft long.
I ended up snagging three huge crypts - I think one might be a wenditii brown, but I'm not sure about the other two (they're super dark, though). Feel free to chime in if you know what they might be. Then I spotted the vallisneria and asked for three, but the employee gave me three bunches, so I ended up with six. These department store employees aren't always knowledgeable about fish and plants (no fault of their own), and sometimes there aren't even tags, so they just make an educated guess. I scored each crypt for $2 and the vallisneria for $3.40 each. I didn't realize just how long and healthy the vallisneria was until I got home.
I rinsed all the leaves, cleaned the roots of algae, sprayed them with hydrogen peroxide, and washed the leaves again. So, I highly encourage you to check out those often-overlooked tanks at your local department store - you never know what hidden gems you might find. For reference, this towel is 4 ft long.