Packing plants for shipment and getting them safely to any part of the United States is a real challenge! Happy customers send us complimentary notes about our plants, the way the plants were packed, and the great arrival condition! We put a lot of effort to creating the finest True Indoor Bonsai and put just as much effort into packing the plants to arrive safely! Shipping is complex and we do our best to cover all details. We ship throughout the year, but only to destinations that www.weather.com report low temperatures are expected to be above freezing (32°F). We request email addresses and for those areas that are too cold to ship, we hold back shipments and try to send email notifications. When it starts to get chilly, we begin using extra insulation. In borderline situations, we utilize shipping heat packs. SHIPPING A LARGE CUSTOM COLLECTION On October 25, 2012 I received a request for photos and quotation for a Sumo Custom Collection with a budget range to allow quoting older mature plants. It happened that I was preparing for taking photos for the Winter 2012 FBnews so the new background and procedures were already set up and the next day I forwarded photos, information, and quotations of three trees that met the specifications.
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| FUKU-BONSAI CUSTOM COLLECTION
#441
Typical banyan with multiple trunks and aerial roots dropping from the center of the tree. About 20 to 25 years in training. 14.5" high measuring from top of pot; 19" across. In 25"x15" Fuku-Bonsai plastic rectangle pot / no drip tray / brown. This is one of our older trees with nice potential with some aerial roots already dropping from the branches. It is possible to train this tree with either a flattish wide crown or a taller loftier crown to allow better viewing of the attractive complex banyan structure. This is the best of the three if you want a larger bonsai |
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That same day, I received an acceptance and request for payment information. To that point, I had very limited information about the potential purchaser and additional information was requested as we do not sell older trees to new customers without any bonsai experience. Customer provided information that included having grown bonsai for over 10 years and that his first tree was actually a Fuku-Bonsai that was purchased at our Maui representative and authorized retailer Dan's Green House. He provided all shipping information and a PayPal Invoice was sent and promptly paid. Packing begins by wrapping the plant to keep the foliage away from the sides of the carton. The rocks or pot is cushioned and all encased in plastic to hold moisture. Plants are taped down to cardboard fillers (or wood pallets for large plants) that are attached to the shipping carton so plants don't get damaged even when the carton is turned upside down. On Tuesday, October 30 we sent the plant and in the email confirmation of shipping that included the FedEx tracking number with expected arrival on Thursday, November 1, 2012. I informed that we had modified our system and requested that he take specific photos and send a report to assist us in evaluating the new procedures, On Friday, November 2, 2012, I received an email that the plant had arrived safely with the photos that follow:
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We sent it in heavy duty shipping carton
measuring 30" long x 20" high x 20" wide and although the top was
smashed in a bit from other cartons stacked on top during transit,
the carton did not collapse. The carton included shipping label (top), FedEx lable (bottom), yellow inspection stamp, as well as our certified nursery stamps on the sealing tapes. I had a hand-written note: "To unpack safely, open top and with a knife, slit down all four corners to the bottom. Allow the sides to fall to expose the straps holding down the plant. Cut straps and unwrap plant." |
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With the sides dropped down, the entire plant can
be seen. It was strapped down with monofilament tape to a
pre-made plywood pallet that just fitted our standard large shipping
carton. After attaching the plant that was fully wrapped, cushioned,
and inserted into the carton, the pallet was securely gun-stapled to
the carton. This plant was shipped at the end of October to Dallas, Texas which was warm and did not require extra insulation or heat packs. |
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| With the sides dropped down and the paper wrapping removed, it is possible to examine the foliage to assure there was no damage in shipping. In mild damage, leaves will discolor and drop a few days later but always recover. When heavily damaged, leaves arrive black! But these also recover most of the time. In only very extreme cases every few years, a plant may have been exposed to sub-freezing weather for several days and arrived completely frozen! We've replaced only a very few since we began shipping in 1974 under our safe arrival guarantee. FedEx provides excellent service and plants arrive within 48 hours! |
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| A side view with the plant unpacked. The leaves are a bit bent from the paper wrapping but will fall naturally in a few days. |
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front view of the plant after unwrapping. In packing we try to
compress the foliage into a compact area so no foliage is in contact
with the sides of the carton which gets hot or cold and where damage
occurs. In the past, we've had reports of carton sides being
completely smashed in during transit but plants somehow arrived
undamaged! After all these years, we are still amazed and appreciative that our plants are arriving safely and will continue to try to improve our packing system. But if you receive a plant that is damaged, take a photo and email me right away! |
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That night I emailed to thank him for the report and photos, requested permission to use them on our website, and requested how he should be identified for the photo credits. He specified: "T. Cardwell; Dallas, Texas." The correspondence included clarifying a few points and he assured me the plant would receive a lot of light through a 2-story high window wall! I could not believe such existed and he sent the following photo!
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The tree sits on the living room table and
it should do very well. Outside you can barely see some of his
outdoor collection and it was really great to have one of our older
better plants have a promising new home in a great environment under
the care of a person with good skills. We hope it continues to
develop and bring joy. I hope our other Custom Collection
plants find such great new homes! Thanks "T. Cardwell of Dallas, Texas" ! |
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*** Return to
Fuku-Bonsai website home page
*** Go to "Experiencing Fuku-Bonsai's Shipping/Packing System" *** Go to the premier January 2013 issue of Journal of Tropical & True Indoor Bonsai
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