Delivery FAQ - old

Why do I have to pick a shipping date?

Shipments are organized by selected shipping date.
The shipping date helps the organization and timing of the fulfillment process to ensure you have the best chance possible for your tree to survive
During the shipping season, Morse Nursery will begin packing the pre-orders to go out beginning Monday through Wednesday to ensure they arrive at your door before the weekend.

How do I know what day to select?

Select a date that is after the last frost in which you are planting the trees at.
If you are uncertain when the last frost was, refer to a farmer Alamac for predictions on the areas last frost. (Google is your friend here as well)
It is recommended that you plan delivery of your trees within the week before you are going to plant to them. This ensures that the trees spend the least amount of time out of human care.
Please be sure to reference your personal and family social calendar before selecting your shipment date as it is critical to receive and open the trees as soon as the trees are delivered.
Once the package is delivered to the selected address, it will be the customer’s responsibility to receive the trees and to properly take care of the trees.

Which is best season to order trees?

To guarantee the best selection and variety of trees, Morse Nursery recommends preordering your trees to avoid your choice of tree going out of stock.
Planting in the Fall or Spring does not impact survival rates of trees. Similar survival rates apply for both seasons.
1. Factors to consider:
  - Drought is the most common reason for tree loss which is higher in the summer months
  - Winter heave is a concern in colder climates. Planting a minimum 2-4 weeks before frost begins in the winter season, will protect against winter heave.

What services do we use to ship trees?

FedEx is the most common method to ship trees in the Spring and Fall
Large orders will be contracted out with a third-party logistic vendor or delivered using Morse Nursey’s in-house team.
- Large orders = 100+ trees or orders with 3-year-old trees
- Large orders can only be completed over the phone to get an accurate shipping price.
If you order contains 3 year old trees call us for the best shipping prices.

Local Pick up is another fulfillment option
- Two in-house locations: Battle Creek, Michigan or West Lafayette, IN
- By appointment only
- Our nursery sites are not retail locations

Spring Shipping Season (Bare Root and Potted):

When is the Spring Shipping Season?

Mid-March until the first week of June.
Weather is the deciding factor on when we start shipping orders and when we stop shipping orders.
- Considering weather factors may include:
  - Frozen trees in the nursery
  - Abnormally dry and hot conditions

Fall Shipping (Potted Only):

When is Fall Shipping Season?

I am missing a tree or item from my order, what should I do?

I have a broken tree, what should I do?

If trees are dislodged from pot and appear damaged, please take pictures and send to Info@morsenursery.com immediately so we can report the damage to FedEx and get a new tree out to you right away.
Claims must be submitted within 3 days of delivery.

My tree showed up with brown spot or withering leaves, why?

These trees are either coming out of dormancy or fully leafed out.
There may be some brown spots or wither on the leaves we assure you that is it only from its long journey across the country to your porch and will come back once it has proper sunlight and water.
There is no risk of disease coming from our nursery. When the trees are shipped they are green and ready to be planted in their final place.
It is imperative to open the trees and take them out of the package within 24 hours of arrival. The longer they stay in the package the more withered the tree could be.
Be sure to get them in the sunlight and water to bring them back to happy trees.