A NOTES ON BUYING PLANTS BY MAIL ORDER
When our plants have been in the post for several days and have been denied light and water for that period it is quite natural for them to look a little stressed and less than perfect.
The plants have left here in good health and will recover the shock of transport in almost all cases. Over the years, we have experimented with the plants and we do not send plants that cannot recover from the process.
Care, from this point is really common sense, and the first thing to do after unpacking them and removing the tape from the pot is to soak them in a container (Ice cream tub or such like) so that the water can draw up into the pot, re-hydrating the roots.
Leaf fall during postage is quite common and not usually a reason for panic.
Leaves are useless in the dark and the plants often recognise this fact and prefer not to supply nutrient to some leaves during this time. It is more convenient for the plant to re shoot leaves, rather than maintain them during a period of stress.
After the pots have soaked for a few hours, remove them and allow the excess water to drain out from the base.
The next couple of days are best spent in a semi shaded position.
If you intend to 'plant out' the seedlings, then several days of gradual exposure to the sun is essential before planting.
If the plants you have purchased are deciduous and you have ordered them in Winter, then the procedure is the same but you will have no leaf presence to gauge the effectiveness of your treatment until they shoot in Spring or Summer. It didn't die in the post, it's asleep until the weather warms to it's liking.
Rootsets and bare rooted plants should be soaked as above and then potted into some quality potting mix, (Not mushroom compost or peatmoss) and allowed to establish themselves in a semi shaded situation and not planted outside until they have begun to grow strongly.
Remember, all of the plants we sell, that are perennial, will not respond with the same speed as annuals.
Be patient with them.
It is the nature of gardening.