Wow, UPS is not being kind to hosta growers this year.

I would splint. You'll probably have to keep them splinted all season, I would think.

Mine turned the corner, by the way, and look much better.

bk

I have the perfect wooden skewers to splint, but which tape should I use, do you think? The painter's tape will fall off too early, I need something to last all season. Maybe that medical tape, but what an eye sore that would be.

I have some green florist tape that I sometimes use for stuff in the yard. I use it to tie up vines, mostly. But I did use some of it on my wilted hosta. It does not stick, but stretches a little for growth.

My other thought was electrical tape, which is black. It might "disappear" since it's black. I don't know how it would hold up to the weather, though.

Another thought is duck tape. They have it all colors at Walmart.

Let us know how it goes.

bk

Another thought came to me just as I hit "post". Those waterproof band-aids might work. I know they do hold up to water and stay stuck a long time. They're called "tough strips". They would be noticeable, but would at least be apropos.

This post was edited by bkay2000 on Fri, Jun 6, 14 at 16:47

I would just cut them off and let the roots grow and develop stronger for next year. But that's just me. It would be the same, if they were eaten by the deer, they always come back. Even though replacement by the supplier seems appropriate here.

if you cut them.. you cut them.. JUST BELOW teh bend ...

not to the ground ...

the petioles will photosynthesize ...

if tape.. tape below.. and above the crack ... and up near the leaf surface... and make it stand up on its own with a stake ...

i thought triangle boxes was the post office ... who is to contact.. go talk to them ...

but.. whats your loss??? .. but they dont need to know that.. lol ...

whats the seller say???

ken

ps: another example of nitro blasted.. hyper elongated stems ... even w/o damage... they would have been a 1/4 of the size next year ... where the root masses equivalent to the greenery above??? .. and even if you cut them back.. they will be 1/4 next year ... hmmmmm

I assume nitro means nitrogen. What does blasted mean?

Assuming that means they have been fertilized with lots of nitrogen, why couldn't you take advantage of it by starting on root stimulator? Couldn't you make up a gallon of root stimulator and apply it about once a month until 9/1 for most folks and maybe 10/1 for Mocc and me? Wouldn't that greatly improve the odds of having a really nice hosta next year? You have all those really nice big leaves to provide photosynthesis for the summer.

It makes sense to me. What's the downside?

bk

If you havent already thrown it out, get some pictures of the damaged box, too. It could come in handy for a reimbursment from UPS (for the seller if they are replacing them, or for yourself if you pursue it with them?)

As exciting as new hosta arrivals are, it is such a shame to be met with damaged goods! Whats the name on that blue?

Jadie - One Who Has Not Yet Been Named :) Hopefully, I'll come up with something cooler than that. Maybe Lord Voldemort, LOL Currently unnamed blue seedling.

I would call the nursery and tell them what happened. He probably will send you new ones. Recently I got 8 hostas in two of those boxes taped together from the same nursery, and those hosta petioles were not broken, and they are doing fine now being potted up with roots in water. In several years I always received unbroken hostas from this nursery in those boxes, so it is UPS' fault, UPS might reimburse the nursery. Bernd

It was sent USPS, not UPS. I never have this trouble with UPS. I received hostas this year in the same type of box that didn't have any damage. This trip was just a bad one, it seems.

Surgery is done, though. I ended up using just the green tape ties, they held surprisingly well. Here's a pic:

It would be interesting to answer the question "Which will turn out better for next year's plant? Cutting the damaged leaves off (this would be all of them but one on each plant) and allowing new leaves to grow this year or leaving the damaged leaves for purposes of feeding the plant, adding to next year's health." Realizing that you can really do either and the plant make it, but which option would result in a better, more healthy plant next year? Do you think leaving the damaged growth would allow for a "lazy" plant, not having to put out new leaves this year, therefore only getting partial nutrients all year through damaged leaves or do you think any damaged leaf is better than lopping one off? To me, this is an interesting question...

