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April 9, 2009
My Plants Are Dead
Last September, I bought two rhododendrons from the Liberty Sunset Garden Center in Red Hook to go in front of my house. Listening to their expert advice, I purchased two huge planters along with organic fertilizer, soil, etc. I watered the plants and tookl loving care of them. OK, so here we are just six months later and both plants are dead. I spent nearly $300 (not to mention the $400 for the planters). I went back to Liberty Sunset Center to ask for an exchange and they wailed and blamed me for the demise of the plants. Of course, in their hysterics they refused to do anything to help me. Does anybody think I deserve a credit towards some new plants or some other remedy?
Comments
The fact that both died is suspicious. Either they gave bad advice or sick plants to begin with or you did something wrong. I think the biggest problem for plants in planters is to much water or poor drainage. I think the saturated soil is what kills them over the winter. Do they owe you something for that kind of money? At the least a one time replacement at cost would be the least they could do.
Posted by: mod squad at April 9, 2009 9:45 AM
wow it is more usual that plants are guaranteed/ warrantied for one year. However it is basically up to the nursery. I would go back stating that white flower and other HIGH END NURSERIES GUARANTEE/ WARRANTY THEIR PLANTS FOR ONE YEAR. However it maybe that you over watered them. Plants in winter are dormant most plant deaths are due to over watering.
However it normally would have been covered under a year warranty. Take the actual plants back to them so they can see they are truly dead. Explain to them you posted a forum on their inabilty to warranty their plants and you received shock from fellow brownstoners. (WHich I personally am).
If they still don't give you back the money.Say well i don't want them and say i am returning these because i don't want them and shop else were they GUARANTEE/ WARRANTY THEIR PLANTS FOR ONE YEAR.
It is sad to hear this about Liberty. I love their stock Pricey but diverse. Good to know this I will be more careful to shop their and ask FIRST if they will guarantee their plant for one year before I buy. Good luck!
Posted by: meme at April 9, 2009 9:49 AM
wow it is more usual that plants are guaranteed/ warrantied for one year. However it is basically up to the nursery. I would go back stating that white flower and other HIGH END NURSERIES GUARANTEE/ WARRANTY THEIR PLANTS FOR ONE YEAR. However it maybe that you over watered them. Plants in winter are dormant most plant deaths are due to over watering.
However it normally would have been covered under a year warranty. Take the actual plants back to them so they can see they are truly dead. Explain to them you posted a forum on their inabilty to warranty their plants and you received shock from fellow brownstoners. (WHich I personally am).
If they still don't give you back the money.Say well i don't want them and say i am returning these because i don't want them and shop else were they GUARANTEE/ WARRANTY THEIR PLANTS FOR ONE YEAR.
It is sad to hear this about Liberty. I love their stock Pricey but diverse. Good to know this I will be more careful to shop their and ask FIRST if they will guarantee their plant for one year before I buy. Good luck!
Posted by: meme at April 9, 2009 9:51 AM
In the interest of good customer service, I would expect a substantial discount on new plants to retain your future business. It's impossible to determine fault in a situation like this - sometimes plants just don't thrive even if everyone does everything right. If they aren't willing to give you a discount, take your business elsewhere.
Rhodos can be touchy in planters, especially if you leave them outside over winter. You might want to go a different route next time for these planters (or bring them semi-indoors when it's below freezing).
Posted by: geekspice at April 9, 2009 10:01 AM
How often did you water them over the winter?
Posted by: SenatorStreet at April 9, 2009 10:02 AM
I have the same issue and I also bought them in Red Hook garden center. I spent over $800 on various plants and there are a few large bushes and trees which look dead. I was just hoping maybe its too early in the season for them to have any sign of life. I am waiting for them to come back to life...
How can I avoid this in the future?
Posted by: shalman at April 9, 2009 10:53 AM
They died, most likely, because the planters were too small and the roots froze.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 9, 2009 10:55 AM
Sorry, without a description of how OP cared for the plants, I'm not taking the bait about Liberty Sunset's "hysterics." If you read the links below (obviously, there's endless experience and information on this subject), you'll see that the 2nd link lists these as their first three causes of rhododendron death: "excessive water kills about 75 percent of all rhododendrons purchased....Another cause of rhododendron death is lack of water....Another cause of rhododendron death is the excessive application of fertilizer...." I'd rather first hear from OP about the size and location of container, wind and snow exposure, and the actual plant care provided, than jump to protests about the nursery's guarantee.
http://extension.unh.edu/FHGEC/documents/evergren1.pdf
http://www.rhododendron.org/v48n2p85.htm
http://ct.gov/CAES/cwp/view.asp?a=2815&q=376848
Posted by: vinca at April 9, 2009 10:55 AM
OK,
Thanks for the comments. The planters are gigantic, three feet in diameter and made of cast stone. I put drainage gravel on the bottom (as was told) . I put in organic soil with organic fertilizer measured as per instructions. I did not overwater them. They are in a position to get three or four hours of sumlight, That was enough as far as Liberty Garden was concerned. There was no construction nearby creating dust, etc. Something they blamed me for when I went to ask for a credit.
Though not a professional, I and my partner made our choice based on prudent and researched care. We spent weeks looking for the right plants and spent an hour with the salesperson who assured us that these plants were the right ones. She's as upset as I am .
