Comments regarding Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner)

My first order from Sooner Plant Farm was a great success. The shipment arrived with larger plants than expected and well packed, everything healthy and in good shape..

The plants arrived on one of the hottest weeks in 6 years and still are hanging in there, so a true sign they were well looked after before they shipped.

Don't bother buying from these guys. You get way overpriced dinks you can hardly call a plant. They're also covered in critters (bugs). Big box stores have WAY better size vs price and a heck of lot healthier looking stuff too.

"On Jul 5, 2018 10:39 AM, Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner) responded with:

We are sad to see this type of report from a local repeat customer that has picked up multiple plant orders in person from our farm without any complaint's. We give all pickup customers the option to cancel, or request switching any plants that do not meet their approval before purchasing. Two of the 9 plants were smaller than the others however the customer did accepted them at the time of pickup. Customer later filled out our "after purchase survey" and stated that the plant quality was Fair, and the value was, Fair. They also stated in the survey later found the same plants at a large box store at a lower price, but requested us to not contact them. They unfortunately posted this rating, never giving us the opportunity discuss the issues. We are easy to work and respect all customer's when given the opportunity to rectify any issues.
Sincerely
Brian
"

Posted on June 30, 2016, updated June 29, 2018
I had put my name on a waiting list for Koelreuteria paniculata 'Coral Sun' and when I was notified that one was available, I ordered immediately. My well grown tree arrived in perfect condition, at least 4 feet tall, well branched, covered in leaves with fresh emerging 'coral' growth. I planted it the next day and even though that was only a week ago, it appears perfectly healthy and thriving and happy in its new home.Excellent packing, shipping and customer service. Thank you.

I highly recommend buying plants from Sooner Plant Farm! The plants that I received are absolutely beautiful, in wonderful shape even after having been on the road for five days. Communication with staff at Sooner Plant Farm was also excellent.
Again, I highly, highly recommend.

I ordered a Blue Holly and three Maiden Grasses coming to a total $162.00. The plants looked very good out of the box. However, one Huron Sunrise did not make through the winter and the holly looked very pitiful. The Holly was $70.00 and the grass was $35.00 way over priced. Every other place on line, you can get then for $15.00 or less. I made contact with the company, they accused me of doctoring the photos. I did not. They told me they will get back with me, its been a week. Nothing! This company will not back up there warranty, do not trust them!

"On Jun 24, 2018 5:20 AM, Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner) responded with:

We have had positive email correspondence on going since customer first contacted us on June 13th. We responded on June 14th as normal with requesting some pictures. On June 15 we responded by asking the following questions. It appears the Huron Sunrise is alive in the picture next to the orange flag? And the Holly is also alive as it is green with some leaves on it. Unfortunately the customer took offense to the questions and responded with this email:
In the grass picture. I bought two, the one in back is the other one. I took the picture like that, so you can see the difference between the two plants. One is growing and one is not.
>>as it looks entirely different from everything else in the surrounding area.
I don’t know what you are talking about? Do you want a different angle? Do you think I photo shopped it? I am not good with photos. It looks different because its not growing.
I buy a lot of plants mail order. Never, have I had such inconsistency in the same variety, $35 for a grass is a lot of money. I was willing to pay for quality. Evidently, cost does not buy quality. Sincerely,Fred Lietzke

We responded with this: Good evening, Fred!
Thank you for your response. We did not mean any offense by the questions that we asked or the statements that we made. We are merely trying to help you by obtaining additional information. Please forgive us if our email came across the wrong way.

We asked our question about the grass as it looks like there is a Huron Sunrise growing next to the orange flag in the foreground. If it is not Huron, there looks like a long-bladed grass of some sort growing next to the flag. We are just trying to establish what is in the picture, so if it is a situation that we can help remedy, then we can provide the correct and necessary information to you.

