Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Discussion forum for commercial seed, plant and garden supply sources.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old May 24, 2017   #1
cecilsgarden1958
Tomatovillian™
 
cecilsgarden1958's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: swPA
Posts: 629
Default Chili Plants .com

Well, I have never ever found a place that sells plants that I have a lower regard for. http://www.chileplants.com/ They bragged up how they send such nice plants at just the right height etc etc. I received leggy sickly plants at about 12-14" which were just about as spindly as you could grow. They were intertwined together in one massive tomato knot and totally useless. I would not recommend this place to a wild critter starved for seedling salad. Now, I have to scramble to find plants for this week coming, as I am on vacation.
__________________
Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool!
cecilsgarden1958 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 24, 2017   #2
TC_Manhattan
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 457
Default

Sadly, I have to report the same experience with them this year. I purchased 2 tomato plants (varieties for which I did not get seed), 3 pepper plants and an eggplant.
All three were far to large and root-bound for early April. The tomatoes were the worst.

I tried them last year (2016) for a few pepper and eggplant varieties I did not find elsewhere, and was satisfied with the plants although they had pinched back the peppers to keep them less lanky. Those plants were received last year at the end of April. Not sure what they do for folks who order even later deliveries.

Disappointing lesson, but I will limit myself from here on with what I start here at home. The price of mail delivery, and lack of recourse when product is less than satisfactory has convinced me.

Besides, my own seedlings are spectacular this year, so why bother?

Feeling your pain..
TC_Manhattan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 25, 2017   #3
ako1974
Tomatovillian™
 
ako1974's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 109
Default

That stinks. I have bought from Cross-Country Nurseries (chileplants.com is the web address for delivery) and have always been satisfied. That said, I have always gone to the site myself, since it's not far away. Can you email them about your purchases? All interactions I've had with them have been very good.
__________________
Arne
Zone 6A, Northern NJ
ako1974 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 25, 2017   #4
TC_Manhattan
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 457
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ako1974 View Post
That stinks. I have bought from Cross-Country Nurseries (chileplants.com is the web address for delivery) and have always been satisfied. That said, I have always gone to the site myself, since it's not far away. Can you email them about your purchases? All interactions I've had with them have been very good.
That's just it. Sure, I can go in person and come away with nice plants (or none if they're in poor shape), but the proof in the pudding is how they handle mail order. After all, we are purchasing on good faith, sight unseen. If any place uses mail order as an outlet for lesser merchandise, how can they expect repeat customers?

Hirt's Gardens has many mediocre reviews on Amazon and Dave's Garden site, but I can go in person and pick out lovely plants at a far lower price than that which they sell for on-line. 4-pak Sun Sugar tomatoes are $1.99. But...I don't have to rely on what their packers choose to box up and dump.

It takes a truly dedicated merchant to honor their mail-order customers. Shipping costs are expensive and one would hope they would honor that investment in their products.

Some don't..
TC_Manhattan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 25, 2017   #5
dmforcier
Tomatovillian™
 
dmforcier's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 3,825
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ako1974 View Post
I have bought from Cross-Country Nurseries (chileplants.com is the web address for delivery) and have always been satisfied. That said, I have always gone to the site myself, since it's not far away. Can you email them about your purchases? All interactions I've had with them have been very good.
I have seen a number of mail customers show pictures of their shipping containers and narrate their experiences. Not a bad word said. A couple guys I know live nearby and have to be restrained by their wives from repeated visits.
__________________


Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out?
- Will Rogers


dmforcier is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26, 2017   #6
cecilsgarden1958
Tomatovillian™
 
cecilsgarden1958's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: swPA
Posts: 629
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TC_Manhattan
Hirt's Gardens has many mediocre reviews on Amazon and Dave's Garden site, but I can go in person and pick out lovely plants at a far lower price than that which they sell for on-line. 4-pak Sun Sugar tomatoes are $1.99. But...I don't have to rely on what their packers choose to box up and dump.....
Actually & strange enough, I was satisfied with my Hirt's mail order. Go figure
__________________
Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool!
cecilsgarden1958 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26, 2017   #7
clkeiper
Tomatovillian™
 
clkeiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TC_Manhattan View Post

Hirt's Gardens has many mediocre reviews on Amazon and Dave's Garden site, but I can go in person and pick out lovely plants at a far lower price than that which they sell for on-line. 4-pak Sun Sugar tomatoes are $1.99. But...I don't have to rely on what their packers choose to box up and dump.


Some don't..
so true. I can drive there and pick out what I want but I also see stuff I would toss in my compost pile. I wouldn't touch some of their plants with a 10' pole. I even had one employee tell me they don't put anything on their plants not even fertilizer... well, it sure did look like it, too. I think I asked if they used a growth retardant on something... he was highly offended. well, it was like march and they had a house full of vegetable starts and some were almost micro sized... not normal at all. I son't think they grow one thing there... more or less a broker/warehouse for plants and plant merchandise. next time i am there I will try to take a few pics. I usually go ther just to buy ladybugs.
__________________
carolyn k
clkeiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26, 2017   #8
oakley
Tomatovillian™
 
oakley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
Default

That's to bad. I think a good approach is to take a pic right out of the box delivered asap
and send it to them.
On their 'about' page the pics of their sending operation does not work. Pics of their
plants, etc.

I almost ordered a couple years ago since it is just a bit far for me to travel.

Bummer. Don't like sent plants that are so far off what is advertised. Rarely buy live
plants on-line except for a few fruit trees now and then. Always had good luck. My
Meyer lemon was packed amazingly well and much better than the pic on their site.
As it should be, similar, but did not expect better.
oakley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26, 2017   #9
clkeiper
Tomatovillian™
 
clkeiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by oakley View Post
That's to bad. I think a good approach is to take a pic right out of the box delivered asap
and send it to them.
On their 'about' page the pics of their sending operation does not work. Pics of their
plants, etc.

I almost ordered a couple years ago since it is just a bit far for me to travel.

Bummer. Don't like sent plants that are so far off what is advertised. Rarely buy live
plants on-line except for a few fruit trees now and then. Always had good luck. My
Meyer lemon was packed amazingly well and much better than the pic on their site.
As it should be, similar, but did not expect better.
I have been there when they had a new shipment of citrus plants on benches. they were very nice plants. there vegetable starts? whole other story.
__________________
carolyn k
clkeiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26, 2017   #10
TC_Manhattan
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 457
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by clkeiper View Post
I have been there when they had a new shipment of citrus plants on benches. they were very nice plants. there vegetable starts? whole other story.
Are you referring to Hirt's or to Chili Plants?
TC_Manhattan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26, 2017   #11
clkeiper
Tomatovillian™
 
clkeiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TC_Manhattan View Post
Are you referring to Hirt's or to Chili Plants?
Hirts. Sorry. I made a comment and kept thinking about them as I made another. I wasn't thinking.
__________________
carolyn k
clkeiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:42 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★