‘Look at that!’: Here’s how Home Depot Garden may be secretly targeting customers who have a ‘brown thumb’

Home Depot Garden Center doesn’t just target green thumbs with a knack for keeping plants alive. The brand has reportedly developed a new method to attract and retain customers with more of a “brown thumb” who may have difficulty raising plants.

Home Depot tests new plants annually, ending in a spring trial, and chooses the best based on certain features to be sold in the garden center the following year.

What happens at Home Depot's spring trials?

Home Depot tests over 800 genetically enhanced plants in nine climate zones in the United States. Of the 800 plants tested initially, only 400 make it to the second stage of their trials, "the planting stage."

In the planting stage, genetic engineers prioritize attributes such as drought and disease resistance, vibrancy, and flower size. So if a shopper frequently forgets to water their plants, Home Depot's might survive more easily than others.

Only 40 to 50 plants from the final phase are sold in stores the following spring after selection at "spring trials"—an event where Home Depot workers select the plants for the garden center.

This year's genetically enhanced plants include a 60-70 day harvest jalapeño pepper as well as a heat and drought-tolerant Rio Dipladenia flower, which Home Depot shows in a recent TikTok.

Are Home Depot plants different than other garden centers?

Many garden centers source plants from independent vendors and farms, which gives the retailer minimal control over the growing strategy and genetic qualities of what is sold in stores. Home Depot, on the other hand, has its own plant genetics program.

The hardiness of its plants isn't the only factor Home Depot considers.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Home Depot live goods specialists say the company sends a team to Paris Fashion Week to keep up with European color trends, which are typically ahead of United States trends.

Then, they use their findings to develop flowers that match the anticipated color trends for the following spring.

Home Depot garden center shoppers say the genetically enhanced plants last longer than others they've purchased.

"I have bought this for a few years now, and it thrives even though I do not have a green thumb," a reviewer who purchased the Rio Dipladenia writes.

"Drop this baby right in and BOOM! Look at that! These flowers always do well and bloom all summer long!" another says.

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