It’s finally here. You’ve waited 1, 2 or perhaps even 3 days for its arrival, We certainly hope it hasn’t been longer than that! Your box has been delivered and it’s time to unwrap your goodies!

But what next?

 

Nobody panic, don’t fret, everyone stay clam…

 

The first thing you’ll want to do is carefully open the box. Try not to puncture or tear the cardboard unless absolutely necessary. Also try to look for any labels or markings that may signify top, bottom or “this side up”. Keep plants oriented right side up as much as possible. Be careful when removing any packing material- buds and flowers are by far the most delicate parts of the plant and if your order contains any budded/blooming plants- you don’t want to fumble this at the finish line!

 

Just like me getting ready to speak at a conference- or you going off on vacation- your plant(s) journey from the nursery to you started several days in advance.

 

We start by setting plants off to the side to dry off. The greenhouse is the area for optimal growing, which isn’t the same as for optimal shipping. Light is increased and water and fertilizer are stopped entirely.

You wouldn’t enjoy boarding a plane soaking wet and neither do the plants.

 

Usually- the day before plants are scheduled to be shipped, they’re wrapped in sheets of newspaper and insulated with cotton or shredded paper. This usually requires wrapping plants much like you would wrap a burrito- and you can imagine how comfy you’d feel staying like that for several days. Plants need to breathe too! These “plant burritos” are then placed in the appropriate sized box and insulated with additional packing materials before being secured extra-snug in the box.

 

At this point- FedEx receives your box and they deliver it to your address. And now it’s your turn!

 

After gently unwrapping plants- give them a good drink. I promise- they are thirsty! Hold them under the tap for 15-25 seconds each, completely saturating the growing medium. If you’re using a garden hose- use a water breaker that provides a gentle but high volume flow. If your order contains budded/blooming plants- do your best to keep buds and flowers dry.

 

Set your plant(s) out to dry somewhere with good air circulation and be sure to allow plants plenty of time to dry before nightfall.

 

If your plant(s) have come out of the pot entirely during transit, feel free to re pot them immediately. Otherwise, I recommend waiting at least 2 weeks before re potting to give your plants a chance to acclimate.

I *do not* recommend re potting budded/blooming plants unless absolutely necessary.

 

You may begin to water and fertilize your new purchases just as you would the rest of your collection. Maintain light and airflow at whatever levels you have for similar genera in your collection. We want to get your plants acclimated to *your* growing environment as fast as possible for best success.

 

Plants that traveled exceptionally rough or for prolonged periods of transit will require more care and TLC then plants that were only out of the greenhouse for 1-2 days. If appropriate- contact me to see if we can file a claim with FedEx for excessive damage*.

 

*Any claims for damage not reported within 24 hours of receipt of your order will not be honored.