The most important thing to remember when your trees first arrive is to always handle them carefully. Your trees are alive and can be harmed if dropped, bent or broken.

Always Handle Plants Carefully

• Your seedlings are alive and can be damaged if dropped, bent, or broken, even while still in the box.

Pick Up Your Delivery Promptly

• You can't control the temperature or conditions at the post office or your community mailbox. Bring your trees home as soon as you can.

Let Your Seedlings Thaw Completely

• Your seedlings may arrive frozen. If so, store them in a cool, dark place such as a basement or garage until they thaw. Do not place them in the fridge or freezer (this will void your guarantee).

Regulate Temperature

• Avoid drastic changes in temperature. Keep your seedlings out of direct sunlight and do not allow them to refreeze.

Keep Your Seedlings Moist

• Do not let your seedlings dry out. Keep them away from heat and blowing air, and water as needed.
  • For plugs: If the soil feels dry, pour or spray water over the bundles to keep them moist.
  • For Bareroot: If wrapped with moist shavings, follow instructions for plugs. If not, and the roots seem dry, you can submerge them in water for a few minutes or spray them to keep them moist. Do not submerge for a prolonged period (no longer than 2 hours) as roots need oxygen.

Keep Bundles Wrapped In Plastic Until Planting

• This will help regulate temperature and prevent your seedlings from drying out. This will also make it easier to transport to the planting site.

Plant Your Seedlings As Soon As Possible After They Are Thawed

• The sooner you plant them, the better your plants will do.

Can't Plant Right Away?

• Open the box and the inner bag to allow airflow.
• Stand the seedlings upright if they aren’t already.
• Store them in a cool, dark location and keep them moist (see above for tips).
• Ideally, seedlings should be planted within 7 days of receiving them or within 12 days of the ship date, whichever comes first.
• Our seedlings ship dormant, so there is some flexibility, but planting them sooner will help them thrive.

On Planting

• Follow the instructions above for best results (and to prevent voiding our guarantee). A few things to keep in mind:
  • Avoid planting until the risk of major frosts has passed for the season.
  • Dig your holes before you bring out your trees.
  • Ensure trees are completely thawed.
  • Plant one box of trees at a time. (Keep the others closed up in the shade.)
  • Do not lay out your trees beside your holes and let them bake in the sun before you plant them.

Follow the instructions in our How To Plant A Seedling question. Read through our full Pre-Planting and Planting Guide here.

Want more? Watch this helpful video Unboxing Your TreeTime.ca Order or read more on our blog article here. Check out our YouTube Channel for more information, helpful tips, plants we meet in the wild, and behind the scenes of our operations.

Here are some examples of what you can expect from your order:

Need Help? Contact our team 1-844-873-3700 or support@treetime.ca