Just looking today at shipping rates and wow!
"$12.35 Priority Mail® Medium Flat Rate Box"

(I think that had been $8.95 or something like it)

Donald

Cat,
yes that seems to high to me.

I am sure if people could be content with normal garden sized plants shipping would not be so high. I really don't get the point of ordering daylilies the size of Crinum Lilies through the mail. I enjoy getting a decent sized plant and growing it in the garden myself. I am sure if I ever received some of those huge plants I see shipped, after a couple of years in my garden they would not be nearly that large, but I doubt the bloom size would be noticeably smaller.
I would love to hear from some of you who receive those huge plants, are you able to maintain that look, and for how long? I am sure some people can with enough time, energy and money spent, but I don't think it would be even possible at all in many locations.

The large, thick ones I have received have all shown signs of being overly bloated, whether new or old varieties. The foliage bursts at the bottom of the fan, and I don't think you'd always see that in a natural setting. Within a few months those huge plants shrink back to normal size, and I can't imagine why anyone would desire to get a plant that is stressed like that - I've never seen anything healthy happening while it retrogrades.

To each their own, as there are always two camps (or more) on a subject, and there are certainly many who cite it as a recommendation or validation of a seller's success. A bit like the emperor's new clothes, especially when a premium is paid, so I suppose it makes sense that sellers and buyers are invariably eager to find new ways to justify and gloss it over. I've learned, though, to reason things out and keep a pinch of skepticism about direct selling points - always a good idea.

I don't expect anyone to be "In the hole" after shipping any plants I order. Most of the orders I have received even when the box has been crammed full of plants (so to speak) the postage sticker has still only been right at or under the $10 mark. At the cost I stated, I was looking at 5 plants from this seller. That would cost me an extra $30 in shipping....That is toooo much money for shipping!!! In my book anyway!!

With adequate water and light I can get pretty close to the sizes you talk about. In my experience, especially for those of us further north, it's a desirable trait upon receipt because those plants will often divide into multiple fans. Getting increase with a shorter growing season is more difficult than getting plants to plump up.

For example, I received a gigantic single fan of RANDY STEPHENS this spring. It has since put up a marvelous looking scape and divided into 3 fans. I can tell you that without the plant being as large as it was to begin with, that wouldn't have happened. I would have been lucky to see blooms this season and would likely have 1, maybe 2 fans next spring.

I will always want to receive larger plants if I can get them, since my goal is to use them for hybridizing and I've received so many quite small fans that then shrink even further when they hit our climate -- and usually won't even bloom that year, or sometimes even the next year. But when I get bigger fans I usually have blooms within a few weeks -- worth it all to me! One reason I was so excited about my recent Floyd Cove order is because so many of them have fans that are already starting to split into multiples.

This was a terrible year for the growers, and knowing that I was fine with getting some smaller plants from some this time around because I will always trust them and know I am getting the best they have each year. But there are some others that sent ridiculously tiny fans that I paid good money for in years when the weather wasn't a factor, so I do avoid those sellers now.

Good points, not being a hybridizer, just a gardener it is good to get the experience of others. Living here in southeast Alabama, I seem to get blooms the first year and multiplying of fans even from small plants the first year (granted the plants are still small then) but the blooms are still full size. I can certainly see the importance for all the people hybridizing out there now you have mentioned it.
JWWC , I was really surprised that that far north you are able to maintain monmouth sized plants, that's great!

It takes some work but it can be done. They don't typically start the season that way though. I've found that fall feeding are important for coaxing the most out of the plants the following summer.

@JWWC I hope I have that luck in zone 5b!

I don't think I am going to plant any this Fall. I am a little nervous about that anyway. Don't want to get them in to late and it would really make me nervous with any evergreens! May be next Fall. (I say that but you know how it goes with Daylilies! ). Seriously going to try to stick to it for this first year. I want to see how the ones I planted/plant this Spring/Summer do. Going to try to step back, see what I have and really try to plan what I want to hybridize for/towards and learn about the plant it's self! Hopefully I can resist the temptation of all those pretty faces when the Summer is over.....UGH!

Donald!!


I was surprise that the large flat rate box went from 14.95 to 17.95. Quite a jump.

I shipped 2 boxes worth of daylilies from northern WI to Ohio.
Priority mail, one was the shoebox size box, the other was the 12 x 2.75 x 13
there were 9 daylilies total in both boxes
the shipping came $18.75 delivered 3 days after shipping

I thought the post office could not raise rates more than the rate of inflation increase, which was 1.7 percent, yet they were granted a 6 per cent rise in the price of shipping packages, to make up for their previous losses. Supposed to be temporary, but I saw where they are already suing to make it permanent! Surprise, surprise.
A private company controlled by the government, what a joke that is.

Hemlady said: Donald!!


I was surprise that the large flat rate box went from 14.95 to 17.95. Quite a jump.

Yes this is a large price jump. Think it must have just happened since I ship stuff frequently and the last pkg. shipped was on the old price.

Welcome! Donald

Hi Donald!

Donald !!
At these new prices that's more than 6%. In Hemlady's case that is around 20%. Don't hold me to the exact percent, I am no math genius.

I did notice that. but the article I got the info from stated a 6 per cent temporary rise in price had been approved . Looks more like a 20 per cent permanent increase in price may be the actual result.

And will we still get smashed boxes with that 20% increase??? That's a huge increase!