We will talk with Brian and get his opinion on your pictures, and we will be back in touch with you soon. Please have a great weekend, and we look forward to talking with you soon.
And on June 20 this email was sent to Fred
Good evening, Frank!
Brian and I were finally able to talk regarding your order and your pictures. We have attached a picture to this email explaining the Huron Sunrise, and if you have any questions regarding this picture, please let us know.

As far as the Castle Spire is concerned, we have created a store credit for you in the amount of 67.50 that can be used a single time on one order, and it will expire in 90 days from today's date. Your code is #####. Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns!
Although we do not guarantee plants for winter damage and despite the 2 plants were not dead we did issue a store credit for the cost of the Holly as we felt this would be a nice gesture to help out Fred.
In this case we felt we went over and above, but sometimes customers don't feel fully compensated. As a small business reshipping or replacing plants is a profit killer so it is necessary for us to be sure we are doing what we can to help the plant survive before issuing credits. Sure you can by from a big box store and return it for whatever reason they did not lose a dime because they charge back the grower, and they get you back in the store to most likely spend more money than the return. It's a win win for them, and a lose lose for the grower who had no control over how the plant was cared for. Also the cost to ship is built into the price of the plant, the box store do not deliver it to your house, and does not provide you with experienced knowledge, they would prefer the plant dies and you to come back and spend more money. So if decide to purchase from us, please know it is always in our best interest to ship quality plants, we cannot afford to issue credits. However we know plants do fail and when that happens and it is within our guarantee window as stated in our guarantee which is posted on our site and in our terms and conditions at checkout, we will always honor our guarantee and many times go above when we feel the need to do so. So for clarity a credit was emailed and issued 3 days before this customer posted this negative review, maybe Fred did not receive the email?
If you have any questions regarding your plants please contact us we will be happy to help resolve those concerns the best we can.
Brian

I ordered a Dwarf a Pomegranate from Sooner Plant Farm, and before shipping I was contacted by Colin as he was concerned about the structural quality of the plant. He offered to send some pictures so that I could look at it and let him know what I wanted to do. I agreed that the growth habit was not the best, so decided to cancel the order. It was not a problem and Colin canceled the order and setup the refund for me. This was the very last one they had in stock, so they didn’t currently have another to replace it.

Even though I didn’t buy the plant, I wanted to share how amazing their customer service is! Most companies would just take your money and send you the plant anyway, but Sooner Plant Farm stands by their products and will not settle for less than perfect, which means their customers don’t have to settle either. Very few companies go this far for a great customer experience, and I can’t say enough how much I appreciate these folks for going above and beyond. They have gained a new customer here, and I will definitely order from them in the future!

Posted on May 21, 2018, updated May 21, 2018
I have been only started buying plants from Sooner Plant Farm this year as they came up on a web search for Dogwood Trees. I was impressed when i called about one variety of dogwood, and the gentleman i spoke with went out to their nursery and checked on the condition of the two trees they had in stock. He called back shortly and said he didnt feel good about either tree and would i wait until September for a better tree. Wow! Did not sell me an inferior product even though it was in stock! I was impressed. So i ordered 5 other dogwoods and will get the last variety in Seotember. Every tree came in outstanding condition. We planted them exactly as directed, and all 5 are thriving! Cant wait to get the last one planted.

I ordered a Sunsation magnolia and was expecting a small whip. I am amazed at what a large specimen they sent me! I can't wait for it to become established! I will certainly shop Sooner Plant Farm again!

Words cannot fully express the wonderful experience I had with Colin and Sooner Plant Farm. I ordered a Mimosa and everything in the order process went smoothly and all the communication from Sooner was great! However, UPS told me and Sooner the tree was delivered and it was not. After MANY communications with UPS they FINALLY sent the required claims forms to Colin/Sooner. In the interim, Colin and Sooner were in constant contact with me and they were so wonderful in shipping me a replacement tree right away! Again, their communication was great and yes, the second tree arrived and is being planted today! It is in great shape and a wonderful specimen and know it will do really well! You don't always get to deal with a company with great customer service like Sooner. I have been in healthcare for over 40 years and understand the importance of being honest, courteous, understanding and "doing the right thing" for people. I must say that Sooner and Colin are all these things and more and definitely give them a 5 star rating and recommend you utilize them!

