What do I do when my plants arrive?

It is very important to unpack plants immediately.

It is very important to unpack plants immediately. A closed box is a very difficult environment for living plants. If you see a problem with your plants when they are unpacked, please contact us immediately via email at asiatica@nni.com or leave a message at (717)938-8677. We deal with problems on a case by case basis; we might ask you to return the plant. If we don't hear about a problem right away, we might miss the opportunity to have the plant returned and keep it alive.

If the plants you received are hardy in your climate, it is usually best to plant them out right away if the ground is not frozen. In the fall, a cover of evergreen branches will offer protection and minimize frost-heaving of the soil. In spring, cover with boxes or baskets if a hard frost is predicted. If you cannot plant right away, plants that are dormant can be held over in a cold frame, cold garage, or cold greenhouse. Evergreen plants can be kept in a cold frame, cold greenhouse, or cold garage near a window. Keep them slightly moist and as near freezing as possible until you are able to plant.

The pots that we use are usually too small for long-term maintenance of the plants. This is done to reduce shipping expense. If you plan to keep the plants in pots for a while, shift them to a larger pot when the pots are full of roots. Most of our plants are grown in 3 1/4" to 3 1/2" wide by 3 3/4" to 4 1/4" deep pots. A few dwarf plants are grown in 2 1/2" wide pots while some larger and more vigorous varieties are grown in 5" wide pots.

Customers on the west coast will receive bare root plants. These must be planted or potted immediately on receipt. When the weather is cool and moderate, you can plant hardy plants directly into the garden.

Otherwise, use a pot that is a little larger than the root system and a well-drained soil mix with organic matter. Be careful in using peat-based mixes, because they can hold too much water unless they are mixed with perlite or a similar material to improve aeration. In any case, re-establishing bareroot plants requires some care in watering and providing shelter from sun or extreme weather conditions.