I didn't think you could bend those triangle boxes. Yes, contact the seller...he should complain to the shipper that his product was packaged properly and that the box failed during shipment due to mis-handling. This wasn't a case of poor packaging, but lousy handling by the shipper. You paid for and are entitled to "whole" hostas that you can enjoy this season, not ones that were broken in half. That is what you expected, not what you received. Hopefully the seller will send you some replacements, and he can deal with the shipper. He selected the shipper. A good hosta seller will want YOU to be happy.

-Babka

Wow, great name! Haha...I was trying to puzzle it out from what showed of the tag. It sure looks like a nice one. On my monitor it has that slate blue of bluestone.

Your patch job looks good to me...best of luck!

You shouldn't have to patch. Call the seller! Other people are paying the same and receiving intact hostas. Stand up.

-Babka

I am an old lady and I don't put up with this crap anymore. This was NOT YOUR FAULT, and you shouldn't have to go through all these measures to make this shipment grow. (but what you are doing makes a lot of sense, but it should not leave the shipper or grower off the hook) You didn't pay for broken hostas!!!

-Babka

This post was edited by Babka on Fri, Jun 6, 14 at 23:10

I'm with Babka about holding the shipper accountable. The grower may have paid for insurance, or used a service level that has insurance automatically. Keep the packaging if you haven't already tossed it...

Here is some info from USPS:

Evidence of Insurance
You must retain evidence of insurance for your claim. This includes evidence that insured mail, COD mail, Registered Mail service, or Express Mail service was purchased for the mailed package. For a detailed list of acceptable evidence, check the General Filing Instructions in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMMî) Section 609.
Evidence of Value
You must submit evidence ��" such as a sales receipt or invoice ��" showing the value of the article when it was mailed. For a detailed list of acceptable evidence, check the General Filing Instructions in DMM 609.
For Internet transactions conducted through a Web-based payment network, provide a computer printout of the online transaction identifying the purchaser and seller, price paid, date of the transaction, description of the item, and assurance that the transaction status is completed. The printout must clearly identify the Web-based payment network provider through which the Internet transaction was conducted.
Proof of Damage or Partial Loss of Contents
You must retain the damaged item(s), packaging, and all contents until the claim is resolved. If you receive notification from the Postal Service, you will be required to bring the item(s), packaging, and all contents to the Post Office.

oh my ... you had fun nursing it.. didnt you ... lol ..

it will work as good as any other suggestion .. good job ...

ken

Nice stake up. I had to stake one up last year, Sun Kissed. I saw a picture on the GW hosta forum and had to have it. The seller, Jim Hartman, was willing to sell me a division off is large mature plant in July, but mature divisions are lanky in mid summer. I staked it up, watered it and ignored it for the rest of the summer. My sister kept telling me it wasn't going to make it, but this year it is up and beautiful. I wish I had taken pictures like you did for future reference.

Beverly

Nice work, funn. I would keep the leaves as long as they are alive and producing food for the plant. Remember this is more about next year than this.

Steve

They actually look sweet all tied up with their "bows"!
As an internet business vendor, let me assure you that it is the SELLER's responsibility to get a product delivered whole to a customer.
While you should keep the packaging (in case the seller would need it for filing the claim) you do not need to go through all these steps...you simply contact your seller and let them know that the product arrived damaged. It is their legal responsibility to make it right for you, and they can choose to file a claim, or not, with the shipping carrier.
A responsible seller will either send you a replacement order or offer you a discount/refund on what you have there. If you do not like how they handle it, you can let them know. Also, while it is unfortunate that the box got damaged, most vendors wouldn't use a box that could get bent so easily. My number one goal as a shipper is to make sure my product does not get damaged, and that means understanding the "weak" spots of box selection. I strongly disagree that it is not the seller's fault...they should choose a sturdier box and you will help them learn this by letting them know of the problem.

I received a similar looking package today. I previously ordered from this seller and received a triangle box which was fine and all the plants were great, only problem was they sent me Lakeside Cha Cha instead of LS Cindy Cee. I emailed them earlier in the week and he was very nice and said he would send a replacement right away and also asked me what bonus plant I would like for my trouble. I received the new package today and it was totally squashed and bent. The LS Cindy Cee looks just like yours with all the petioles broken and the Luna Moth looked better, only had one broken petiole, probably because it was a shorter plant. My plant was so bad I didn't think even tape would help. They were hanging by just a thread...so I cut them just below the broken part. It does have a small eye just starting to send up a leaf so that one will be ok.

