Mail Order Plants: Buyer Beware

My first online rose purchase was from Heirloom Roses, and despite being expensive (I only buy on sales), they have been the most consistent for me. I've changed orders, order times, and had to submit a warranty claim with no issues. Seeing what is going on out there with other rose vendors makes me feel lucky I happened upon a decent rose business in the first place. Unfortunately, I purchased a few roses from a new vendor last fall that may or may not show up. Thanks so much for doing this video--very timely and helpful.

Good tips again, Jason. Thanks. You are always so straightforward and balanced with the information/advice you give.

My advice to sellers is to be clear in planting and soil requirements for your plants. I killed 3 thimble berry plants because I wrongly assumed that they had the same soil requirements as a raspberry. Big mistake. Thimble berry bushes like rocky/sandy soil. Scenic Hill Farms gives a detailed soil requirement description with their plants and as a result my plant is thriving.

The best online rose source for me has been Antique Rose Emporium in Texas. And I am only about four hours away, so a visit is wonderful also.

Jason, you're the best.

I'm lucky to have a lot of great rose suppliers nearby, like Fraser Valley Rose Farm 😁, so I don't mail order plants. But I still watched! Thanks.

As always best advice, Jason. Many thanks.

Thank you for the video. I hope it reaches many.

Thank you Jason. 🪻💚🙃

Good info! Happy Spring! We order a lot of bare root liners and transplants. The quality really does vary! Takes time to find the better suppliers.

I have had a good run with mail order plants. 6 from 6 have all survived. A couple of roses and four fruit trees I couldn't find locally. I would say though to increase your odds, don't buy any clearance items and pay for the fastest shipping you can.

Thank you for teaching and sharing. No hype, just sound facts to help you grow and know.

Thank you.

Great video, thank you for sharing

Excellent, thankyou👍

Bought bare root roses today in the department store Unpack the wood chip and discovered the roots are trimmed down to 4 inch in length, so weird. I hope they survive

I ordered $500 worth of roses from Heirloom Roses a few years ago. They did not ship them until months later & arrived to me as pencil thin (if that) black defoliated sticks with tiny plug-size roots in the fall. I planted immediately, mulched, & protected them over winter. They all died, or were already dead upon arrival, & never came back in the spring. I filed a claim, as they were supposed to be guaranteed. Heirloom Roses initially said they would refund me no problem, but suddenly changed their mind because I had planted them too close to winter freezing time in my zone. Lol I literally planted the same day & following day of receiving them & had no control over the fact they were delayed. They took zero responsibility for the delayed shipping (by months!) & only looked for a loophole in their policy to disqualify my claim. I had to threaten to file a claim with their state's attorney general to get my money back. Suddenly, they decided to issue a refund. Lol They also assured me that they only ship roses that are 18 months old, fully established & growing well. The plants I received were still tiny plugs, barely rooted, & just stuck in a larger nursery pot as to appear older. Shoddy & unprofessional. Reprehensible products & dushonest customer service. I will never purchase another rose from them.

As someone who did mail order catalog sales some 50 years ago, the questions and challenges are exactly the same today even though there are many more options. Who do I contact if there is a problem? How do I return a broken or wrong item? How do I get my money back? I sold American Seed Company, Gurney Seeds, and the unheard of Burpee Seeds, I also sold American Greeting cards (a new Comer), and Mason shoes. The live plant market is quite a logistical challenge for so many reasons and most growers actually refuse to sell here in Hawaii because the cost of shipping to and return is just not worth it. In fact, I am trying to get a few hazel nut trees, but no-one so far is willing to ship. I will probably have to have a direct conversation with a grower and come to an understanding of exactly what I am trying to accomplish. Of course, living in Hawaii, the first thought is tropical and probably not appropriate for the types of plants I am looking for. Sellers don't realize the great diversity of climate here, even on the other islands. So it's safer to just say no. Completely understandable, especially if the market doesn't appear to be very worthwhile. Wise words Jason.🤙

Very helpful, thank you so much 💕

Very useful informative video. I have purchased many plants both potted bare root and trees online. Through experience you learn which suppliers are genuine and will deal with complaints well and which suppliers are just front end advertisers and who don’t care about customer satisfaction. If I had this video at the start of my online purchases it would have saved much angst and unhappiness with plants supplied. Example I ordered Russian sage and was unhappy with plant supplied as it was just roots and branches in a pot no leaves or flowers. I complained and was sent another but second plant was hardly any better. Put both in ground now doing well but my inexperience led me to believe they were poor specimens! I now only purchase from nurseries who grow the plants themselves and have had some lovely plants bought online. Means I can purchase plants local garden centres don’t stock