FAQ

 

SHIPPING:

WHEN WILL PRODUCTS SHIP?

Shipping for seeds will begin February 5th. Seed orders placed after that date will be processed within 5-7 days from time of order.

Shipping for dahlia tubers will begin mid-March throughout April pending weather conditions and hardiness zones. An email will be sent out with tracking information prior to tubers leaving the farm. 

Seeds and tubers will be mailed via USPS. Drop off is estimated to be 5-7 days from date that order is received. I have no control over timeframe once the order leaves my farm and is in USPS's hands.

Rates for seed orders are a flat $5 regardless on quantity. 

Rates for tuber orders are a flat $17 regardless on quantity. Combined shipping for multiple orders will be available.

 

RETURNS:

CAN I RETURN A PRODUCT?

No, all sales are final.

 

GUARANTEE:

DO YOU OFFER A GUARANTEE FOR YOUR PRODUCTS?

All tubers are guaranteed to be true to variety.

Any concerns with the condition of an order upon arrival should be reported within 7 days. However I am unable to guarantee the plant the entire growing season as there are many factors outside my control because of the nature of the product. 

Should there be a mislabeled tuber, I'll do everything I can to make things right. I would like the opportunity to fix any problems but I do need to be made aware. Email is the best form of communication. 

 

GROWING PRACTICES:

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN GROWING AND SELLING?

Growing 4 years, selling 2 years

ARE YOU LICENSED TO DO BUSINESS?

Yes I have both a business license and a nursery license for the State of Oregon. 

DO YOU OFFER "YOU PICKS" AT THE FARM?

I currently do not offer you picks. I do sell bouquets and dahlias by the stems. I handle all the cuttings.

DO YOU HAVE A PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN IN PLACE? 

I try to be as earth friendly as I can but if the need raises, I do use stronger products. Throughout the season I apply a molasses mixture to help deter insects from being interested in the dahlia plants. I handpick cucumber beetles off the plants. I encourage beneficial insects by planting companion plants throughout the garden as well as release ladybugs. I overhead irrigate which may play a part in the minimal spider mite population. When things get really ugly I rotate between a combination of neem oil/essential oils/Castile soap concoction used in the evenings, Sulphur,  3/1 products, and as a last ditch effort, I've also used Avid when there were no other options.

DO YOU SANITIZE IN BETWEEN CUTTING STEMS? 

I don't use snippers on my dahlias. I snap them at the leaf nodes. I do use snippers on zinnias and other annuals. I sanitize the snippers after the day is complete.

DO YOU SANITIZE IN BETWEEN DIGGING OUT THE DAHLIA CLUMPS?

Yes I have a bucket of chlorine and multiple forks, shovels and tools that are being rotated in the bucket while digging clumps.

DO YOU SANITIZE IN BETWEEN DIVIDING TUBERS?

Yes I have a container of a disinfectant solution made up of essential oil blend to allow snippers to soak in between clumps while rotating snippers. Studies have shown this essential oil blend "On guard" to kill more bacteria than bleach and although pricey, I prefer it over bleach especially as I'm handling it closely. I don't mind using chlorine outside in a bucket with a shovel but as I divide tubers in my kitchen with handheld snippers, I'm not interested in using harsh chemicals under those circumstances. I also rotate and sanitize the cutting board in which the clumps are being divided on.

DO YOU TEST FOR VIRUSES?

No. I do not test for viruses in my garden and do not intend on testing especially with the latest study that suggests that 87% of HEALTHY looking dahlia plants have some sort of virus. Testing is extremely costly and is only accurate the day of test. Who's to say that a bug won't bite the plant a day after the plant was tested. As long as the plants are performing well, they keep a spot in my garden. 

DO YOU CULL DAHLIAS?

Yes I do cull dahlias. I do not keep stock that does not perform well especially when the surrounding plants look good. If it's stunted and doesn't bloom, it is gone. The whole point of growing flowers is to have flowers...  As hard as it may be to pull a dahlia plant out, it's not worth the space or headache to keep it around. Besides the cows enjoy eating them, so the plant/tuber can go rest in peace knowing it helped be a delicious appetizer for a cow.

 

BUSINESS PRACTICES:

HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY YOUR DAHLIA PRICES?

My pricing is a combination on supply and demand within my own current garden, future goals and what certain dahlia varieties are worth to me personally. I also consider my time out in the garden plus direct/indirect expenses to growing dahlias. I don't mind sharing certain tubers for $2-$5 but I'm also not interested in people complaining that a specific tuber is xxx amount and in the same breath wanting it to look like something that came out of "Vanity Fair".  Everyone should have a budget in play (if that sort of thing is of importance) and shop around especially if chasing a certain named dahlia. Keeping track of hundreds of varieties takes a lot more time and energy then keeping track of 1 variety and I want to compensate my time for doing so especially if it's a variety that is worth that to me personally. I have a wide range of dahlia prices ranging between $2-$35/tuber, so I feel that my pricing is extremely fair and reasonable..

I'M NOT SURE I SHOULD PURCHASE FROM YOU... 

If you don't agree or like my growing/business practices, I can understand and respect that. 

There are many great dahlia growers out there that would appreciate your business. I am not in competition with other growers: only with myself to continue to improve. I would happily make recommendations of dahlia resources and wish you the best in finding what you are looking for. 

WHY SHOULD I BUY FROM YOU?

You're not only supporting a small business owner chasing crazy dahlia dreams but someone who really does care about dahlias and your feelings towards those same plants. My heart and soul go into my dahlias year-round. I love walking through my garden and admiring different varieties and creating new memories from those flowers in the summertime and enjoy looking at their photos in the winter. I want nothing but those same feelings of joy for you as well. Also if you agree with my growing/business practices, then I am honored to be given a chance to actually earn your business.

 

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT MY FARM. I APPRECIATE THE INTEREST.