Checklist template

Garden center operations

A ready-to-use checklist with 107 items in 6 sections, covering Watering, Plant quality, Layout, Pricing, Bulk goods, Seasonal changeover. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 107 Items
  • 90 Yes / No checks
  • 7 Scored ratings
  • 125 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Watering 19 items

  1. A written watering schedule lists each zone: annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, hanging baskets, houseplants Yes / No 1 pt
  2. An employee is named for watering on each shift of the schedule, weekends and holidays included Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The morning watering round was finished by the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Hanging baskets are checked a second time in the afternoon on days above 85°F (29°C) Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The soil of 10 pots sampled across the benches is moist 1 in (2.5 cm) below the surface Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Pots of the 10 sampled that were dry Number
  7. No wilted plants are on the sales benches at the time of the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Water is applied at the soil with a wand and breaker, not sprayed over the blooms Yes / No 1 pt
  9. A hose reaches every bench and every row of nursery stock Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Hoses are coiled on reels or hooks after watering Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Wands, breakers and shut-off valves do not leak Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Drip emitters sampled on the tree and shrub rows are flowing during the timer cycle Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Benches drain, with no water standing in trays under the pots Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Succulents and cacti are watered on their own schedule and are not sitting in wet soil Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The fertilizer injector is set at the rate given in the company's plant care guide Yes / No 1 pt
  16. A backflow preventer is fitted on the garden center water supply, as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Plants on vendor-serviced racks are watered by the store between the vendor's visits Yes / No 1 pt
  18. After rain, plants under the canopy and in hanging baskets are still checked for dry soil Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Watering of live goods Rating
    • All zones watered on schedule 5 pts
    • Some dry pots or missed zones 3 pts
    • Widespread wilting 1 pt

2. Plant quality 19 items

  1. Dead and diseased plants are removed from the sales benches every day Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Spent blooms and yellow leaves are picked off plants on display Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Plants are checked weekly for aphids, whitefly and spider mites Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Infested plants are taken off sale and isolated from healthy stock Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Distressed plants are moved to a clearance bench at a marked-down price Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Discarded plants are recorded by product as known loss, or claimed from the grower under the pay-by-scan agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Hostas, ferns, impatiens and other shade plants are displayed under shade cloth Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Trees are standing upright and tied to a rail or staked against wind Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Root balls of balled-and-burlapped trees are covered with mulch or kept moist Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Plants that have outgrown their pot are potted up or marked down Yes / No 1 pt
  11. New deliveries are taken off the grower's racks and watered within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Each live goods delivery is inspected at receiving and rejected plants are noted for credit Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Every pot carries its care tag Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Houseplants are displayed away from cold drafts at the doors Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Pots of nursery stock are free of weeds Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The plant guarantee is posted at the garden center register Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Distressed plants counted on the regular sales benches Number
  18. Date of the latest live goods delivery Date
  19. Quality of plants on sale Rating
    • Healthy and groomed 5 pts
    • Some distressed plants on sale 3 pts
    • Many dead or dying plants on sale 1 pt

3. Layout 17 items

  1. Aisles between benches are at least 4 ft (1.2 m) wide, enough for a flatbed cart Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Annuals are grouped by sun and shade, with a sign over each group Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Perennials are arranged alphabetically or by category, as the company layout specifies Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Trees and shrubs are grouped by type, with a sign for each group Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Plants in bloom are placed at the garden center entrance Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Plants are pulled forward and consolidated so that no bench is half empty Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Carts or wagons are available at the garden center entrance Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The garden center register is open during the peak hours on the staffing plan Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Hanging baskets hang within reach, or a reaching pole is available Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Signs direct customers to bagged soil, mulch and stone Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A loading zone for bagged goods is marked and free of parked vehicles Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Empty grower racks are staged for pickup outside the customer area Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Walkways are free of hoses, empty pots and trays Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Benches are level and do not rock when pushed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The shade structure has no torn cloth or loose cables Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Empty benches at the time of the visit Number
  17. Layout and shopability of the garden center Rating
    • Easy to shop, full benches 5 pts
    • Some gaps or blocked aisles 3 pts
    • Hard to shop 1 pt

