What am I Buying?
Liners and Young Plants
The products sold on our web site are commonly called liners or young plants and are used in the commercial horticulture industry as starter plants. Although we show you pictures of beautifully grown plants, we do not sell fully grown or finished plants. The finished plants pictured, represent the cultivar listed so you will know what to expect from a well grown plant.
Our plants are grown in trays containing various quantities and sizes of plants. All of our plants are sold in growing tray quantities so when you purchase a 72 cell pack tray (designated as 72cp) you will receive 72 plants, a 162cp tray will contain 162 plants, etc. All of our trays are more or less the same dimensions so generally you can expect the overall size of the plant and the root ball to vary with the number of cells per tray. A 50cp tray will generally contain much larger plants then a 162cp tray. Some plants are offered in several tray sizes and deciding which tray size to buy is mostly an economic decision. Plants offered in 162cp trays will be less expensive than the same plant grown in a 72cp tray and will also have a lower per plant shipping cost. On the down side, purchasing smaller plants (i.e. 162cp vs 72cp) will require longer grow times and occupy your growing space longer.
Liners
Liners
Stage II or Stage III Plants Directly from our Laboratory
For our international customers and/or propagation contract customers, we offer plants directly from our laboratory as Stage II or Stage III plants. Stage II plants are harvested from tissue culture vessels and packaged "bare-root" and without tissue culture media in the shipping containers. Stage III plants are harvested from tissue culture vessels and then replanted in another sterile tissue culture vessel with gelled media. Stage III is also known as a rooting stage as the gelled media usually contains rooting hormones to induce rooting. Since Stage II plants require less handling and are packaged in larger quantities, they are the most economical way to purchase laboratory plants. However, Stage II plants have a shorter shelf life and require immediate planting on arrival.
Stage II Microcuttings
Stage III Microcuttings
Looking for Finished Product?
We are happy to refer you to some of the best growers in the country who grow our plants in various sizes. They range from large to small growers and all are well known for growing high quality plants.
Please call, fax or email us. We will be happy to help you find beautifully grown plants.
Tel: 1.800.762.0022
Email: info@oglesbytc.com
Shipping and Delivery Times
For our International Growers
We are unable to accept international orders directly from our website due to the complexities of international shipments. Please contact us via email or phone and we will be happy to accept your order and provide you with a complete quote for plants, shipping and documentation requirements.
For our Growers In Arizona and Montana
We are unable to accept orders directly from our website for growers in Arizona and Montana due to additional documentation requirements for your states. Please call or email us and we will be happy to help you with your plant needs the old fashion way.
Boxing and Shipping
Not only are we pretty good at growing plants, we're also pretty good at shipping them so the plants arrive at your door safely. For all FedX and UPS deliveries, our trays are wrapped in a moisture resistant paper to help hold the plants in place thru the rigors of shipping. We choose paper wrapping over a plastic netting because the paper itself does not damage plants like netting sometimes can.
The following pictures show how the trays are wrapped and then placed in a protective, water resistant cardboard sleeve appropriately sized for the plant height. The sleeves are then placed in a cardboard box. Each box has signage indicating live plants and directional arrows to instruct handlers which way is up. We also offer a winter wrap that adds additional insulation to the box.
Delivery Times
Once your order has been submitted we will make every effort to ship the plants to you as soon as possible. Part of our process involves looking at weather forecasts for our location and yours as well as the location(s) of the carrier hubs. If the forecast is not favorable, we will delay your shipment and notify you of the situation. All orders are scheduled to arrive before Friday whenever possible. We will not ship plants over the weekend unless instructed to do so. Orders placed late in the week may be held until the following week to allow your shipment to arrive before Friday. Once we hand off your shipment to the carrier you will receive a tracking number so you can track your shipment. Please keep in mind that we have no control over the Carriers' performance. We assume, like you, that if you select 2 day service, you will get 2 day service.
Choosing Delivery Options
Ground delivery service can be economical but may not be your best shipping option. Most carriers offer 1 to 6 day(s) delivery for ground delivery depending on your location. If you get your shipment in 1 to 2 days via ground delivery then ground is a great option for you. Conversely, ground delivery requiring 4 to 6 days is not a good idea (it's pretty dark and dry in the box!).
Here's some points to remember when choosing a delivery option at checkout...
We highly recommend you select a delivery time no longer than 3 days.
We highly recommend Overnight or 2-3 day delivery if shipping times exceed 3 days for your selected shipping method.
