Stock is guaranteed fresh and healthy upon delivery. Please inspect your plants immediately upon delivery. If a branch or root is broken, simply prune it off. This will not dam- age your tree. We try very hard to place “safety belts” on all our plants that we ship, however, sometimes the plants come loose. If the plants are not wanted for any reason, they should be returned within 1 week, otherwise contact Cold Stream Farm immediately for alternate return instructions. Shipping cost is the responsibility of the customer. Restocking fees may apply to returned orders.  If you received dam- aged or incorrect nursery stock it MUST BE REPORTED UPON DELIVERY.  Stock will be expected to be shipped back OR pictures of the stock must be provided.

We ship bare root dormant trees, so the tops may ap- pear dry (dormant state). Trees typically become dormant in the fall when the temperature gets cooler and will come out of dormancy in the spring when temperature gets warmer.  We harvest our dormant plants and keep them in climate controlled coolers prior to shipping.  Plant as directed in the ground and water regularly and the plants will thrive.

If you are unsure whether or not your plant is alive, please do a gentle scratch test. Gently scratch a small amount of the bark about one inch up from the base of the plant.  If it is white or green under the bark…it is alive.

If it is brown or black under the bark…it is dead. Please take photos of the results for warranty.

OPEN YOUR TREE PACKAGE UPON ARRIVAL AND ASSURE THAT THE ROOTS ARE MOIST. Add moisture if necessary. If planting can’t be done immediately, tops should be allowed to dry to prevent mold. Roots should be kept moist, but not submerged. If you are unable to plant decid- uous trees when you get them they can be stored for prolonged periods in darkness below 40°F (5°C).

At warmer temperatures they will not keep long and should be heeled into a moist shaded area as soon as buds start to break open or mold appears. You should dip or hose down the roots before planting or heeling the stock in. Evergreens are even more sensitive to mold attack, making it necessary to open bundles before heeling in. If left unchecked the mold will attack living tissue, killing the stock. Once the stock begins to leaf out, the odds of good performance drops rapidly with time.  At no time should the roots be allowed to dry out prior to or after planting.  This is particularly true of evergreens since they continue to respire even when dormant.