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donn_

Pleased and dis-pleased

donn_
16 years ago

I just got my first order of grass liners, two trays of 36 grasses. One was perfect, nice fat plugs with full root systems, and foliage well protected by the net bag the tray was shipped in.

The top tray in the carton, however, was not so good. Several of the plugs had come out of their cells, along with all the media, and were crammed up against the end of the carton. While putting them back in the cells, I noticed that several of them were tight little rootballs, the next cell size down (50's?), which had been very recently placed into the 36 trays. There was no root growth to hold the media/plug in the cell. Others looked almost like freshly potted up divisions, also with no developed rootball to hold things together. These were what I would call 1-'eye' plants, a single or double stem with only a main root, and few or no laterals.

I might get 72 healthy plants out of the order, eventually, but If I were a nursery, planning to 'finish' them in a certain amount of time, I'd have to change my plans.

Hey, wait! I am a nursery now! At least some of this tray with issues, Panicum amarum 'Dewey Blue,' will require a good bit of finishing before they can be sold/installed (read next year).

The other tray, Miscanthus purpurescens 'Autumn Red' are gorgeous. They could go into trade gallon pots, and be sold by June.

Comments (9)

  • mickey_dee2002
    16 years ago

    Donn:
    I'm curious as to where you ordered from. I got some #1 field divisions from Clemons Nursery in TN and they were large enough to be spilt in two and used for 1 gal containers. His selection is somewhat limited but the the #1 field divisions were good size I thought.
    Mike

  • donn_
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Mike...I'd rather not say now, who the plants came from. I bought them through a wholesale broker, but I don't have enough experience to compare to anything but my own expectations.

    I looked at Clemons' website, and you're right about the breadth of his selection, but the prices looked good. How was the condition of the barerooted plants, and how was the freight? Does he have a minimum order quantity?

  • mickey_dee2002
    16 years ago

    The plants arrived in good condition, he emailed me that he was sending them on a Wednesday and they would arrive on Friday which they did. The box was 69 pounds, everything was wrapped in plastic with shredded paper on top of each layer and plasic between each layer. There were five layers one for each variety. The box was heavy duty and there was no damage to it at all. It had three straps around it to help with picking it up. The freight and handling was about 15% of the total order. He doesn't have a minimum as far as I know, but I think I was told he prefers to send 25 of a specific variety.

  • donn_
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    That sounds like a great deal. I may give him a try.

  • achnatherum
    16 years ago

    I sure wish you guys lived across the border! You both sound like you are just gearing up with large quantities of grasses. I, on the other hand, have decided to gear down. This year I am making one large burst of digging, dividing & potting almost all the grasses that are in my holding beds. A few will find places in the garden but, the rest will be sold. No more grass sales for me :o(

    Don't get me wrong, I still love all my grasses. I'm just not in love with the idea of selling them anymore. Gardening is a series of phases and this is just one more phase ...
    a.

  • donn_
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Good Lord, A! Should we watch for you on the Radish Forum from now on? ;>)

    If you want to hassle with the phtyosanitary stuff, I'll buy some of your barerooted divisions.

  • grass_guy
    16 years ago

    donn,

    Sorry to hear that one of your trays was bad. Have you contacted your salesperson? That sounds like a real easy replacement fix to me. Even could be a UPS claim on top of it. If you went through a wholesale broker, that's your vendor and you should put the replacement request in through them, but it still should not be a problem.

    Email me donn...maybe I can help out. :)

  • achnatherum
    16 years ago

    Hey! Don't put me out to the vegetable patch yet ....

    I will still have lots and lots of grasses in the garden - at least one or six of every kind that I can grow in zone 5 - I just won't be rowing out dozens of each for a yearly plant sale. Those that I do propogate will be for my ever expanding gardens.

    As for phytos - I wouldn't mind BUT .. it is the shipping that would be the biggest problem. As I said .. too bad you don't live closer.
    Raining here today so .. I can't sit back and contemplate the next batch that need digging AND, I'd better go and see if my radishs have germinated yet.. :o)
    a.

  • Jack7b_ny
    16 years ago

    Donn-
    I think the Panicum 'Dewey Blue' will surprise you, if the weather ever really warms up for good. It is a very strong grower and ought to make good sized plants this year, even though small and underdeveloped at this time.
    Jack

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