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Shipping Policy
Shipping FAQ's
Locations We Ship To
We ship throughout the U.S. except Alaska, Hawaii, and the territories. All orders are shipped via a Ground shipping carrier in a box. Specimens and InstantHedges are freight shipped on a pallet. We cannot ship to P.O. boxes so be sure to provide a physical address while entering your shipping location. Emailed tracking numbers will be sent once the order has been shipped. Some freight shipped orders will receive a phone call from the truck driver instead.
Timing
We ship year round using a Ground shipping carrier. During extreme temperatures, we reserve the right to delay shipping (typically during warm summer months). If you desire shipment for a specific week, select the correlating week's Monday ship date. During busy shipping times, we may need to ship orders to the Midwest on Tuesday, and if you live on the west coast, your order may not leave until Wednesday. ASAP shipping option will allow your order to be shipped within 3-10 business days.
Shipping Cost

Ground shipping is $9.99 for orders that are less than $99.99. Orders more than $99.99 and do not include a specimen, ship for free! Transit time for this option is 3-12 business days. If your order contains a specimen, feel free to reach out to us to receive a shipping quote.

If you need to receive your order even faster, we do have Express shipping available to you at an additional cost. This will be based on your location and the volume of your order. Transit time for this option is 2-4 business days.

Address Change & Related Fees

Please ensure that your shipping address and ship date selection are accurate when submitting your order so that you can be present for the package's delivery. We cannot ship to PO Boxes. We are not responsible for incorrect addresses entered or redirecting the package to an alternative address.

If the address change is needed one week prior to the orders shipment or while enroute, we will require a 25% restocking fee (based on overall order total) that will be paid by the next business day. If the address must be changed while the package is already enroute, we will pass along the carrier's change fee of $60 as well.

Processing Times

ASAP orders are typically processed within two weeks from when the order is placed. After that, they are shipped with an emailed tracking number sent.

Orders with a specific ship week like that of the week of May 22nd, will ship that week. We aim to have East Coast orders shipped earlier in the week to help ensure that they are delivered before the weekend.

If you have questions or concerns about the shipment of your order, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. All orders are covered by our 45 day guarantee if issues do arise.

How Plants Are Packaged
We have been shipping plants across the U.S. for almost 10 years! Shipping methods are utilized to ensure the safety of the plant while utilizing sustainable products whenever we are able. Plants are reinforced with bamboo stakes for stability and are packaged in untreated cardboard. To further guarantee the plants are not stressed during transit, air holes are provided in the boxes.

Non recyclable products such as Styrofoam or packing peanuts are not used in packaging of our plants. Shipped materials are easy to handle and recycle or dispose of.
Schedule By Location
Northwest – Although it is best to ship while plants are dormant, we do ship year-round using FedEx Ground!

Midwest and Northeast – Ideal shipping times are mid-September through November, but we can also able to ship at other times of the year at customers' discretion. If we notice that plants are tender and would not transport well, we may contact you and recommend an alternative ship date. Although temperatures may be warm enough in your area, be mindful that your order may pass through areas with much colder temperatures and could damage items shipped early in the growing season (February through April).

South – Ideal shipping times are October through January, but we can also able to ship at other times of the year at customers' discretion. If we notice that plants are tender and would not transport well, we may contact you and recommend an alternative ship date. Although temperatures may be warm enough in your area, be mindful that your order may pass through areas with much colder temperatures and could damage items shipped early in the growing season (February through April).

All SPECIMEN plants must be shipped on a truck palletized or floor-loaded on a large semi. The cost for shipping specimens is lowest if we can ship multiple specimens to a single address on pallets. We can ship to most East Coast, Midwest, and Southern destinations for $500-$1000 per pallet. Approximately four #25 containers can fit on a pallet, or fewer if larger containers are purchased. The best way to purchase a specimen is to email us for a shipping estimate prior to purchasing. Unfortunately our online ordering system does not allow us to accurately quote shipping for specimen sizes (#15 and larger).
Plants, Pots and Care
Planting and Care - On Arrival
Keep your package out of the sun. If the box sits on your porch in the sun for several hours, it could negatively affect the quality of your plants!

Unpack immediately upon arrival, remove packing materials and plastic bags from around the pots.

Generally we recommend planting dormant plants immediately (within 1 or 2 days) either into the ground, or a larger container.

It is best to wait until cooler weather to plant items received during the growing season.

Inspect all plants for damage and report any damage to us immediately. Email with photos to [email protected]
Planting Instructions
Japanese maples – most varieties will grow best in partial shade. Variegated and tender varieties will burn in afternoon sun. All plant descriptions show Sun/Shade information.

Conifers – most varieties will perform best in full sun, though many yellow/golden conifers prefer part shade. Miniature varieties of fir and spruce also benefit from afternoon shade especially in more southerly locations. All plant descriptions show Sun/Shade information.

Plant in well – drained soil. Maples have very shallow root systems and will not perform well with poor drainage or when planted too deep.