Posted by: ez at April 9, 2009 11:28 AM
The last statement refers to my partner , not the salesperson.
Posted by: ez at April 9, 2009 11:31 AM
Obviously the size of the containers can't be at issue since they told you which to buy. I doubt it was over-watering either since we had a dry winter. I think thye should give you two new plants.
Posted by: Arkady at April 9, 2009 11:49 AM
Salt spray from the Brooklyn Bridge waterfalls???
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 9, 2009 11:52 AM
I had a azelea bush in a pot which weathered a lot of winters and this winter it didn't make it. This was an unusually long winter season due to La Nina. I don't know if that is a factor.
Posted by: donatella at April 9, 2009 11:54 AM
Lowe's and home depot will replace your plants if they die in the first year. Ya just gotta remember to save that receipt! Their selection isn't as great but if you catch them on delivery day or better yet go to the ones in Staten Island you have a much better seletion.
Posted by: italiana71 at April 9, 2009 12:25 PM
"I did not overwater them."
Honestly, I here people say that a lot and it's seldom true. Things like, I *only* water my plants on Mondays and Thursday. Well, did they actually need to be watered on either of those days? Does the plant need to stay moist or should it dry out and go through a "stress" cycle?
I'm not saying these particular plants weren't bad stock, but statements like "I did not overwater them" are highly questionable.
Posted by: tybur6 at April 9, 2009 12:44 PM
Fertilizer applied in direct contact with roots can burn (i.e. dehydrate) roots. Failure to deeply water plant when first transplanting, and/or damage to roots when it is transferred from nursery container to new container or site can kill plant. Mounding or raising the soil level above the crown of the plant, shrub, or tree can and will kill the plant. UNDERwatering and dry winters can kill rhododendrons. Containers with gravel at bottom but no actual drainage hole can cause the plant to drown. There are so many unknown variables that it is virtually impossible to diagnose the contributing factors from afar.
Posted by: vinca at April 9, 2009 12:48 PM
Go to brooklyn terminal market on Ralph for plants.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 9, 2009 12:59 PM
The high end places in Red Hook definitely have a bigger selection but there is something to be said for HD and Lowe's. I don't have a green thumb and so I won't spend much on plants which is why I stick to buying in Lowe's, HD and the Brooklyn Terminal Market who will all take anything back with a receipt.
Posted by: Chosen at April 9, 2009 2:15 PM
There's also Garden World in Queens, although i'm not sure if they take plants back with receipt ...
Posted by: werner at April 9, 2009 10:32 PM
How did the plants look when you bought them? If they looked healthy and disease-free, they probably were at that point, and that's pretty much all a nursery should be expected to provide, IMO. It's a shame you lost your plants, but I don't know that I'd hold the nursery responsible for whatever might have killed them over the winter.
Also, I have found rhododendrons (at least the one that I have) to be a little fussier than my other plants. Growing large plants in containers (even big containers) can be a little tricky too - I always have to put my container plants in a protected area, or wrap the pots in ugly burlap w/ mulch, so the roots don't freeze in winter. Plants that haven't had a chance to get their roots established and acclimate before winter are more vulnerable to freezing.
Posted by: petunia at April 10, 2009 10:44 AM
Petunia and vinca are right- sometimes plants don't make it and the variables are great. What is under watering to some plants is too much for others. The fact that this winter was harsher and colder than most also makes it tougher for plants in containers. They are at much higher risk of just not making it. I gardened on a roof for 14 years and I lost some things that I had had for many years after a particularly tough winter. Could also depend when you planted them- woody shrubs planted later in the season have less established roots.
You really do have to water a transplant more than an established plant but none of us here can know whether your pot was draining right. The plant could look perfectly fine all season with the water it got, but never had enough water to get a great root system or so much that the roots were starting to rot a bit but not that apparent in the growth of the plant. Rhodies like an acidic soil and don't like their roots too deeply covered. Some are a bit less hardy than others in this area, would do reliably well in the ground but might be a bit touchy their first winter in a pot where the conditions are harsher than in regular the ground.
I know some landscapers that will guarantee their plants, but not if they're not the ones installing it. Some garden places will guarantee but will definitely grill you a bit on the return. The box stores kill so much of their own stock through lack of watering that they better offer a guarantee because half the time the stuff there is already a bit stressed when you buy it. Mail order usually guarantees because they sell much smaller plants and know that because they ship, there is the higher risk that bad things happen.
I've got a really good track record but plants have died on me from all sources when I've done everything the plant is supposed to require. I've been gardening for 20 years and have studied at the NYBG- sometimes things happen. Liberty should try to offer you something for customer service sake but not necessarily a replacement if that's not their policy.
Diana
Fun City Design
Posted by: kensington gal at April 10, 2009 1:20 PM
Want to add my voice to those who had lots of plants die this year. It was an awful winter for plants. Off the top of my head, I can think of twice when it warmed slightly, rained buckets, and then went to deep freeze within 24 hours. Ouch. It's heartbreaking to lose a plant, especially one you really care for. But finding someone to blame isn't always the best way forward. It's spring. You've still got the planters. Maybe find something a bit easier to grow if you're new to container gardening?
Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at April 13, 2009 12:07 AM
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