When you receive your order:
Please unpack your order as soon as possible when it arrives. Once out of proper storage conditions, plants don’t like to be kept waiting, so they will need your immediate attention. Transplanting them to their new home within 24 hours after receiving is always the best idea. Should any product be delivered in damaged condition, please notify DeGroot, Inc. for resolution within 10 days of receiving the product. Please do not discard damaged product until notified to do so by DeGroot, Inc.
Much of DeGroot, Inc. is shipped in a dormant or bare root condition. Plants in this condition may lack foliage, buds, leaves, or visible growth. Dormant or bare root plants are living plant material even though their growth processes have been temporarily shut down. They will begin their growth again after planting. It may take approximately 4 to 8 weeks before they begin to sprout and show growth. Please keep in mind that fall planted items, such as tulips and daffodils, do not typically show growth above ground until spring.
If you must delay planting for any reason, we recommend the following:
Bulbs and Vegetables: If the shipping bag you receive has perforations, open and separate the bag to allow air to circulate around the bulbs and vegetables. Store them in a cool (45-60°F), well-ventilated location until you plant them. Protect them from extreme heat or freezing. If the shipping bag appears not to have perforations, it is best to leave the product in the bag as received and store similar to perennial plants. Some bulbs and vegetables develop surface mold during storage. This yellow and white mold may appear anytime during shipping or storage and is no cause for alarm. It will easily wipe off or fade away once the product is planted. With all products, best results will be achieved by planting within 24 hours after receipt.
Perennial Plants: Keep perennial plants in their original shipping bags at 34-50°F for up to three weeks. We hold most perennial plants in our atmospherically controlled cold storage at 34 degrees F. Most any refrigerator will work fine. Immediate planting will give the best results and is always recommended. It is common for the roots of bareroot perennial plants to lack visible signs of growth or life when they arrive. They are just dormant and will sprout into life after planting. As with fruits and shrubs, it is important not to let the roots dry out before planting.
Fruits & Shrubs: Most fruits and shrubs are shipped in bare root form. If possible, plant fruits and shrubs as soon as possible upon receipt of your shipment. If you must wait a few days, open the box, cover the roots with moist peat moss or newspaper as necessary to keep them damp, rewrap them in their plastic shipping bag and store in a cool, dark place.
If you can’t plant for more than 10 days, for best transplanting success we recommend you heel in the plant. This is a nursery process to temporarily hold plants until they can be formally planted. Dig a trench only big enough for all the roots. Lay the plant in the trench and cover the roots with soil and soak with water. Don’t worry about plant depth and straightness – remember, this is only a temporary home for your plant.
Before planting your bareroot fruits and shrubs, soak the plants roots in a tub of water for at least an hour or two (but no more than 12 hours). Most of these plants have developed calluses on their coarse bareroots and need this soaking to let the plant know it is time to start growing again. For optimal transplant success, don’t allow your bare root plants or bulbs to dry out from sun and wind before they are planted. They must be kept moist and cool at all times prior to planting.