We will generally honor your shipping selection. We may not like it and try to talk you out of it but you are the boss! Just remember that shipping is at your risk.
How to determine ground delivery times.
Both FedEX and UPS publish maps to help you determine ground delivery times to your location. To access the map just click on the links below. Use our zip code (32421) as the origination point.
What to do when Liner Plants Arrive
Liners and Young Plants
Actually, the process of receiving your plants begins before the plants arrive. Make sure you have a protected, shady place where the boxes can be delivered and stay until you have time to unpack your shipment. The boxes should never be subjected to direct sun and or extreme temperatures, hot or cold. Prepare a clean, sanitized area to accept the trays once unpacked and again protect them from direct sun and or extreme temperatures.
On arrival, open the box(s) immediately. You will find that each tray will be wrapped in paper and inserted into a protective cardboard sleeve (see above). Remove the trays from the sleeve, unwrap the trays and place them in the clean area as described above. Although we go the extra mile to protect your plants during shipping, the shippers sometimes go the extra mile to undo our good work. Check each tray for dislodged plants and place them back in the cell. A small amount of leaf damage during shipping is not unusual (In some cases, we cut back plants before shipping) and will not affect the quality of the finished plant.
Water the trays immediately and thoroughly. While in our greenhouses, the plants receive frequent watering and are never allowed to dry out. Depending on how long your plants have been in transit, drying out can occur and this initial watering is important. In extreme cases, some of the media will not absorb the water when applied overhead and may require sub-irrigation to bring the moisture level back to normal.
Although the plants will continue to grow in the trays if treated properly for a short period of time we recommend you plant them as soon as you can. For the first few weeks after planting, check the plants frequently to make sure they are receiving adequate water. Remember that even though the surrounding media may have adequate moisture, the freshly planted plug is still isolated until the roots can establish connection with the new media. Also remember that during shipping the plants were in complete darkness so watch for signs of overexposure to light and correct immediately.
We have specific growing information for many of the plants we offer on our web site. Please call 1.850.762.3296 or email us at info@oglesbytc.com if you have questions about any of our products. Your success is our success.
Acclimation of Tissue Cultured Plantlets
Stage II or Stage III Plants Directly from our Laboratory
Tissue cultured plantlets require special attention during the acclimation process from the laboratory to the greenhouse in order to avoid losses and ensure crop uniformity. As the laboratory is a relatively stress free environment, the plants need to be slowly phased into greenhouse conditions.
Incoming stage II microcuttings need relatively immediate attention, while stage III plants can be held in a controlled environment for a few days without diminishing quality. As plants are coming from a relatively sterile environment, worker and workplace sanitation is essential. Disinfect all tools, containers and work areas routinely.
Media: Most growers prefer a peat-based medium. Use 70 to 80 % quality milled peat amended with perlite, vermiculite, or bark. Avoid coarse, large particles if using bark. Adjust pH to 5.8 to 6.1 with incorporated dolomitic limestone. Incorporate a low concentration of slow release fertilizer including trace elements. Premoisten the medium before filling trays.
Keep in mind that plants in the laboratory are grown under only 200 to 600fc. (2.2-6.5 klux) and are kept very close to a uniform 78F (25C) degrees. Thus, while planting and during acclimation, protect the plants from the brighter greenhouse environment and extreme temperatures. Stage III plants are rooted in lab media containing high concentrations of sugar. This media should be gently washed or shaken off to prevent the growth of undesirable microorganisms once planted. Use a dibble when planting. Forceps with a felt padding can be used to aid in planting very small microcuttings. Place plantlets just deep enough to anchor them into the medium. Use a spray bottle of water to mist the plantlets during handling. When a tray is completely planted, water it thoroughly but gently with a mild solution of 20-20-20 (or similar analysis) at 100 to 150 ppm.
Plantlets directly from the lab have no cuticle and will require high humidity to survive. Use a mist or fog system to prevent desiccation. Increase the mist interval gradually during acclimation. An alternative is to cover the trays with clear lids, or a layer of polyethylene film or cheesecloth. Be sure to provide ventilation as necessary to prevent heat buildup. Additional shading should be provided. Double the light levels every one to two weeks until plants are acclimated to their normal light requirements.
Do not allow the medium to become waterlogged. A regular fungicide program should prevent losses from root and stem rot diseases. The initial environment should be kept at 80 to 85F (26-30C) day and 70 to 75F (21-24C) nights. Bottom heat will help induce rooting.