Posted on May 18, 2018, updated May 18, 2018
We recently ordered a weeping cherry from Sooner. It was supposed to be delivered on a Friday but UPS didn't deliver it until Monday.

When it arrived I was home and unpacked it right away. While I was very happy with the size of the tree and the packaging, the top 25% or so was wilted and turning brown, likely from being left in a hot truck over the weekend.

I contacted Sooner and they replied that we should prune off the bad leaves and branches and it should be fine. We did prune it and went ahead and planted it. By the end of the day Thurs another 25% or so of the leaves and branches were turning brown and wilting and the leaves that were green were wilted.

I contacted them again (sent pics both times) and asked that the plant be replaced or that I be given a refund, and their response was to ask me if we planted it correctly. It was damaged when we received it!

So needless to say I am quite unhappy and am not sure what the final outcome will be. It was a $90 tree and I would expect to receive a healthy tree or have it replaced/refunded.

I will update my rating depending on the outcome. I am very disappointed as this company has so many good reviews, which is why I chose them.

"On May 19, 2018 5:41 AM, Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner) responded with:

Unfortunately UPS did not deliver the plant as scheduled causing a weekend delay. Customer is correct the delay most likely caused a shock to the plant. In most cases the plant will recover once planted and given some time to adjust. We attempted to ask the customer a couple basic questions regarding the planting of the tree to offer advice on how best to proceed, whether that be to give the plant some time to recover or for us to reship or refund. Unfortunately in this instance the customer was not willing to wait, so we are promptly shipping a replacement plant to hopefully gain this customers trust. For those reading this, please know UPS considers plants as perishable items and does not cover them if damaged or delayed in transit. This means all replacement plants are completely at the at the the shippers expense. Because shipping really is not free and in many cases cost more than the plant itself, we truly appreciate customers that are willing to communicate with us and give the plant a chance to recover. However if after communicating we deem the plant is damaged or not recovering, we will reship or offer a refund which ever is appropriate and acceptable. However please know we will take care of the issue in the best way possible for both parties. As customers ourselves we know the difference between good customer service and poor customer service, and as our reputation on this forum testifies, we will address all problems appropriately.

Brian Chojnacki
owner"

Ordered three dwarf crape myrtles. Two arrived dormant and soon began to bud exuberantly. One was stone dead, and remained so. After receiving a phone call and a photo, Sooner sent a replacement, which just arrived in excellent health. Five stars.

Ordered my two JM's this past fall and was shipped at my request last week. What a pleasure it was to finally get to order and receive trees from this Company, the package arrived on time and not a leaf out of place. All I can say is Wow, and I will be ordering again soon! Thanks so much Sooner, for all you do and God Bless!!

All of the plants that I have bought have arrived on time, healthy and large enough that they bloom the first year. Customer service is outstanding and they pride themselves on excellence. They possesses the qualities necessary in a plant farm – the ability to balance the needs of the farm with the greater needs of the customer. Quality plants at a reasonable price, backed by an organization dedicated to customer satisfaction.

After having a respected Nursery fail me, setting things back ten days as well, I messaged the after hours business email address of Sooner Plant Farms with a request. Manager Colin Mcinnes was kind enough to email back that if I ordered the specimen tree that I desired the next day from them, it in my hands within an estimated 48hours. I was a happy man once again, and pleased indeed when Sooner came through as promised and with the root pouch planting method. I will never again plant a container grown tree because the handles of Sooner's root pouch make the lifting and positioning of the tree into the hole so much easier and the pouch makes for a much more sure planting transition. The obvious higher quality of care that my tree has had growing in their nursery makes them my "Go To" from this day forward. They are competent and confident nurserymen, so say we all, and a special thanks to Colin Mcinnes for his "over the top" effort to make things happen fast!

