FAQ
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT MY FARM. I APPRECIATE THE INTEREST.
SHIPPING:
WHEN WILL PRODUCTS SHIP?
Seeds and tubers will be mailed via USPS. Shipping for seeds will begin February 3rd. Seed orders placed after that date will be processed within 5-7 days from time of order.
Shipping for dahlia tubers will begin late-March throughout April pending weather conditions and hardiness zones. An email will be sent out with tracking information prior to tubers leaving the farm. If you would like to hold off on shipping for whatever reason, please email me at rainbowhilldahlias@gmail.com within 24 hours of notification that order will be shipped. Rates for seed orders are a flat $5 regardless on quantity. Rates for tuber orders are a flat $18 regardless on quantity. Combined shipping for multiple orders will be available up until the order ships. If you would like to hold off on shipping (for whatever reason), please email me within 24 hours of notification that order will be shipped. Once the order ships, I will not be offering combine shipping and the discount code will expire. To save on shipping please use discount code is COMBINESHIPPING
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 and photos included. If quality is of concern, product will need to be returned prior to a refund being issued. Shipping expenses will be your responsibility. I am not Amazon and can not provide free returns.
Gambler Packs have no such warranty.
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 5 years, selling 3 years
ARE YOU LICENSED TO DO BUSINESS?
Yes I have both a business license and a nursery license for the State of Oregon.
However, I am more like a hobby farmer in the sense that some varieties I only grow one plant of and others a few more. Some varieties I may only have 1 tuber to share.
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 mix (not just bleach) 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 jar of chlorine mix (not just bleach) and rotate the snippers while dividing. I also 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. 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 the tuber 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-$45/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.
ARE THERE TUBER LIMITS?
YES...
Some dahlia varieties will be limited to ONE per Household. Some varieties I only have one tuber to share, so please be kind if you don't end up getting it. Other varieties I have a few but would like multiple people to grow it. It would be easier to not list varieties with smaller quantities but then again, I prefer to share when I can. Any orders placed with more than the limit, will be CANCELLED and refunded minus a restocking fee.
NO CHEATING:
I reserve the right to refuse service for any reason whether it be in regards to tuber limits, sneaking your way in or a number of other reasons. I also will not tolerate harassment, blasting your complaints on social media or otherwise being disrespectful. If you do not feel you can agree to the above or dislike this approach, again, I would encourage you to spend your money elsewhere.
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.