Slightly acidic pH is ideal (a pH around 6.0 is ideal).

If planting in a container, use a bark-based soil mix, or something very well-draining and rich in organic matter.

For a well – prepared site, we recommend digging a hole slightly wider and just as deep as the container. Place the tree in the hole and carefully fill the hole with removed soil, pressing it firmly into the hole and making sure there are no air pockets which can dry the root ball out. The top of the closest to surface root should be flush with the soil level.
Plant Care
Watering
A consistent and frequent watering schedule should be kept until the tree is established in your garden, especially when planting in spring. We recommend watering 2-3 times per week during dry or warm periods. However, be careful not to overwater! Conifers especially are very susceptible to root rot when planted in spring and grown in saturated soil.

Fertilizer
Conifer Kingdom offers a special fertilizer blend for conifers as well as a different formula for maples. We do not recommend using the same fertilizer on maples and conifers both. Three different sizes of bags are available for purchase:
Purchase Conifer Fertilizer
Purchase Maple Fertilizer

Mulching
We recommend mulching established landscape trees. Do not let the mulch touch any portion of the trunk! Mulch can reduce the soil drying out between watering. You must fully saturate the mulch and the soil surrounding the tree. If you water only enough to moisten the mulch, the soil below will still stay dry!

Staking
If a tree is loosely sitting in the ground after planting, we recommend staking the plant with bamboo or wood. Secure the stake to the trunk of the tree (but allow room for the trunk to expand).

Pruning maples
It is best to prune Japanese maples in the late fall through early winter. Little pruning is necessary, though we recommend removing broken or dead branches.

Pruning conifers
When necessary prune pines (or candle prune) when they are pushing new growth to give the conifer a better opportunity to form new buds for next year. Spruce and fir pruning is best done when they are dormant, and firs particularly are not apt to produce buds on older wood so be careful not to prune them back too far! We only recommend pruning conifers if they are growing too quickly for your space, or if you are trying to modify their form.

Dealing with Snow
Heavy and wet snow can disfigure trees and crack branches. Remove wet and heavy snow from susceptible trees. During freezing periods, the branches are more brittle so be especially careful when removing snow.
Plants and Pots Sizes
Sometimes it is hard to know what to expect when purchasing online, but we remove the guess-work by giving detailed size information about each available option. Sizes of plants are denoted with the container size followed by the dimensions of the plant which is updated every year in the month of August following the current year's growth to ensure accuracy. For example, a plant offered as #3, 24-30" means a #3 (approximately 3 gallon) container with a 24-30" tall/wide plant.
We Offer Plants in the Following Container Sizes:

Tree Pot

Tree Height: <6-10"

Container Size: 7"X2.5"

tree

#1

Tree Height: 3-24"

Container Size: ~1 gallon

tree

#2

Tree Height: 5-24"

Container Size: ~2 gallons

tree

#3

Tree Height: 8-48"

Container Size: ~3 gallons

tree

#5

Tree Height: 12-54"

Container Size: ~5 gallons

tree

#7

Tree Height: 17-54"

Container Size: ~7 gallons

tree

Jr. Specimen

Tree Height: 24"-5'

Container Size: ~10 gallons

tree

Specimen

Tree Height: < 6'

Container Size: > 10 gallons

tree

MiniHedge

Tree Height: 18-24"

Container Size: 32" long

tree

MiniHedgeXL

Tree Height: 2-3'

Container Size: 35" long

tree

InstantHedge

Tree Height: 3-6'

Container Size: 40" long

tree

Tree Pot

Tree Height: <6-10"

Container Size: 7"X2.5"

tree

#1

Tree Height: 3-24"

Container Size: ~1 gallon

tree

#2

Tree Height: 5-24"

Container Size: ~2 gallons

tree

#3

Tree Height: 8-48"

Container Size: ~3 gallons

tree

#5

Tree Height: 12-54"

Container Size: ~5 gallons

tree

#7

Tree Height: 17-54"

Container Size: ~7 gallons

tree

Jr. Specimen

Tree Height: 24"-5'

Container Size: ~10 gallons

tree

Specimen

Tree Height: < 6'

Container Size: > 10 gallons

tree

MiniHedge

Tree Height: 18-24"

Container Size: 32" long

tree

MiniHedgeXL

Tree Height: 2-3'

Container Size: 35" long

tree

InstantHedge

Tree Height: 3-6'

Container Size: 40" long

tree

Confused about the pot sizes
and the right container to buy?