4. Pricing 16 items

  1. Every bench has a price sign for each pot size on it Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Price signs can still be read after sun and watering Yes / No 1 pt
  3. 10 plants scanned at the register rang at the price on their bench sign Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Plants of the 10 scanned that rang at a different price Number
  5. Flat and multi-buy prices ring correctly when the full quantity is scanned Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Clearance plants are each marked with the clearance sticker Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The price on tree and shrub tags has not faded Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The cashier has a look-up sheet with photos for plants that have lost their tag Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Vendor pay-by-scan plants are scanned by item, not keyed under the department key Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Sales keyed under the garden department key are reviewed weekly Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The price per bag is posted on each pallet of soil, mulch and stone Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Advertised items carry the ad price from the first day of the ad Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Signs from expired promotions have been taken down Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Pots and planters each carry a price label Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Markdowns on distressed plants are made by an authorized employee and recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Pricing accuracy in the garden center Rating
    • All signed and scanning correctly 5 pts
    • A few missing signs or scan errors 3 pts
    • Many missing signs or scan errors 1 pt

5. Bulk goods 18 items

  1. Each pallet location of bagged soil, mulch and stone has a sign with the product and bag size Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Torn bags are taped or removed from the pallet Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Spilled soil, mulch and stone around the pallets have been swept up Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Torn bags are sold at a markdown or recorded as known loss Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Pallets in customer areas are stacked no higher than the limit set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The stretch wrap is removed from pallets that are open for sale Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Weather covers stay on pallets of soil that are not yet open for sale Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The oldest pallets of mulch are sold first Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Loose mulch, soil and gravel sold by the cubic yard are in separate bins with a sign on each Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The volume of the loader bucket is posted so that loose material is sold by measured scoops Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Fertilizer and grass seed are stored dry and under cover Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Pallets of pavers and wall block are free of broken pieces Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Partial pallets of pavers and block show the remaining count Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A count of 3 bagged products during the visit matched the system on-hand within the company tolerance Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The employee loading bagged goods checks the quantities on the receipt before loading Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Pallets of mulch on hand at the time of the visit Number
  17. Torn bags counted in the bulk goods area Number
  18. Condition of the bagged and bulk goods area Rating
    • Signed, tidy and intact 5 pts
    • Some torn bags or missing signs 3 pts
    • Disorganized with spilled product 1 pt

6. Seasonal changeover 18 items

  1. A seasonal calendar gives the set dates for spring opening, summer color, fall mums and Christmas trees Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Date the garden center opened for the current season Date
  3. The set for the current season was complete by the company's set date Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A sell-down plan with markdown dates exists for the live goods of the outgoing season Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Grower orders for the next season are confirmed in writing Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Seasonal employees were trained on watering before the season opened Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Sell-through of the same season last year was used to set this year's order quantities Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Frost-tender stock is moved indoors or covered when frost is forecast Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The winterization checklist shows the water lines were drained before the first hard frost Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Unsold nursery stock is overwintered as company policy describes, or sold down before winter Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Pottery and hoses that can crack in frost are stored indoors for the winter Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The Christmas tree lot has stands, netting and a saw for fresh cuts ready before the first trees arrive Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Live goods are counted and written off at the end of each season Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Benches and fixtures taken down at season end are stored with a label giving their place in the set Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Readiness of the garden center for the current season Rating
    • Fully set on time 5 pts
    • Set late or incomplete 3 pts
    • Not set 1 pt
  16. Name of the garden center manager Short text
  17. Overall operation of the garden center Rating
    • Strong 5 pts
    • Acceptable 3 pts
    • Weak 1 pt
  18. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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