Plant Delivery: Things to Consider When Shopping For Plants Online

If you are new to buying plants on the internet, then you are in the right place. You may be confused and trust us, we’ve all been there. Ordering your plants from the internet and getting them delivered to you is a whole different ballgame from what you are used to when you go to your local nursery. Now, you have to consider several factors before you even place your order. Luckily, we are here to help.

But, if you are yet to decide where to shop from, you can visit Plantedpot for more pointers on where to shop. With that out of the way, let us now take a look at some of the things that you need to consider when you buy plants online.

1. Seller’s Policies

One thing you mustn’t gloss over is the policies of where you are shopping. Sure, on the seller’s site you will find nice pictures of what you want to buy. However, when you get your delivery, it may not come like that nice picture you saw. This does not mean you have been ripped off, it simply means the plant was delivered in a different form. It could come as bare roots, young cuttings, or potted plants. If you have read the policies, then you won’t feel crestfallen when your order finally arrives.

2. The Plant’s Final Location

As you shop, you would find the plants’ descriptions, you need to take proper note of this, especially its spread and height. Why? Because you need to be sure it would properly fit into the space you have for it. Alongside the plant’s blossom images, some sellers may also attach the plant’s pictures in a bigger setting. This would help you determine whether or not it would fit the place you want to allocate for it.

3. The Growing Requirements

Falling in love irrevocably with the plant’s wonderful images is very possible. But you have to guard your heart because you have to consider its growing requirements first. One question to ask is whether or not it would thrive in your soil type. Other requirements you need to consider aside from soil type are light and water requirements. If your environment will not properly cater to the plant’s needs, then it’s best to simply love it from a distance.

4. Season

You need to keep the growing season in mind when you shop. Read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growing_season to learn more about growing seasons. Most stores know when certain plants aren’t suitable to be cultivated in your zone at a given time. So, when you order an outdoor plant at a time when your area’s climate conditions won’t support its growth, some sellers won’t deliver your order then. They would instead wait for the right season before shipping it to you. Some also have times they ship certain plants. For instance, vegetables and tender annuals are shipped during spring, right after frost’s dangers are out of the way. While hardy perennials and trees are shipped during early spring when planting them is safe.

5. Read Customer Feedbacks

Reading a seller’s customer feedbacks is very essential. By doing this, you would figure out the seller’s reliability and reputation. You will know what past customers have to say about the seller’s services. Remember your plant is being delivered to you, use customer feedbacks to find out just how great or not the shipping process is.

6. Consider Expedited Shipping – That is if it is Available

If the store you want to buy from has the option of expedited shipping, then don’t hesitate to splurge on it. This is especially needed if the distance between your home and the greenhouse is far. It would only cost you a few extra bucks and give you better satisfaction. This is because plants shouldn’t be kept in a box for longer than 5 days. If the distance won’t let your delivery get to you before 5 days is up, then it is best to speed up the process. This way, your baby will get to you in time and healthy.

7. Return Policy

It is possible to determine the plants’ quality just from the seller’s return policy. Make sure wherever you shop from has a great return policy. If your order gets to you in subpar shape, you have to be sure that you can either get refunded for the purchase or get an exchange. Any seller that doesn’t offer a great return policy may have some tricks up their sleeves. When there is a good return policy, it means they are assuring you that your order will be properly packaged and handled during transit to avoid damaging it.

8. Growing Zone

As we said, buying your plants online is a lot different from buying them at your local nursery. When you buy from around your area, chances are that the plants being sold would either be native to the area or have a great chance of surviving there. The same can’t be said for shopping from the internet since they cater to the world (so to say); hence, the stores online would have plants for various growing zones. Therefore, before you buy that plant on the internet, ensure it would survive in your zone. The USDA plant hardiness zone map can help you determine this. Click here to learn more about this map. We advise that you determine your zone even before you start shopping so you don’t fall in love with a plant that has no chance of being with you.

Conclusion

We believe this article has been helpful to you and you now know what to consider when buying plants from the internet.