Terrific plants well packaged and shipped quickly. One of my favorite places for stuff I can't find locally. Today's batch was some Mini-Penny Hydrangea, which were beautiful in the box and are now planted.

Great resource for trees and shrubs! They send detailed instructions on how to plant with little fertilizer packets. I found them to be very helpful along every step of the growing process. If I ran into trouble, I would send a picture and they would make suggestions to get the plant healthy again. Very hands-on and helpful. The way trees and plants are packaged for shipping is foolproof.....even the UPS driver said he wished all companies packaged their plants as well as Sooner's. The quality is good, and they stand behind their product completely. It's a nice resource for someone like me who does not live near a nursery. If they are out of a product, they will call and tell you when it is back in stock. I can't recommend this company enough, because I would have a much more barren landscape without Sooner's! Their service is better than a lot of brick and mortar stores. Don't hesitate to mail-order from them.

Posted on July 30, 2017, updated July 30, 2017
I placed two orders with Sooner.
The first was for a new variety of Campsis, which I sent to my sister. She reported that it was a very large specimen, arrived in good condition, very vigorous, packed well, and it is doing well in her garden.

I then ordered 15 Heuchera plants and 1 Abelia shrub. This past Friday, the shipment arrived with all plants intact and in very fine condition. Since the plants had been inside a dark box for 4 days, I followed Sooner's directions, and allowed them to acclimate in semi-shade for a day.

I have not needed to contact Sooner, which is as I prefer it with any vendor. Their goods were superior and required no follow up, just prompt planting, following their directions.

They will be my go-to mail order plantsmen from now on. They're not cheap, but I believe their charges are appropriate for the quality of their plant material.

O ordered a small tree and two months later it died. They did not stand behind their product although their web site says they will one time. Save your money and buy elsewhere

"On Jul 18, 2017 12:57 PM, Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner) responded with:

Customer voluntarily chose ship now which was outside out recommended shipping schedule, which our checkout page clearly states if selected, would void all guarantees. We are located in Oklahoma and in April our plants are much greener and softer than in April in Michigan. For that reason we must recommend shipping times that would limit losses for both us and the customer. Unfortunately we are sorry this did not work out well for the customer or us.
Respectfully submitted
Brian Chojnacki "

I have made several purchases through the years from the folks at Sooner. I always quickly receive large, healthy plants! Their packaging is second to none, certainly able to take anything that UPS can do to it - and we all probably know what UPS can do to a package at times.

Whenever I need something that I cannot find first at my local nursery, they are my "go to" source for plants.

Prompt, professional and very courteous! Have zero fear when ordering from Sooner!

I have ordered from Sooner three times and have always been happy. They take great care in packaging. I've never had a broken twig or leaf amazingly even though the plants travel across the country. They called me once about one order because they were not happy with the quality of a plant and didn't want to ship it and suggested a replacement. I appreciate that care and attention to detail and customer satisfaction.

Ordered an Eastern Redbud from Sooner Farm and it just arrived yesterday

Selection on their website is fantastic - they seem to have everything that I am looking for and different variations of trees (multi-stemmed vs. single stemmed). Their prices seem to be a tad bit higher than most, but quality is there.

Ordering experience was fantastic. I love that you can use Paypal. They amended my order to switch from a single stem tree to multi stem tree and it was no problem. Customer service is almost instantaneous.

Shipping of the tree was awesome - it came in a box that definitely was cared for, and the tree looks incredibly healthy. The root system is wrapped tight and looks healthy as well. I was trying very hard to find anything wrong with the tree but I couldn't - it was green and glowing. My biggest fear of ordering something online is getting a tree that's dilapidated or the "worst of the bunch" on the lot but that did not happen here.

Will use them again for sure. I'm giving them a positive review but my only hesitation is price point. Sometimes I can find competitors with lower prices, but I can't always guarantee they will have the same quality as Sooner.

I had a hard time tracking down a source for 42 holly plants to replace my pool privacy hedge. Sooner Plant Farm came through for me. I found the number and size of plants I needed. They arrived yesterday in perfect condition and larger than I expected. All are perfectly labeled (as to male/female) and I'll put them in the ground tomorrow with the booster packages that came with the order. I am a very satisfied customer! Thank you.

