A tad disappointed...

Finally repotted a bunch of plants last night that I'd ordered over the last month. Yeah, I know - my bad. What a mess I made - go figure!! Any way...as with the rest of you - I love using the Tops site as a reference - or simply to add to my fragrant "wish list." Well I'd finally placed an order with them since they had some of their jasmine on sale and I'd wanted a Mysore Mulli. Plant arrived last month healthy, well packed - in its 1 gal pot. However when I repotted it last night - THIS is what the root balls amounted to. Maybe my expectations for a 1 gal size plant are unrealistic. I'd like to know ya'lls thoughts. If this has been your typical experience then I need to know this - so I know what the "norm" is. Please and thank you. Just as a reference - I have smaller then avg hands...yes, I know everyone says that but - they is what they is...

This message was edited Apr 15, 2009 11:45 AM

I know the jasmine I have potted in 1 gallon after 1 year have about that maybe a little more and my hands are really small as the small atlas gloves a little big

D

C, I think your plant looks very good. But I can relate to your concern. The other day i was at one of our ho-hum nurseries and found a plant (can't remember) in a gallon pot. Like many nurseries, they price them according to pot size so I paid about $15 for this gal. plant. When I got home to repot, I pulled the plant out and all the dirt just fell off, uncovering a 4" plant that had just been transplanted to a gallon pot.

I guess it can't be avoided that somebody has to buy the freshly transplanted ones, but I was still a little peeved, felt cheated. I've been thinking about this and may focus my purchasing towards the fall, when these very same plants will have much stronger roots, even if they are summer worn.

You're a good plant mommie, so I'm optimistic about your plant.

D - glad to hear someone else has the glove "issue" - love the atlas but yes even the small are slightly big - thank you for sharing your exp.
Nery - you brought up some good points. I'm sure she'll be fine, I was just a little surprised, as you were, when I removed the extra soil and was like, Huh? Unfortunately to allow them the best growing conditions here I need to pick them up spring/summer. I've tried the 'fall' thing here and bringing them in shortly thereafter to over winter - well it's not the best. You're blessed with a few extra warm months!!! ^_^

This is normal practice to pot up plants into larger pots and growing them on until they have some size, and THEN sell them.
I'd be speculating on the reason they're not larger or why that particular plant was selected/shipped.
We did have an early winter; turned cool and stayed that way for a long time.
In master gardener class, it was recommended that we examine the rootball of a plant to be purchased to see if it is a round, twisted rootball. (or how rootbound). Can't do via computer.
Years back when I worked for a nursery, you could often move a woody plant by grabbing the trunk. Ones not grown well would pull out.
There's always a bright side, you don't have to wait to root a new one. I'd pot them seperately.

Kevin - I'd be interested, if you're comfortable sharing, to know what to look for in the root ball i.e. what's good - what's not etc. I know that I'm such an El Cheapo that when purchasing from nurseries or big box stores - other then checking the obviously health above the soil that the next thing I do is flip it over - those with more roots get bought. Been lucky so far with that very "scientific" method. Oh and you'll be "pleased" to know that I know that my henna plant has arrived LOL - will report on that once it blooms.

I complained to another company when I got a plant that was a recently up-potted plug... but their other plants were nicely rooted (root ball filling the pot), and since they'd sent a bonus plant I didn't feel like they owed me (told them so), but I just wanted them to know they'd sent out that little plant before its time.

I'd let Top know. If they have smaller sizes priced cheaply, maybe they'd be willing to refund the difference to you.. seems they should do something, anyway. I once paid more for a larger size of azalea and got a little one in a big pot -- complained, and he refunded the difference.

That's not a 1 gallon plant, it's 2 little plants recently up-potted. This one may just be a slow grower, so maybe it's been in its pot for whatever their usual time is before selling it... but they should at least explain it to you.

Did you get other plants from them that you were happier with?

Yepper, I figured as much, Jill...when that soil fell away and I say the perfectly shaped "plug" ball root. Nah, I only ordered the one plant from them...and they were already marked down. I just their site more for reference and to add to my wish list - their prices are generally too steep for my budget & s/h was as well if I remember correctly. The plant IS healthy and doing just fine a month later so cant' complain too much. I'd just not had this happen previously and wondered what others exp. was.

Chantell, the plant looks good, but you have a right to be annoyed. This is one reason I try and sell only the "babies" as I call them in the 3" pots when I ship. I want people to see they are not as old as they may look and the roots still have alot of growing to do. I also send a little note telling them to wait a few days or even weeks to replant them. I also on my Jasmine, usually have the date the cutting was planted in the 3" pot. The difference is I am not in business to make money. That would be nice, but I am too small to ever be able to grow enough plants at a time to make a buck. LOL. When I go shopping for plants in larger pots, I usually turn them upside down and check them and you can almost be sure how the soil looks if it was just repotted.
One thing about buying smaller plants, then you can get them started the way you want.
Just my two cents. LOL Hugs to all. JB

Hey Chantell, what's that "Top" website? I want to make a wish list too!

ps: I do think your plant looks small for a 1 gal!!!

JB, the plants i got from you were in tip top form! i was pleasantly impressed. :)

Glad to hear tht dabneryrose. Enjoy.

Good pointers JB, thank you!!
Roberta: http://www.toptropicals.com/

Someone shoot me if I buy one more plant. JB

Anyone out there have concerns about the Swine Flu? My girl that works for me and cleans, etc. went to Mexico for a week this past month. She came home and I told her not to come here for two weeks because I was not going to take any chances she could carry the virus even if she did not have it. Maybe I sound crazy, but I got typhoid fever from a carrier many years ago and I am a bit reluctant to want to get sick again like that ever. Off to transplant peace lillies. They grow like weeds. JB

ahhaha, toptropicals, of course! Only after I posted I realized that's what it was, Chantell, your're so funny! They do have awesome plants.....

