Shipping FAQ

When will my order ship?

There are too many possible variables for us to accurately answer such a question within a FAQ page. Please be aware that we provide our current (estimated) order processing lead time within our rotating announcement banner at the top of the website. Such lead times only apply to "Ship ASAP" items. In addition to our order processing lead times, our order shipping dates are also influenced by the day of the week that the order is placed, the destination of the order, the weather, the product in question, etc.; as such, ship dates and lead times will vary. Please contact us with any particular questions


When will my "Ship ASAP" plant ship to me?

There is an announcement at the top of our website stating our current fulfillment window for "Ship ASAP" plants (our business days are Monday - Friday). Also, please be aware that we typically only ship out live plants on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in order to help avoid plants getting stuck in a warehouse for the weekend. 

If your order contains both "Ship ASAP" and any type of "Pre-Order" plants, it's quite possible that we're planning on holding your "Ship ASAP" products until your entire order is ready. Please contact us with any questions regarding your particular order.

 

What areas do you ship products to?

We currently ship to Alaska (orders to Alaska must be specially arranged: please contact us for a USPS quote) and all lower 48 states (plus Washington DC). We do not ship to Hawaii.  

 

What is your shipping policy? 

Due to the perishable nature of most of our products (live plants), we typically only send out shipments on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. This is to help avoid (not entirely prevent) the possibility of your live plant spending the weekend in a UPS or USPS holding center. Please contact us if you require your shipment sent out on a day other than our standard shipping days and we'll do our best to satisfy your request. Sometimes our small business gets overwhelmed with orders due to such situations as sales, seasonal rushes, or short-staffing; which leads to delays in shipping: DUE TO OUR INHERENT VARIANCE OF ORDER PROCESSING AND FULFILLMENT TIMES, WE'VE PLACED AN ANNOUNCEMENT BANNER AT THE TOP OF OUR WEBSITE TO NOTIFY OUR CUSTOMERS OF OUR CURRENT ANTICIPATED PROCESSING TIMES.
The health of your plant and the happiness of our customers are our top priorities. Almanac Planting Co reserves the right to delay shipments for any reason including: inclement weather, extreme heat, extreme cold, and holiday shipping delays. We also reserve the right to ship a purchased product with either USPS or UPS, regardless of the shipping method selected at checkout, as long as the estimated delivery date is not extended by the carrier change.

Our official shipping policy can be found here.  


Is it safe to ship to ship a plant if the temperature outside is hot or cold?

Typically yes, assuming that proper precautions are taken. Throughout winter, we offer our customers the option to buy a heat pack to help insure the safe shipment of "warm weather only" plants. If the weather is hot, we'll do our best to fully saturate your plant's soil prior to shipment. In times of hot or cold weather, we highly suggest shipping to a location where the receiver will be able to meet the package and not allow it to sit in the elements longer than necessary.

Please contact us if you'd like to make an order but the conditions in your area are too extreme (either hot or cold) for safe plant shipments. We'll do our best to work with you and delay shipment.

If the weather is extreme in our area (Eastern Pennsylvania), we may delay all shipments until we feel conditions are safe for our plants. We'll be sure to contact all affected customers in such a situation.

Do plants need to ship with heat packs in the winter?

We strongly suggest that our tropical plants and other "warm weather only" plants be shipped with heat packs through the months of November to March. All plants that we feel should have a heat pack will have the option to purchase one on their respective product page if we're in the cold season.

How much does shipping cost for live plants? 

Shipping costs are calculated at checkout and will vary due to a multitude of factors such as: item weight, destination, and the size of packaging. Please realize that we only allow plant shipping methods that have an estimated time in transit of 4 days or less (4 day estimated transit time orders will only ship on Mondays). These expedited shipping methods will slightly increase the cost of shipping in comparison to slower methods. Please contact us to have express/overnight shipping added to an order (to make sure that our shipment schedule is able to accommodate the request).

Are you able to hold orders?

We're often able to hold orders, but not always. Please contact us ahead of time when placing any order that will require a hold or special shipping instructions.

 

Do you offer overnight and/or express shipping?

Yes, although we don't offer it as a checkout option because we can't always accommodate such requests. Please contact us if you require overnight and/or express shipping. Kindly include the type, size, and quantity of products you'd like shipped, as well as the expected ship date. We'll do our best to respond to your request ASAP.

Do live plants survive shipping?

Yes! We've undergone exhaustive trials to perfect our live plant delivery; including testing a variety of soils, plants, and packaging techniques. Plus, we predominately ship our live plants via UPS, USPS Priority, or USPS Priority Express; which drastically reduces the chance of a plant dying during shipping. Please contact us in the unfortunate event that you find your plant has been damaged during its travels. Check out our off-site, third-party reviews to learn more.

Please Visit Our Generalized and Pre-Order FAQ Pages for Additional Information. Feel Free to Contact Us With Any Other Questions.