Birdwood Nursery (forum)

jeffheff starts with ...
Anyone tried the 'new' Birdwood Nursery web site? All I've managed to get is an address bar. What gives?

Time: 7th March 2014 11:25am

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About the Author jeffheff
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sternus1 says...
Birdwood have never done virtual interfaces well. Here's to hoping they open an online store that's easy to use; it might actually make Daleys care about the quality of plants they ship out.As it stands they have no real competition, and take advantage of that fact.

s

Time: 7th March 2014 12:35pm

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About the Author sternus1
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BJ says...
They dont have plans to sell direct. Their website was just going to be updated with things like plant care regimes, as printed on their labels, and basic details of the lines they stock in places like Bunnings. They've had the same placeholder interface for about two years now. Before that it was a pretty basic text site, but at least had the list of plants they stocked, though it was well out of date.

Time: 7th March 2014 3:32pm

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
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yrt says...
Sternus, I think you are being harsh without reason about the quality of Daley's plants- I have yet to receive a dud.

Time: 7th March 2014 3:36pm

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About the Author yrt
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Jantina says...
Have to say I have only had amazing plants from Daleys over a period of several years. Did you let them know sternus1 ?

Time: 7th March 2014 6:32pm

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About the Author Jantina
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sternus1 says...
Yes Jantina, I let them know. Their response was to send me increasingly shitty plants over the course of my next several orders and to stop responding to my complaints entirely.

Come on Birdwood.
Get it done.

Time: 7th March 2014 6:41pm

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About the Author sternus1
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denise1 says...
I have visited Daleys three times over many years and noted that their plants are very healthy and well grown.

Time: 7th March 2014 6:43pm

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About the Author denise1
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sternus1 says...
I'm very happy for you, but that has no bearing on my experience at daleys. I have given them a criminal amount of money over the last year or so, but I hope I never have to give them any more.

s

Time: 7th March 2014 7:01pm

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About the Author sternus1
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Jason says...
lol. I like Daley's because all my original plants came from there and the forum is good, however it must be said that almost all my plants that have done well were either self grown or from Birdwood or in the Avocados case from Sunraysia nursery. I do have some things from Daleys that survived but the percentage was pretty low and mostly non grafted plants are the only ones that survived.

Birdwood has always been on another level as far as plant quality goes. To me it was very noticeable that those guys know exactly what they are doing.

Time: 7th March 2014 7:17pm

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About the Author Jason
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Chris says...
No problem at all with the quality or shipment of Daleys trees. Prices are reasonable too, even factoring in shipping.
Sternus, I think you expect quality plants for a pittance. It's a business not a charity.

Time: 7th March 2014 7:19pm

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Carl76 says...
Daley's is one of the best. Last two years and 2 dozen trees later , only the had best . When I ordered some tomatoes plants, they gave me extra of another variety because they weren't happy with my chosen variety.

Time: 7th March 2014 7:21pm

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sternus1 says...
Chris, I expect quality plants at quality plant prices, not shitty quality plants at quality plant prices. And yes, it is a business--just not a very good one.

Time: 7th March 2014 7:28pm

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About the Author sternus1
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gimme says...
When you think about it daleys trees (particularly grafted ones) aren't great value as they are grown to a size suitable for shipping. In my opinion their trees are of good quality but are sold too young, and some novice gardeners might encounter teething problems usually overcome in the nursery environment. I have planted many trees from daleys and even after two years in the ground they are still smaller than a birdwood tree found in your local garden centre.

My experience with daleys service and support as a wholesale customer and as a home gardener have been excellent. They are very helpful and they have replaced trees when it was fair to do so.

If the new birdwood site is as good as the wait has been long, it should be amazing! still waiting..

Time: 7th March 2014 8:48pm

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Original Post was last edited: 7th March 2014 8:47pm

About the Author gimme
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denise1 says...
Shipping smaller plants is not altogether a bad idea. In my experience bigger plants can dry out more easy in transit. According to various factors. Time of year, where they are going. Perhaps they could make available an option for larger and smaller plants for shipping. I would think that anyone bothered with talking in a forum would be able to look after a plant until ready to plant out. We live in a world where everyone wants things ready right now .

Time: 8th March 2014 7:00am

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About the Author denise1
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BJ says...
Again, unless Peter has had a massive change of mind in the last few months, they will not be offering plants for direct sale to backyarders. It's absolutely not worth their time. Much easier to sell pallet loads to big retailers rather than deal with the neuroses of thousands of small buyers. The best thing about Daleys is their range of plants. Although they've scaled back a bit in recent years, places like Birdwood have taken an axe to their ranges and just supply basic lines and just do specialties (eg. ARKP) once a decade or so.

Time: 8th March 2014 3:00pm

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
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Jason says...
That's true, I've heard burdwood no longer have the extensive catalogue they had in the late 90s. Pity about that.

Time: 8th March 2014 4:42pm

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About the Author Jason
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yrt says...
Yes, I understand all the above ---but their website does not function at all. Try clicking on a link and nothing happens.

Time: 8th March 2014 6:49pm

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About the Author yrt
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BJ says...
I'd give it 5 years for their links to be active. Another decade or so for the site to be basically functional.

As an aside while we are moaning about websites. I really dislike the new Daleys site. It's all over the place. Excruciating to navigate.