Watch the video

Confused about the pot sizes and the right container to buy? Watch the video

Container Size Chart

Tree Pot 7" deep by 2.5" wide square pot
#1 ~1 gallon container
#2 ~2 gallon container
#3 ~3 gallon container
#5 ~5 gallon container
#7 ~7 gallon container
Jr. Specimen #10 or 10 gallon container
Specimen Larger than 10 gallon container is considered a specimen
MiniHedge Hedge is 32" long x 18-24" tall and comes in a 32" long, plastic rectangular container
MiniHedgeXL Hedge is 35" long x 2-3' tall and comes in a 35" long plastic, rectangular container
10 Linear Feet InstantHedge Set of 3 hedge units. Each one is 40" long x 3-4', 4-5', or 5-6' tall and comes in a biodegradable cardboard box

Gallons

Trees

Hedges

#1 ~1 gallon container
#2 ~2 gallon container
#3 ~3 gallon container
#5 ~5 gallon container
#7 ~7 gallon container
Jr.Specimen

#10 or 10 gallon container

Specimen

Larger than 10 gallon container is considered a specimen

Tree Pot

7" deep by 2.5" wide square pot

MiniHedge

Hedge is 32" long x 18-24" tall and comes in a 32" long, plastic rectangular container

MiniHedgeXL

Hedge is 35" long x 2-3' tall and comes in a 35" long plastic, rectangular container

10 Linear Feet InstantHedge

Set of 3 hedge units. Each one is 40" long x 3-4', 4-5', or 5-6' tall and comes in a biodegradable cardboard box

Our potted trees have different heights depending on their age and growth rate. The chart below demonstrates this comparison. These heights are an estimate and can vary depending on the tree’s age and variety.

#1

#2

#3

#5

Miniature
3-6"
Dwarf
6-10"
Intermediate
10-15"
Large
18-24"
#1
#2
#3
#5
Miniature
Dwarf
Intermediate
Large
#1 3-6" 6-10" 10-15" 18-24"
#2 5-9" 10-18" 12-20" 18-48"
#3 8-10" 12-18" 18-30" 30-48"
#5 12-18" 18-24" 24-36" 36-54"
Get to Know
Us Better
Take an inside look at our farm, a treasure trove with thousands of varieties of dwarf conifers, Japanese maples, ginkgoes, and more, that you can purchase online and have shipped to your doorstep.
Take an inside look at our farm, a treasure trove with thousands of varieties.

Container Size Description

Tree Pot

Tree 3

Tree Pot (7"x2.5")

Tree Pot

Tree Height Container Size
Tree Pot 6-10" 7"x2.5"

All plants in Tree Pots will have a height that is about 6-10" tall. The container itself will measure approximately 7"x2.5".

#1

Tree 3

#1 (approximately 1 gallon)

#1

Tree Height Container Size
#1 3-24" approx. 1 gallon

Plants in #1 containers will range in height anywhere from 3-24" depending on their age, growth rate, and cultivar.

#2

Tree 3

#2 (approximately 2 gallons)

#2

Tree Height Container Size
#2 5-24" approx. 2 gallon

Plants in #2 containers will range in height anywhere from 5-24" depending on their age, growth rate, and cultivar.

#3

Tree 3

#3 (approximately 3 gallons)

#3

Tree Height Container Size
#3 8-48" approx. 3 gallon

Plants in #3 containers will range in height anywhere from 8-48" depending on their age, growth rate, and cultivar.

#5

Tree 3

#5 (approximately 5 gallon)

#5

Tree Height Container Size
#5 12-54" approx. 5 gallon

Plants in #5 containers will range in height anywhere from 12-54" depending on their age, growth rate, and cultivar.

#7

Tree 3

#7 (approximately 7 gallons)

#7

Tree Height Container Size
#7 17-54" approx. 7 gallon

Plants in #7 containers will range in height anywhere from 17-54" depending on their age, growth rate, and cultivar.

Jr. Specimen

(#10, approximately 10 gallons)

Tree 3

Jr. Specimen (approximately 10 gallons)

Jr. Specimen

(#10, approximately 10 gallons)

Tree Height Container Size
Jr. Specimen 24"-5' approx. 10 gallon

Jr. Specimens are in a #10 container and are usually at least 24" and up to 5' tall. This is the largest plant size we can ship in cardboard boxes.

Specimen

Tree 3

Specimen (larger than #10 container)

Specimen

Tree Height Container Size
Specimen >6' >10 gallon

A large specimen size will be in a container that is greater than a #10 gallon size. Since these are so large, they are custom freight shipped. Heights of these will often be taller than 6 feet or too heavy to ship in a box.

InstantHedge

Tree 3

TL-R: 5-6' InstantHedge, 3-4' InstantHedge, 18-24" MiniHedge Back: 2-3' MiniHedgeXL

InstantHedge

Tree Height Container Size
MiniHedge 18-24" 32"Lx7"Dx10"W plastic pot
MiniHedgeXL 2-3' 35"Lx10.5"Dx13"W plastic pot
InstantHedge 3-6' 40"Lx12"Dx16"W Biodegradable
cardboard

CK also offers InstantHedge products so that one can have a mature hedge to create privacy, a noise barrier, or add a formal design border to the landscape. These come in MiniHedge and InstantHedge size options. Heights of MiniHedges can range from 18-24" tall. InstantHedges come in height options of 3-4', 4-5', and 5-6'.