JBerger, I am concerned too. I think you did the right thing and no one should take it personally. I live in San Diego, only about 45min from the border, and last night I dreamt I had caught the flu, it was scary!
Sorry for the off-topic guys! : )

Wash hands - keep hands (CORRECTLY - sing "happy bday" song when done singing - you're done washing) away from mouth and face....best 2 things you can do for yourself

Trouble is flu does a lot of its spreading via airborne droplets from coughing/sneezing...so while washing your hands is definitely important, if you're around someone who has it that alone won't be enough to stop transmission if they're not careful about coughing/sneezing into their sleeve, etc.

I would definitely take precautions too with the cleaning lady who was in Mexico...but it really depends on how long she's been back for. If she's been back here for a few weeks and hasn't been around people who were over the border more recently then there's probably nothing to worry about, but if she just came back within the last week or has been around people who have been there really recently then I think you're doing the right thing by having her stay away for a little while.

I apologize for starting an off topic subject like the flu, but I was concerned about all of you.

ecrane, My girl is not hispanic and only went for a week to Cancoon (how do you spell that resort). She has been back since the 10th and is squeeky clean and very fussy about her hygiene, so I am sure when she comes on May 8th I will be safe. Thank you for your concern.

robcorreia, If I lived that close to the border I would have bad dreams too. Hugs and prayers for you all. JB

Chantell, a little late seeing this thread but thought I'd add my two cents :) I'm just curious if you contacted TT because I think you should have! I will admit this has been an abnormal winter and a lot of our plants haven't rooted like they should! We pot them up either in the fall to give them a head start or at the very latest in Jan/Feb and they "should" easily be ready by the first of April. Some of them STILL aren't rooting properly because it's been such a cool spring and dark gloomy days without enough sun aren't allowing them to respond properly :( We always check before shipping and as mentioned above, the true test is if you can pick up the plant by its foliage alone and the pot doesn't fall away! Unfortunately, not possible to perform the "test" when ordering online :( Rick has made me cringe on more than one occasion at nurseries when he pulls the whole plant out of the pot to inspect the roots before buying it - right in front of the workers! LOL

I had an experience with a customer last spring, sent her beautiful 3 year old Cimicifugas which had been bumped into gallons three months before. I waited to send the Cimicifugas until they passed the "test" but when the customer took them from the pot to plant, she was upset because most of the soil fell away from what was obviously a quart bumped into a gallon :( I really didn't feel guilty because they were extremely large plants which should have been bumped to gallons or at the very least divided the year before but we just never found the time! Even though she received a very mature plant, more like two for the price of one, to keep a happy customer I made an adjustment and issued a partial refund (i.e. quart vs. gallon price). I think Top Tropicals would want to know that you weren't satisfied. Sometimes nurseries have inexperienced help who don't know the difference between a rooted versus non-rooted plant. As long as the foliage looks good above the pot they think it looks okay to ship! These days customer service is extremely important to most nurseries and I would think they probably want to keep those positive ratings :)

Hello everyone, I have been among the missing nursing my sick dog, on IV drip here at home the entire weekend. Took him off yesterday and today I am hoping to get the darn thing out of his leg. He needs sleep and attention and I have neglected my plants and greenhouse big time. I do however have something to show you. My Mother's Day Gardenia tree is blooming.
The flowers are very large and so fragrant. Here it is.JB

JB, sorry to hear your pup is having problems! Hopefully he's recovering and will be able to get the IV out today.

Lovely gardenia!

Debbie - thank you, esp during this busy time, to let me know your thoughts. I'm kinda hesitant now being it's been so long since I rec'd it - what do you think?

JB - what's going on with your dog :( I'm so sorry he's not feeling well. Please let us know how he's doing, ok? Your gardenia's gorgeous...I can almost smell her down here!!

Fortunately things should be slowing down a little around here after this weekend and I'll hopefully be able to spend more time on DG! "What do you think?" I'd go for it - what have you got to lose? With the right approach you might be surprised - , i.e. explaining you didn't want to complain but after chatting with other gardeners on DG (believe me they know about the "forces" behind DG!) you wanted to know if they'd be willing to at least make an adjustment because you were disappointed. I'm sure with your sweet disposition, a little "sugar" will go a long way :) Let us know how you make out and if it's a positive outcome be sure to let them know you'll post it on their Watchdog rating with a big 'ole thank you!

Hi all, and thanks for being concerned about my dear Barney, the Barndog. He is better, we still have a long way to go but we are back on a normal schedule and tomorrow, if all goes well today, the catheter will come out. He had an antibiotic injection and another bloodtest and now he is asleep. Here is a picture of him. A face only a mother could love. LOL WE are still trying to figure out what made him so sick and after looking up Intercepte on the internet, I am more than ever convienced he is allergic to something in that, Frontline, Heartguard and all those things he has taken over the years and all that time we are poisoning him with trying to keep him well. I feel terrible about that but how would we know? He is such a good dog and so well behaved but he is 11 and that is old for a Jack Russell. He is a large one, used for racing and trials, etc. No going to ground for him, he gets stuck in those fox holes. LOL. Gotta run. Love and Hugs. and thanks for your concern. JB

Sweet boy with that bristle muzzle...what a cutie!!!