Time: 8th March 2014 9:36pm

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sternus1 says...
5 trees in a row have come withered, wilted and in serious states of shock. They cannot control what their couriers do, at all. My most recent Daleys purchase arrived as the saddest looking Hardy Kiwi in the Southern Hemisphere, complete with wilting and Chlorosis. I'd call them out on it if I thought that would achieve anything, but it won't if history is anything to go by.They'll simply send me a scurrilous email and in this will emphatically assure me that my next order will be perfect, and when that order arrives, it will also be shit. I wonder if the staff are vindictive or merely incompetent.


Time: 8th March 2014 9:39pm

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About the Author sternus1
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VF says...
Sorry to hear you've had bad experiences, but you hit the nail on the head saying Daleys cannot control what the couriers do. The couriers are not owned or run by Daleys, they entrust them to deliver their goods only. I don't know what options you have for your area, but when I buy, several couriers are listed and I can choose which one, and the price I'll be charged comes up too. I've only had a problem with a delivery once - I contacted the local distribution station and they sorted it quickly, and haven't had a problem since.

For the record, all the plants I've received have been in great health and were well grown, many only just fitting into 90cm tall box, so not under-sized either. There are some things I don't buy, as commonly found locally (most citrus, mangos, berries etc), but they offer a great diversity and many of the quality cultivars which aren't readily available elsewhere, and most of their plants are suitable for my climate. I think their prices are quite reasonable too. Any correspondence I've had has always been acknowledged politely, and has been timely and helpful. I agree with BJ about new website. Tricky on the computer, extra painful on iPad.

About Birdwood, quality plants but only limited selection, and they seem to do large runs of the flavour of the month with the exclusion of other varieties. I don't know if it's my soil or climate, but I have better experiences growing their less advanced sized plants - eg mangos and avocados in the small square tubes have all caught up or close to the advanced ones I bought (which without fail I've had to lop a fair bit off to get them to branch ).

I guess though we all have different perceptions.

Time: 9th March 2014 12:49am

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About the Author VF
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MaryT says...
I have bought dozens of trees from Daleys over a number of years and all the plants arrived in good condition and in good time. One plant declined but was revived quickly and one tree did not thrive and eventually died (can't blame Daleys for that). They give good service and respond quickly to queries.

Diggers ignored me for seven weeks after sending me an order of plants and trees all tipped out of their pots and therefore dead. Diggers only responded after I threatened to report them to the authorities. Diggers plants are also small, slow to grow and mortality rate very high.

I must agree that Daleys' website needs more work and it would be to their advantage to improve it. Diverting all enquiries to the forum is the one thing I find most annoying. I like to help others but very often they were sales enquiries. I think Daleys have lost business because of that.


Time: 9th March 2014 7:35am

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About the Author MaryT
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gimme says...
When I log in on iPad to make a forum post the website design changes and takes me to a page to delete my account. I contribute less now to the forum becAuse even logging in becomes a 5 minute process. I'm still not sure how I logged in to post this. Unfortunately iPads don't keep u signed in. Or save Ur username grrrrrrr
On another note, I was at daleys yesterday and there wasn't much of interest on offer. Some bargain discounted trees. even some birdwood stuff for sale

Time: 9th March 2014 2:46pm

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About the Author gimme
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Boris Spasky says...
Kind of sums up why those who sell wholesale are reluctant to deal with retail. Whinging and forever complaining when things don't grow as they should.
They blame the nursery when I would say 95% of the time it's the opposite. People who order trees in hot conditions and then complain that plants arrive willted should stick to crochet.

Time: 9th March 2014 3:43pm

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sternus1 says...
Best bet is to ditch the crapple, Gimme. They're overpriced and incompatible with everything. Apple hasn't been the same since Steve Jobs passed on, the xperia Z is better overall than the even the ipad air.

Time: 9th March 2014 3:46pm

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About the Author sternus1
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yrt says...
If Birdwood really does not want backyarders why do they advertise their gourmet range ?

Time: 10th March 2014 10:28am

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yrt says...
Do you remember "it's the fish John West rejects that makes John West the best". By complaining and rejecting things one can imply that one is the best. Could it be the motive behind the complaint?

Time: 10th March 2014 10:34am

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About the Author yrt
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MaryT says...
If you believe the JW ads please look at the ingredients on the label. I did: Tuna 45%. Even at half price they're not good value.

Time: 10th March 2014 10:54am

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MaryT says...
Gimme I had trouble when I used the iphone to log on to Daleys too; in the end I simply created another identity so I'm TMary when I use the iphone and MaryT when I use the computer :)

Time: 10th March 2014 11:05am

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BJ says...
Yrt, Birdwood wants backyarders to be interested in their products, but they dont want to deal with them directly. That's why their website will likely be (from the bosses own mouth) full of the details of the trees they raise and care instructions. Then people who buy their trees in Bunnings will be slightly less likely to kill them. The only place they deal direct to the public is at the Nambour garden show.

If I count the trees I've got from Daleys in my head and do a rough sum, I'd say I've had a 97% positive experience. 1 tree came looking terrible and died soon after arrival. 1 tree was never put in the order (was reimbursed, so no real problem). 1 tree was mixed up and I recieved the wrong cv by mistake. The other hundered or so trees have been fine to good.

Time: 10th March 2014 12:19pm

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