I guess I should email the seller again but I feel bad since he was nice enough to send me a second bonus plant in addition to the first one which was Ann Kulpa and the LS Cha Cha that I get to keep. What the heck is going on with USPS? I guess they just don't care what they do with people's packages.

LInda :(

Linda, you summed it up in a nutshell. The extra mile already gone to by the seller makes me guilty to go back around again with yet another complaint (even one that is warranted). Exact same situation, my Lakeside Cindy Cee didn't make it into the first order, so they sent it, along with a bonus plant for the inconvenience, then USPS karate chopped the box. Looks like a trend...

I would not cut off any leaves until they turn brown and wither away. I had some with some leaves like that in various orders. I only had one which looked like cooked spinach leaves, with all the petioles in good shape. One or two leaves left on the hosta. So far it hasn't croaked. In a box full of hosta, why that one was so damaged I haven't a clue.

It seems that FedEx had or is having a strike. I've ordered 3 times from Amazon some 50 lb bags of crabshell and each time they insist on sending via FedEx. Well it gets to Memphis distribution center of FedEx and there it sits. I have the satisfaction of knowing the crabshells are getting pretty potent an odor about now, and I am cancelling the order. Instead I got in touch with Neptune's Harvest in Gloucester MA and get the bag for a less amount plus free shipping via UPS. I had UPS deliver one of them last summer and they came early in the morning--did not want the smell in the vehicle all day long it seems. But due to the FedEx strike or slowdown or whatever is going on with them, I believe other shippers are backed-up.

I get good and timely delivery from USPS. Having no consideration for live plant shipments could strike a deadly blow to the mail order plant industry. So I think yes they need to get their association to call shippers to task about it. It's bigger than one order that was messed up from one nursery. If a gardener cannot get safe delivery, then the nurseries relying on mail order sales will really suffer too.

Sorry to weigh in again, but it IS the sellers who are not shipping the items properly. The problem is that the box is long & narrow, and worst of all, with a tall plant, it's basically "hollow" at points along the length of the box...it is literally ASKING to be smashed or bent up and none of the carriers are going to be able to prevent damage to such a box. Sure, many might do fine, but many will not....that is very bad odds. If I have a package arrive to the customer in bad shape, I look at the packaging and correct the problem. This seller did not do that. Any hollow spot in a box is a weak point and the narrow nature of a triangle box makes it even worse. If I recall, Hallsons ships a rectangular box and fills it in tightly around the plants with paper...this is WAY better than a USPS tube/triangle box.

If it were me and I were receiving a replacement plant from a seller who used this type of USPS triangle box, I would kindly beg them to use a rectangular box instead and stuff it with paper. It WILL weigh more, but the plants will arrive as they should. Of, if they insist on using the USPS triangle box, ask that they stuff every inch of it around the plant with wadded paper so that there are no areas along the entire length of the box that are hollow....the stuffing on the inside is what protects from crushing.

I actually feel badly for the carriers here, getting the blame for what is obviously a serious lapse in judgement by a seller. As an aside, FedEx transports a large majority of USPS Priority packages on their FedEx planes.

Wow, I can't believe they damaged your precious hostas so badly! I would have been on the phone to the shippers in a NY minute. I would have pointed out that they took my GREEN money just fine and why didn't they send me perfect plants just as green?

For splints, I would obtain some 1/4" or 1/2" I.D. (inner diameter) plastic tubing. You can get this at hardware stores by the foot, or from Home Depot by the couple of yards---try to find an old-fashioned hardware store in your area to just get a yard or so of the tubing. Cut pieces of the tubing so that they are 1-2" longer than the damage at either end. Slit the tubing all the way along the longitudinal axis. Open the slit in the tubing and snap it over the damaged stem. If it slides, use the green floral tape to secure it.