What a pleasure to see a company like Sooner Plant Farm . This was my first time ordering from them as a business woman in my 80's,I was apprehensive. Colin, immediately answered questions same day !Each time I had a concern or question, it was answered that day. SOONER PLANT FARM IS AMAZING. Will remain a customer for life. Good old fashion customer care and all of my orders arrived beautiful and healthy. God Bless Sooner Plant Farm and COLIN!!!

This is the first time I've ordered live plants online. Ordering at the end of Sonner's plant guaranteed cutoff period, I ordered 5 azalea's (3 varieties) and a hydrangea. Colin worked with me during the process and verified he could get all the plants prepped and shipped the week of delivery. Tracking the plants was easy, and delivery was prompt and during the time frame expected.

I was sure my planting environment was correct for sunlight, drainage, pH, and nutrients, and was home when the shrubs arrived. I ignorantly ordered 3 gallon plants and expected them to be bigger (thinking of trees instead of shrubs), but they are honestly quite large for 3 gallon plants, certainly larger than my local markets 3 gallon azaleas. Additionally, these shrubs have more growth and foliage than the plants available at my local nurseries. I don't think I could have received better plants at a better price. The shrubs have been in the ground 2 weeks now and are doing great. I will be ordering again come spring time.

Charles

I ordered 3 "Little Honey" hydrangeas. They were shipped at the appropriate time for planting. I was pleased with their size and condition. They are thriving. Compared to a previous shipment from another company, these were much better for similar price.

placed an order and received order quickly and as requested (timeframe). One plant, however, was damaged in shipping because it broke loose from how it was fastened. Many branches broken, but the plant seemed salvageable. Wrote an email to let them know and got a near immediate response!! They were willing to replace the plant, but I thought it could be salvaged and let them know this.

wonderful communication! Plants beautifully grown, well-packed and shipped.

I can't say enough about Sooner Plant Farm! I recently received another order from them and even though I expect quality from this company, I am still amazed every time I open a box of plants. First of all, the plants are invariably larger than expected. Most importantly, they are clearly vigorous and healthy. They use packing techniques that I have never since anywhere else. I have ordered several good-size trees, for example, and they have a system of packing that keeps the tree absolutely stable and upright, and looks like an engineer designed it. I have talked to employees on the phone quite a few times to get info, and they have all been knowledgeable and courteous. I've never had any issues with an order, but feel certain they would do anything to make it right. I have ordered all kinds of things from them, but I especially like their large selection of trees and shrubs, which includes many that are hard to find.

I order a lot of plants.Even larger shrubs.SOONER has never let me down.They have accommodated my need for special shipping.They have sent plants to Nantucket Island and to Savannah,Georgia for me.They plants arrive in great shape,beautiful,well marked with correct planting info..I am crazy about Sooner Plant farm.

A few days ago, I received my order from Sooner Plant Farm: 3 crape myrtles in one-gallon containers. They arrived with every leaf intact and in perfect condition. They were also much larger than I expected, so I'm very pleased with my purchase. I've ordered crape myrtles from other sources in the past, and their longevity has ranged from DOA to less than a year. Since I'm starting with extremely healthy plants, I'm hoping that this time will be different. I love the variety that Sooner Plant Farm offers. Their website provides beautiful photos and good descriptions, but the search engine is somewhat clumsy. In addition, some plants are listed by common name, while others are found only by Latin name, e.g. Lagerstroemia instead of Crape Myrtle. However, I'll take strong and healthy plants any day over minor website glitches.

I have ordered a lot of plants over the years, and Sooner Plant Farm is by far the best company I have ever found. The packing for shipping is very well done so that nothing is ever damaged en route and the plants are habitually larger than any others I have ever received, by a long ways! The quality is exceptional. No spindly little things from Sooner! Yes, the shipping can be a bit pricey, but it's within reason, and it's very true that you get what you pay for. Yes, there are some other good companies out there, but I have never found one that comes even close to comparing to what Sooner offers in size and quality. They quickly became my go-to place to shop!

