How are live plants packaged for shipment?

Posted by Caren on 22nd Mar 2022

How are live plants packaged for shipment?

We have had a few inquiries regarding how our live plants are packaged so what better way to show it than to put in in a blog post with a step by step description of the complete process from stage 1 to 5.

Step 1: Wrapping the plants


Your plants begin the process being individually wrapped in newspaper with the soil tucked into place to ensure it stays in the pot during transit. The paper also supports delicate leaves by holding them together. 

We prefer to water pots the night before shipment to give the soil plenty of time to drain, that way they won't be waterlogged during transit, however they will be quite moist still, so we place plastic around the base of the pot (not the leaves) to prevent seepage into the outer box, leaving the top most part of the plant free to breath during transit.

The plastic also helps to prevent drying of the soil during transit. Remember the soil will be just moist enough to sustain the 1-4 days delivery and no more, but in the event that is is a little dry when receiving just give them a good drink when you receive them and let them recover for a day before transplanting. 

Step 2: First stage of packing the box


For larger orders there can sometimes be 1 or 2 layers of plants in the box, but in this example, which was a real customer order on the day we chose to take photos for the blog, there is only 1 layer of plants, but the process will be the same for each order.

We start with a layer of shredded paper on the base to cushion any bumps or box drops during transit. then we place the plants in a manner where they are supported either by each other or more paper so they don't move an inch. 

Step 3: Second stage to packing the box. Plants are tucked in nicely.

Following stabilizing the plants, all remaining gaps are then tucked in tightly with more paper so they will not move, even if the box is dropped or thrown about during transit. Also as paper is a natural insulator they will be protected from heat & cold, while still being able to breath during shipment. 

Step 4: Plants are laid to bed.

The final top layer of shredded paper is added to the top after we are happy the plants are stable and not able to move about. The top layer will help insulate further from heat and cold. 

Step 5: Packing slip & labels added.

Now that the plants have been safely packaged it is time to add the packing slip and seal the box. We also attach a 'Live Plants Keep Cool & Avoid Direct Sunlight' label on the outer of the box for the courier and we have noticed that it does seem to make a difference, as our success rate for delivery is around 98% even during the warmer months. 

Final notes

We hope that this will help answer questions regarding how plants are packaged. As you can see we take great care with limiting movement during transit & insulating the box so the plants arrive in good order.

In the rare event that items still do not arrive in good condition, (this is likely due to situation out of our control once they are handed over to the courier, as we no longer control the condition they are in), we still like you to receive your parcel in good order. For this reason, and the fact that we only get around 2% of orders that are damaged, which is a very small amount, we have a 100% guarantee of satisfaction upon arrival, which is our Live Plant Guarantee.

If you encounter any issues with receiving your order just contact us and send us a photo within 24 hours of receiving your order. Its as simple as that, and we will organize replacements with our next dispatch, or a refund if we don't have the stock, Easy Peazy!

The reason we prefer you contact us within 24 hours is that after that time, the plants are in an environment further outside of our control and therefore all claims must be made within the first day of receiving the goods or we will put it down to external conditions outside of the business. 

Saying that though, as stated most of our customers are very happy with how they are received so you can rest assured that your plants will be in the best hands throughout the purchase process to delivery!

Enjoy and Happy Gardening!

Who we are & what we do. 

 

Gardening is our passion which we have turned into a business. We love everything about the Home & Garden, and yes this includes our beloved pets, which is why we have included this category in our store.

 

We cultivate our own Live Plants in South Australia and sell these as cuttings, tube stock or potted plants in our Nursery Section. But we know that caring for a garden is more than just about plants, so we have added categories in just about everything to do with the garden and home.

 

We are adding new stock regularly and hope to have thousands of new products over the next several months, most of which can be shipped globally (excluding live plants).

 

Due to the size of some products, we have had to limit shipment of some products to within Australia only, which will account for about 20% of products, but most can be shipped globally, and listings usually will state if there are shipping restrictions to areas outside of Australia on the item page.

 

Live plants are perishable goods and therefore can only be shipped within Australia, and due to quarantine regulations in some AU states we can only ship to NSW, SA, Vic, Qld, and ACT. Unfortunately, we do not yet have our license to ship to NT, WA and TAS, but we will be looking into this in the future. Any sales for live plants in the exclusion zones will be refunded shortly after the order.

 

All plants sold in the included zones (NSW, Vic, SA, ACT, Qld) will be shipped out via Australia Post Express the following Monday/Tuesday to allow for delivery before the following weekend, unless they are a pre-order item. Most Plant orders are delivered in 1-4 business days and come with our 100% money back guarantee.

 

All other Home & Garden products will be shipped out via standard postage services and will depend on the destination location or country for shipment times.

 

Our Live Plants Range

 

We propagate our own stock from a wide range of Geraniums, Pelargoniums, Osteospermums (African Daisies), succulents, herbs & indoor plants & other perennials. As stated these can ony be shipped to locations mentioned above so please make sure you are in NSW, Vic, ACT, SA or Qld only to order these.

 

For more information on how plants are packaged you can visit our blog on ‘how our live plants are packaged for shipment’ which includes a step-by-step photo stage of the process.

 

All other items are shipped out separately from plants due to the perishable and non-perishable content of the packages, but all packages will include a tracking number for convenience, and you will receive an automatic email with the shipment details.

 

If you want to keep updated on our new stock in plants or home & garden products, you can sign up for our email and get 20% off your first purchase by using the sign in form at the top of every page. You will then receive our newsletters when new stock is added and receive any promotional offers in future.

 

We hope to have you on board in future and support our small family business in South Australia. In the meantime, enjoy browsing our store and feel free to use the contact us link if you have any questions.

 

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