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Mail-Order Tips
and
Care of Plants Received in
the Mail
A favorite pastime in the midst
of winter is to delve into the seed catalogs as they
arrive in the mailbox. It is where the spring garden
begins with endless dreams of colorful flowers and
edible delights. Some gardeners order plants and seeds
through the mail because of the convenience, but many
do so because they can find a larger variety of plants
and seeds that are not available in local nurseries.
Today the Internet plays an important role in a gardener's
ability to locate and purchase from a larger variety
of plants available. If you are new to mail-order
gardening here are a few tips to get your garden off
to a good start.
CHECK
OUT A COMPANY BEFORE ORDERING
* Look for companies
that offer a customer service telephone number or
e-mail address. It's important for a company to respond
to your telephone call or e-mail to answer questions,
resolve problems or handle returns.
* See if the company
offers a guarantee policy and understand its requirements.
* Always check for
telephone number or e-mail address. If a company doesn't
provide one you may want to be cautious about ordering
from them.
* Check out a mail-order
company by reading reviews left by other gardeners
who have placed orders with them previously. To read
a review go to any website on iloveplants.com and
click on the "Review My Site" button located in the
right-hand corner, and all reviews will be displayed.
* Understand a company's
shipping time so that you can place your order and
receive your plants at a time when you will be able
to plant them outdoors.
* To see how responsive
a company is to customers, send them an e-mail inquiry
about their products prior to placing an order.
READ THE CATALOG OR ORDER PAGE ON THEIR WEBSITE
* Read the information
on how to place your order in the catalog or on their
website.
* See when their shipping
time period is. Many will not ship plants during cold
weather.
* Check to see if you
have their most recent catalog with current pricing
information. If you don't then verify current prices
on their website.
* Look for good plant
descriptions so that you will know what you are ordering.
KNOW YOUR PLANTS
*
Do your homework prior to placing your order. Know
the requirements (i.e. shade, sun, water-thirsty,
drought tolerant, etc.) for the plants you are ordering,
your garden zone (USDA Garden Zone chart),
and which plants are suitable for your location. If
you are unsure, contact your local extension service
for help. You can locate an e-mail address
or telephone number for your extension agent in our
Regional Gardening Directory.
* For short-season
vegetable gardens select earlier varieties.
PLACE YOUR ORDER - TELEPHONE, FAX , MAIL OR
INTERNET
* To receive orders
the quickest, phone, fax or order via their website
on the Internet.
*
Make
sure the company offers secure credit card ordering
over the Internet.
*
Carefully
complete all information requested on the catalog
or online order form.
* Indicate whether
you will accept "substitute" plants if your
selections are not available.
* If you are unsure
of a company, place a small order first to test their
quality and service.
FOLLOW
UP & KEEP RECORDS
* Notify a company
immediately of a problem with your order, defective
plants or problems.
* Keep a journal of
your purchases, the company you purchased them from,
the service and the end result so that you will know
who to purchase from in the future.
*
Share
your experience (positive or negative) with other
gardeners by reviewing the company's website on www.iloveplants.com.
WHAT TO DO WITH PLANTS WHEN
THEY ARRIVE IN THE MAIL
* Remove any plastic
that may be on plants to allow for air circulation.
* Read all information
that comes with the plants for advice, and follow
instructions for the maximum results.
* Plant your order
as quickly as possible. If the weather does not permit,
you may want to repot the plants to prevent them from
drying out too quickly. Provide the proper light requirements
and water necessary for them to thrive. Dormant bare
rootstock should be kept in its protective wrapping.
Add moisture when needed and keep them out of direct
sun. Soak their roots in a bucket of water for a couple
of hours prior to planting.
* Keep seeds in a cool
and dry location until you are ready to plant them.
* Remove bulbs, rhizomes,
tubers and corms from their packaging and spread them
in a single layer. Keep them in a cool, dry location.
* Check with your local
extension service to see when it is safe to plant
your new plants outdoors. Locate an email address
or telephone number for your extension agent in our
Regional
Gardening Directory.
* Contact the company
about any problems you may have experienced, such
as delivery of wrong plants, defective or dead plants.
NOTE
TO MEDIA: Please feel free to use all or part of
the information above in your garden articles. We
do request that you mention "iloveplants.com
- Gardener's Guide to the Internet" as
your source.
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