Receiving from Standard Nursery
Our goal for each shipment is simple: deliver the right plants, in the right count and condition to our customers. We also work to resolve concerns quickly. The guidelines below explain what to expect when receiving live nursery material from Standard Nursery and outline the expectations we have for our customers.
Receiving Guidelines
What You Can Expect From Standard Nursery
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Clear order details. We will communicate the variety, size, quantity, price, shipping expectations, and approved substitutions shown on your order.
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Shipment coordination. We will coordinate pickup and delivery details and communicate material changes or delays as soon as reasonably possible.
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Commercially acceptable material. Plants should arrive true to the confirmed order and in condition suitable for the wholesale nursery trade, allowing for normal seasonal and biological variation. We work to manage expectations by inspecting material prior to shipping.
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A practical claims review. Please communicate any quality concerns, breakage, or miscounts right away and support quality concerns and damage with pictures so we can fully understand the problem. We will review the concern promptly with the grower and carrier, as applicable, and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Before the Truck Arrives
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Be ready to unload. Provide safe truck access, adequate labor, and the correct unloading equipment. Delayed unloading can cause drivers to be late for other deliveries and may impact the wellbeing of the plant material.
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Prepare for receiving. Have facilities to safely receive the product, meaning irrigation, shade, or a heeling-in area depending on the crop and season.
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Know the order. Give the packing list or order confirmation to the person receiving the load so counts and specifications can be checked immediately. The truck driver should have a BOL but you can always request one from us via email at Josh@StandardNurseryCompany.com if they misplace their copy.
At Delivery
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Inspect before and during unloading. Identify any observable issues with trailer conditions, load securement, temperature, breakage, shifting, and obvious shortages before the truck leaves at give us a call if there are concerns at 503-713-9907.
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Document the load. Take clear photos of the load, representative material, labels, and any problem areas. Photograph damage before moving or disposing of material. Photos can be texted to Josh at 503-713-9907 or emailed to Josh@StandardNurseryCompany.com.
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Note damage and miscounts. Write visible damage or shortages specifically on the bill of lading or delivery receipt before signing it. “Subject to inspection” alone does not document a freight claim. Please communicate issues as soon as they are identified to Josh@StandardNurseryCompany.com or via text to Josh at 503-713-9907.
Care After Unloading
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Protect the plants immediately. Water, shade, heel in, or otherwise protect the material according to crop type, weather, and season. Bareroot material must be protected from drying, heat, and freezing.
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Keep labels and lots together. Do not mix disputed material into other inventory. Keep tags, lot identification, packaging, and delivery paperwork until any concern is resolved.
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Avoid preventable loss. Standard cannot fairly evaluate damage caused or worsened by delayed unloading, improper storage, lack of water, excessive water, chemical injury, poor planting practices, or weather exposure after receipt.
Reporting a Quality or Count Concern
Report any quality or count issue within one week of receipt to be eligible for consideration. Exceptions apply to bareroot and dormant material that must leaf out before quality can reasonably be evaluated.
Send your Standard Nursery representative:
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Order information: customer name, invoice or order number, delivery date, item, size, and quantity affected.
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Provide clear evidence: photos of the full plant or lot, close-ups of the issue, labels, root systems when relevant, and the load or trailer when freight damage is involved.
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A brief explanation: what you observed, when it was first noticed, and how the material was handled after delivery.
While a Concern Is Being Reviewed
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Continue reasonable care. Keep the plants watered and protected so the issue does not become worse.
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Hold the affected material. Do not plant, sell, return, discard, or destroy it unless Standard gives direction. We or the supplying nursery may need additional photos or an inspection.
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Pay undisputed items normally. A concern with one item or lot should not delay payment for the rest of the shipment.
Dormant and Bareroot Material
Some defects cannot be confirmed while plants are dormant. For material that must leaf out before it can reasonably be evaluated, notify Standard as soon as the concern becomes apparent. Please provide dated photos and information showing appropriate storage, planting, watering, and care. Seasonal appearance alone—including dormancy, leaf drop, pruning, or minor cosmetic variation—is not necessarily a quality defect.
How Resolutions Are Handled
It is our goal to resolve any issues immediately and amicably with professionalism and clear communication. Each concern is reviewed carefully based on the order specifications, photographs, delivery records, timing, plant condition, care after delivery, and available grower or carrier information. Depending on the circumstances and availability, a valid concern may be addressed through replacement material, an agreed credit, or another practical solution. Please do not deduct a claim from payment until Standard confirms the resolution.
Good photos + prompt notice + proper plant care = faster answers and fairer resolutions.
The Bottom Line
We do our best to ship good plants for a good price and we want our customers to have success with them. If there are issues, we will work to resolve them as soon as possible.
