Receiving your Plants
When to Plant
ASAP: Don't wait! Snow or frost will not hurt these!
Trees should be transplanted when they are dormant, before they begin to leaf out and grow. For most of USDA Zones 3-5 , this means early to mid April, when the water table is still high.This is not a very comfortable time for the planter (you); however, an early planting date can often make the difference between vigorous growth or lingering survival in the first season. Don't wait until garden-planting time! Plant your trees as soon as the ground is thawed.
Damage
If an order is damaged in transit, please notify us right away so that we can replace the damaged stock as soon as possible.
Guarantee
We expect that you, the customer, will do your part to assure that your trees are planted in a timely fashion, watered and cared for adequately. If a plant dies anytime within its first growing season, contact us. We will work with you to determine the fairest course of action. If it seems that the plant did not survive in spite of proper care on your part, we will replace it at no charge. In some cases, we may ask you to pay for shipping or offer to split the cost of replacement with you.
Customer Service
Our desire is to give you the pleasure of picking fruit from your own trees. During the busy season, I (Connor) cannot personally oversee the selection and packaging of each order. Mistakes do happen. If you have questions, problems, or complaints about your order, please remember that we are on your side. We will be reasonable and fair with you; we ask only that you be honest and courteous to us. During off-season months, (May through November,) we are outdoors much of the time, so may take a bit longer to respond to inquiries.
Planting Guide
Planting and care instructions for each type of plant that we sell can be found in our St. Lawrence Nurseries Planting Guide. A complimentary copy of this booklet will be sent to you with your order. (In the outside packet, under your shipping label.) We have also included information on organic pest and disease management, and many little “tips” that might be helpful to you. If you'd like a peek at the Guide before your plants arrive, we'll mail it to you for $6 (shipping included,) or you can view it online here: Planting Guide.
If you cannot Plant Right Away
It is better to receive your plants early rather than late, even if your ground is still frozen when they arrive. If the following directions are heeded, the trees will keep fine until they can be planted. 1) Take off the outer white plastic wrap- per. Inspect your plants to make sure that they are in good condition and your order was correctly filled. Look carefully...some- times labels and smaller plants can be hid- den down inside the inner root wrapper, or wrapped in newspaper to protect them. 2) Check the roots for moisture (left)—if they seem dry, undo the inner wrapper and soak the roots in a bucket of water for several hours, then repack with damp saw- dust. If you have a place in your garden that has thawed on the surface, it may be pos- sible to “heel in” the trees: dig a shallow depression (below), lay the roots in it, and cover with some loose, moist dirt. The roots should not be exposed to air, even for a little while. Keep them protected from wind and sun until the moment of planting. 3) If heeling-in is impossible, keep the trees, with roots in moist sawdust, in a cool place such as a cellar or porch, but protect from sunlight and extreme freezing temperatures. Plant as soon as the ground is thawed (A bit of frost in the ground will not hurt).