A checklist for receiving plant deliveries on site

Why receiving deliveries carefully matters

However correct the planting technique, the quality of the plant material reaching site has a direct bearing on the outcome. Root damage from transport, or a trunk wound that goes unnoticed, can turn into a visible problem in the tree’s development months later. That is why receiving a delivery deserves a standard checklist, run without cutting corners for time.

Checking the root ball

The root ball is the most direct indicator of a plant’s condition:

• For container-grown stock, check whether the growing medium is still intact inside the pot and whether the container itself was damaged in transit.
• For balled-and-burlapped stock, check that the burlap wrap is intact and that the root ball doesn’t crumble under gentle hand pressure.
• For bare-root stock, visually check that roots have been kept moist, with no drying out or discolouration.
• If a root ball is excessively dry, cracked or broken up, note it on the delivery record.

Checking the trunk and branches

Mechanical damage from transport usually shows up on the trunk and main branches:

• Check the trunk for bark stripping, bruising or a deep wound.
• If a main branch is broken or cracked, assess whether it can be corrected with pruning.
• There should be no sign of rot or softening at the base of the trunk, around the root flare.
• For formal plants (balls, cones, and the like), check that the shape hasn’t been distorted in transit.

Verifying labels and species

Every batch should arrive with a label confirming species and cultivar. Check the label against the ordered plant list, and confirm the species and cultivar name matches the physical tag on the container or root ball. Unlabelled batches shouldn’t be distributed on site without supplier confirmation, given the risk of species mix-ups.

Size checks and matching the delivery note

Compare the height, trunk caliper and container size of the delivered plants against what was ordered:

• Sample a handful of plants at random from the batch and take measurements, checking they fall within the agreed tolerance (typically ±10%).
• Physically count the quantity on site against what’s stated on the delivery note.
• If species, size or quantity don’t match, note it on the delivery record and contact the supplier.

Accept/reject criteria

Condition	Decision	Note
Root ball intact, moist	Accept	Standard check is sufficient
Root ball broken up	Assess/reject	Discuss with supplier
Superficial scratch on trunk	Accept	Monitor over time
Deep wound/rot on trunk	Reject	High risk post-planting
Label missing, species unclear	Hold	Don’t plant without confirmation
Size outside tolerance	Assess	May need designer sign-off

Ownership and record-keeping

On large sites, having a single person or team own the delivery-acceptance process keeps the standard of inspection consistent. A few practices worth building in:

• Keep a photographic delivery record for every shipment, documenting root ball condition, trunk damage and label information in particular.
• Where a delivery is partially accepted, list accepted and rejected items separately and notify the supplier the same day.
• If a recurring issue turns up — a particular species consistently arriving with a broken root ball, say — raise it with the supplier and ask for a change in packaging or handling before the next shipment.

Seasonal differences in receiving deliveries

How closely you inspect a delivery also shifts with the season. In summer, root ball drying risk is higher, so the acceptance process should move quickly and plants should get into shade as soon as possible. In winter, check specifically for signs of freezing — a frozen root ball or a frozen transport bed can damage root cells even if nothing looks visibly wrong. In wet periods, check whether water has pooled in the transport bed, since prolonged contact at the root flare raises the risk of rot.

Temporary storage conditions

If plants can’t go in the ground the day they’re received, how they’re stored temporarily has a direct effect on survival rate:

• The storage area should be shaded and wind-protected; direct sun and dry wind dry out the root ball quickly.
• Keep the root zone moist, watering lightly if needed.
• Cover containers or root balls with soil or damp mulch where possible.
• Don’t let the wait exceed 48 hours; if it will run longer, protect the plants temporarily with a “heeling in” method, burying the root zone in soil.

Applying a standard delivery checklist on site catches most of the problems that would otherwise surface after planting — right at the delivery stage. Taxus Fidancılık runs quality checks on its own premises before shipment, to safeguard the standard of material that reaches your site.