Shipping Information
Shipping Terms
I believe it is important to maintain excellent customer service by deliberately striving to get customers orders to them as soon as possible with as low a shipping price as possible. Because of this goal I usually pack up a placed order within 1 day. Over the weekend or during holidays it may take 2 days and occasionally 3 for me to pack up an order. But in most circumstances your order is packed up and shipped by me to you in merely 1 day. I take all of my orders to the post office for shipping at least 4 times a week. It may seem unusual but it is not uncommon for a customer to place an order and literally receive their plants in their mail 2 days later. In most circumstances you will receive your order in 2 to 5 days.
I ship to anywhere in the US only. This includes Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, the Virgin Islands, etc. If you live in the US I can ship to you. I do not ship to any other countries at this time and do not plan on changing this policy anytime soon.
All plants and supplies are shipped First Class Mail USPS if their packages weigh 13 ounces or less. If the packages weigh more than 13 ounces then they are shipped Priority Mail USPS. There is no tracking number for each package as tracking numbers cost extra. However, for more expensive plants that I cannot easily replace I do purchase a tracking number but do not ordinarily email it to a customer. There is no charge if I purchase a tracking number for your order.
I have used this shipping method for 1000s of orders and have found it to be safe and efficient. I have found First Class Mail to ship in a mere 2 days about 85% of the time, in 3 days about 10% of the time, and in 4-5 days about 5% of the time. I cannot control how long USPS takes to ship orders but I have been informed by postal employees that if it takes more than 2 days it is usually because your local post office has the package in 2 days but is taking longer to send it out to you. Shipping First Class Mail USPS is what enables you to buy plants from me with a shipping fee that costs about 3 to 4 dollars less than just about everywhere else. Because your order is shipped in this manner you save money.
Shipping during hot or cold weather
I ship most plants year round. This includes during the Winter time. For most plants shipping from my place to your place is very safe year round. It is highly unlikely that the plants will be damaged on the way, even if you live in Arizona in the middle of Summer or Wisconsin in the middle of Winter. There is some risk of heat stress or freezing during the Summer and Winter depending on where you live but it almost never happens along the way. If this does happen with your order, even though it is rare, please contact me and let me know as soon as you realize that this may have happened.
The main way that plants can be damaged when being shipped is by sitting in a mailbox outside that heats up during hot weather during the Summer in places like Arizona, New Mexico, South Carolina, etc or during freezing cold weather during the Winter. During the Winter most plants can handle temperatures as low as mid 30s F. Thus the real risk of damage during Winter is from freezing and this usually happens if a plant is left in a mailbox outside in below freezing temperatures for more than a few hours. Thus it is still safe to purchase plants if you live in a hot climate during the Summer and a cold climate during the Winter, provided that you take your mail in soon after it arrives and do not leave your order in a hot or cold mailbox outside if that is the type place where you receive your mail.
During the Summer or during the Winter if your shipping address is located in a hot or cold climate I will do my best to notify you when a package is shipped and when you can expect it. So that you will know when you will need to bring your mail indoors before excessive heat or excessive cold can stress or damage your plants. I will also hold orders for more temperature sensitive plants when your local weather is inappropriate for safe shipping until it warms or cools sufficiently to make shipping safe and I will let you know when this is the case.
If you are unable to take your mail in shortly after delivery and you live in a hot climate during the Summer or a cold climate during the Winter please let me know, either before you place your order or immediately after you have placed an order. I can purchase a signature conformation for you. I may charge for this depending on the amount your order costs. Signature confirmation means the mailman will have you sign for your order and if you are not home to sign for it then they leave you a notice and take your package back to your local post office until you pick it up from there. This will prevent your plants from being left in an excessively hot or excessively cold mailbox outside.