Although we deliver the vast majority of our trees, we’re quite happy to accommodate those who wish to collect their order instead. Saving a delivery charge can be tempting, but it’s important to understand the logistics of what you’ll be undertaking. Our trees are often extremely heavy (and tall!) so will require careful planning to not only transport them to site, but both offload and position in their final destination. Here are some key aspects to consider in order to ensure things go smoothly on the day:

• You will need to give a minimum of 24 hrs advance notice of your wish to collect, and at least 48 hours for larger orders, confirmed directly with Katrina in scheduling. Preparing our AirPot grown trees for despatch takes a little time, so we’ll need to schedule that into the day to ensure your order is ready when you arrive. Your collection vehicle will need to be long enough to transport your tree(s) in a horizontal position, remembering to include the length of the rootball in your length calculations. Most of our stock will need to be transported in this position as even a 12-14 cm tree will likely be 3-5 metres long, so obviously cannot stand upright in a truck (the branches can be tied in with string so do not normally cause an issue width-wise). Please ask your advisor to confirm the length of the longest tree and the total approximate weight of the order. If you are collecting more than one tree, you may well need to load your trees ‘top to tail’ in order to distribute the weight safely, especially if using a trailer. If the trailer is too short this could lead to the heads of the trees protruding in both directions, greatly increasing the risk of breakages.
• The crown (branches), rootball and any foliage will need protecting from the wind, even if the tree is not in leaf. It is highly recommended that the collection vehicle is large enough to accommodate the entire order in a closed/covered environment. A tarpaulin may suffice for short journeys with careful securing, or we can clingfilm or net the crowns at a nominal cost of £10 for trees of 12-18cm girths or £20 for those of 19 -25 cm girth, but on any larger tree this will not work; (be sure to remove the clingfilm promptly on arrival to prevent the tree overheating).
• The offload process will need to be planned carefully. With their experience and equipment, our nursery team can make it seem easy to manoeuvre trees. Offloading on site will take expertise and, most likely, equipment too, so we highly recommend planning ahead. We are very happy to advise on what manpower and or equipment you might need.
• If you need to reschedule your collection please give at least 1 ½ business days’ notice. If you need to cancel or reschedule after the tree has been prepared a 20% restocking fee will apply, as the tree will need to be returned to the treelines so it can be placed back on irrigation.
• If you are confident with the planting aspect, but lack the equipment to transport and manoeuvre your trees, you may wish to consider our Delivery to Tree Pit service. This delivery and positioning service is more economical than the full planting service but still covers for any damage to the trees sustained in transport.

Many landscapers will collect their trees, but it is not wise to go far or at any speed with the leader facing into the wind as they will break.