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mikesc_gw

What Would You Do If You Received Plants That Looked Like This?

mikesc
12 years ago

I wrote the company immediately.

I'm speechless. Truly.

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Iris Order from Schreiner July 26 2011

Comments (22)

  • aquawise
    12 years ago

    WOw! thats not to good. I ordered from them last fall and mine were Awesome. Wonder how long the post took to deliver them to you. Plant them anyway! Iris are tuff. Schreiners should resend. WOW!

  • iris_gal
    12 years ago

    I would ask for replacements. Thank you for sharing these photos. I have never seen such abysmal rhizomes.

  • Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
    12 years ago

    I have had many iris arrive in a worse state and do absolutely fine. Irises are really tough little plants. They can handle far more dry than wet. Plant em up in pots and just nurture them. They will be ok.
    I have had no experience with Schrieners Iris as I am in Canada but I do know that the weather has been soooo hot for you guys any where south of the border, perhaps shipping has been tough. I would let them know and perhaps they have had others with the same issues. It has been a tough year all round.

  • mamasllamas
    12 years ago

    the last photo you can really see how it was cut? at one time, how long in shipping? because they have been out of the ground for a few good days. it just shows you how tough iris are by looking at what you got. the weather has been bad but not that bad! I'd make the call........

  • bari26
    12 years ago

    chances are, if you plant them, they'll grow. I received an order that looked pretty bad once, but it was from Royal Bulbs, which is really a second rate company. From Schreiners, especially considering the price you have to pay for their rhizomes, I'd expect better. (All the rhizomes from Royal Bulbs survived...). One thing with yours, tho, is that while dry (which is no problem... I had one old rhizome sit in a bag in my basement all winter, I threw it on some dirt a month or so ago just to see what would happen, and it's starting to send up a new set of leaves), they also look kind of moldy....

  • mikesc
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I put the roots into little cups with water first and then got them planted. Hopefully they will live, but I honestly have not received worse looking plants. I explained in my e-mail to them that I realized that it could have been the fault of UPS not getting them to me in time, but I couldn't tell because there was no date of shipment on the box. I asked them to check when they were shipped. I've received no response from them yet.

  • Nancy
    12 years ago

    I've heard wonderful things of Schreiners. I think I have ordered from them once several years ago & was delighted with my order. The only place I've ever ordered iris from a catalog. I'm sure these will live, but surely Schreiners will resend.

  • Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
    12 years ago

    I found some iris rizomes in the garage that got left behind from last fall. They looked like this a month ago when I planted them.
    {{gwi:1034674}}

    {{gwi:1034675}}

    This is what they look like today in pots on my back deck. Ready to be planted.


    They are tough little plants!

    .

  • mikesc
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I'm hopeful they'll live. I've never had a bad experience with Schreiner's before; that's why this was so unexpected.

  • bari26
    12 years ago

    this is just a p.s. to my earlier post: Royal Bulbs actually made good on that whole order, giving me credit for the whole order! So the rhizomes they sent me originally survived and I got a whole new order of other plants. So, really, I should not be bad mouthing them by calling them second rate....

  • mikesc
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Just updating that two days later I still have not had a reply from Schreiner's re: the order. The plants are planted, but I'd still like an acknowledgement of my complaint. It's just good business.

  • hosenemesis
    12 years ago

    That's weird. I have always gotten great rhizomes from them, and the one time they made a mistake they were very responsive and sent out a new rhizome. Maybe something is going on there.
    Renee

  • aquawise
    12 years ago

    They may not have gotten your Message. I would Call them. They are a fantastic place.
    1-503-393-3232 8 to 4:30 Pac. time

  • madeyna
    12 years ago

    Shreiners are the best company to deal with . Those will live. Take a peek at what rysomes look like when you buy them bare root in packages or at the local nurserys you will be lucky to find any that look even that good. They are a tuff plant. My Shreiners order came in a week ago and I was wondering on here how everyone else iris orders across the country was going to make it in the heat wave. Mine came in looking wonderfully huge with plump roots but I am only a few hours way and its only been in the high 60s for the most part. They should have delayed shipping until the heat wave was over.

  • aquawise
    12 years ago

    I got my order from Burgard Iris farm and it was in great shape. My Shreiners order was also great.

  • carol23_gw
    12 years ago

    Many bearded Iris rhizomes are close to indestructible. I knew a gardener who was promised an Iris. The person sending the Iris dug up the rhizome , then left it on top of a cabinet. It was a year or more later when he discovered it was sitting there. He sent on the rhizome which grew and produced many other rhizomes.

  • irisawe
    12 years ago

    My order from Schreiner's did not look good either. Not up to their usual standard. I planted them and in two days they were showing new growth. I am shocked. They are growing faster than better looking rhizomes I received from others. So, do not despair. Plant and watch.

    K

  • wmoores
    12 years ago

    Your link to your order is no longer valid so I cannot see what you got. This is not a commercial for Shreiner's, but I have ordered from them since the early sixties and have yet to receive a bum order.

    I understand that the bloom season in Oregon was very late, and a lot of the plants weren't really mature by shipping time. I have received three orders from the Salem area this summer, and only the Schreiner order was 'up to snuff.' I phoned my order in and asked for an iris that wasn't listed. They told me they had the iris but it would be small since it wasn't divided last year, but it was as large as the others in the box.

    You might ask for Priority Mail delivery next time since you are on the East Coast.

  • mikesc
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I don't check in here regularly, so am just getting to this. I did receive a very nice, thoughtful reply from Schreiners explaining the growing season, etc. And while nothing that I said in my initial note was inaccurate, the tone of my letter to them was too heated (and I acknowledged this to them in a reply). Additionally, I scrapped the photos.

    However, to those who are saying they'll live, don't worry, there are plenty that look worse, etc, I understand that. However, that isn't the point. I didn't buy them in a bin at Lowe's for three and a half bucks. I expect a better product from a better source.

    They are all planted, and though they don't look any different above ground, I'm hopeful that below ground the roots of each one is doing well. Hopefully, I'll be posting pretty pictures of some of these next spring.

    Mike

  • aquawise
    12 years ago

    YES! I got my Order from them today!! WOW! they are AWESOME!!
    Had 9 I ordered and 2 extras. Big nice starts. I would say your problem was more the post than Schreiners.

  • random_harvest
    12 years ago

    Don't really have anything to contribute to the thread (except to echo that I've ordered from Schreiners off and on for years and have always been more than satisfied) but jost wanted to say how happy I am that Mr. Moores posted. Sir, I've been wondering how how you are doing.

  • eukofios
    11 years ago

    I'm curious to know how those iris finally did. Did they live? Did they grow? If they looked bad, probably didn't bloom - but did they? Thanks for any follow up. Just curious.

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