| WINTER SHIPPING |
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What you can do to prevent a frozen
plant
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Frozen shipments are rare! I have been
shipping cactus year round for many years.
If there are a sub-freezing temperatures you
need to plan a bit to ensure the safety of
your order. In my experience the contents of
a FedEx truck traveling across the USA are
NOT subjected to freezing temps. Read my
shipping tips below. Thank you!
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• Request a shipping hold during
periods of extreme low temperatures; when
daily lows dip to 20 or lower it is not safe
to ship a cactus. I'll be happy to ship as
soon as your region warms up.
• Post a sign for FedEx to "leave package
with a neighbor" —someone who will be
home so it doesn't sit on your freezing cold porch.
Email special instructions to display
on your package. (see example at right)
HEAT PAKS won't work
They are NOT a way to protect large
plants shipped via Ground—
• Heat paks only last
72 hours at most. A 5-day coast-to-coast delivery is
120 hours. This is a small, one-person
business and I cannot afford to buy heat
paks anyway.
I sell plants all year round. Wait
until your region warms up. Daily low
temperatures above 260 F are
safe. Check the 5-day weather forecast in
your region. |
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Click map for current view |
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(above) Yikes! That's cold! [December 20,
2008] |
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Customer Sally
Smart asked me to print this label:
"Don't leave on porch if
not home--Give to next door neighbor Judy Warmhouse at 123 My Street." |
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Prevent frozen plant damage with these steps |
1)
Check the weather forecast from California (me) to
your region
Request shipping
hold during major blizzards or sub-freezing temp—"patience is a
virtue". I'll ship your plant as soon as
you tell me the storm or blizzard has passed!
2) Ship on Friday or Monday
East Coast? Central plains? Have me ship on Friday or Monday
so the truck will deliver straight thru (FedEx
Ground 5-business day delivery guarantee
coast-to-coast) without a weekend lay-over in a
mid-western sub-zero terminal. I believe the trucks
don't drive on Sunday.
3)
Ship to your work address
Don't let the package sit outside all day on your porch! Ship to your work address so it does not sit in the
snow on your porch all day—Leave a note for
FedEx to knock on the door of a neighbor who is home? "Better safe
than sorry".
4)
If all else fails—and it freezes—we'll
have to file a claim
If your plant froze and died (after warming up is it
soft and squishy?) contact me ASAP.
Your phone number
is helpful for the driver—so include it in your
email to me. I'll arrange for FedEx to pick it
up and do a damage claim so you will not be out any money.
Put it back in the box with the packing material.
FedEx will pick it up from the delivery address
only--not a different location. The "Call
Tag" I issue will give the driver a preprinted
return address label. You are only required to make
the item available for pick up. You cannot keep the plant, sorry.
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Have your package left with a neighbor,
or delivered to work. Don't leave out in the
snow all day! |
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