I too can not say enough about this business. I received my plants within two days of placing order. The packaging was the best thing I have ever had shipped to me. Furniture, etc usually comes damaged so I was wondering how are these plants going to make it by being shipped. Incredible how they were packaged and wrapped, not even a handful of dirt out of place in the two boxes I received. They were courteous and knowledgable. I would use sooner plant farm again as well as tell others about him. Don't hesitate for one moment ordering from them. Quality, quality on every level.

I ordered a large Japanese Maple and wanted to make sure I was getting a good option for the unique space I was trying to fit. I had it narrowed down to two or three specific ones and Brian was able to give me more information to make a better informed decision. The tree arrived in excellent condition, WELL packaged to prevent damage in shipping (Seriously - fort knox level packing protecting this bad boy) and the tree has done VERY well for the past year.

Very pleased.

Posted on August 11, 2014, updated June 8, 2015
The 3 gallon potted Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler' honeysuckle I ordered arrived almost two feet tall and very bushy with leaves and tons of stems. The 3 gallon potted Campsis x 'HOMR' Madame rosy resembles a bonsai tree with one thick stem two feet tall. Too bad they only offer smaller sized regular Campsis Radicans. They pack their plants in super strong cardboard. No messy necessary wrappings nor styrofoam peanuts. To save a bundle on shipping, it's best to buy items in pairs of the same size. Make sure you get a survey after your first order so you can get a coupon on your next order. Great variety of plants. Happy!

I recently received my first order from Sooner, an Oso Easy Fragrant Spreader and Clethra Crystalina. The plants arrived healthy and were well packaged. Although the shipping may seem high, it's because the plants are shipped (full soil) in their containers. Although the two plants that I purchased were large 1 gallons, there are also larger sizes available for most plants which is awesome, because certainly sometimes I feel ok with a starter plant but other times I like a larger specimen for focal points. Nice to have those options available. In addition to the healthy plants and unique offerings, I'm impressed with the customer service. Brian called me prior to shipment to let me know that they were unable to ship a plant that I had originally ordered (a Lemon Lace Sambucus) and he was so kind and helpful, and especially patient while I mentally tried to remember plants that were on my wishlist that I could add to my order. He suggested the Clethra Crystaltina which is a great addition to my butterfly garden. I will not hesitate to order from them again and I thank them for great plants and service.

I just placed my first order with Sooner Plant Farm, and it was by far the best experience I've ever had with a mail order nursery. I have been wanting a Gatsby Star oakleaf hydrangea since I first read about it before it was even released on the market. I asked all of my local nurseries if it could be special ordered for me, but none of their suppliers had any. I searched online but could not find anything larger than a 1 gal plant, even directly from the Proven Winners website. I was thrilled to find a 3 gal plant at Sooner Plant Farm. I received my order within less than a week. While preparing to plant it I noticed 1 tag that identified it as a Gatsby Gal and another that identified it as a Gatsby Star. I received it on a Thur., notified them by email that evening and received a response on Sat. The replacement plant was shipped on Mon. and received on Tues. Best customer service ever. Largest, healthiest plant I've ever received from an online source. They are the best!

I recently ordered two Peonies, I live in Alabama. They arrived in a timely manner and the packaging was excellent. Very well boxed with both plants in it, very healthy and green and in pots. Really good instructions on exactly what to do when I unpackage and plant. I followed the instructions and the plants are now safely in the ground. I will be ordering from you again, definitely.

I ordered 2 Viburnum Eastern Snowball bushes. WOW. They packaged them GREAT!!! Keeping them safe and unharmed. S&H a little higher than other places I have shopped BUT it was well worth it. Beautiful plants. Big green leaves. Just gorgeous.

All the personnel I spoke with each time I called were extremely helpful and patient in answering all my questions. My order arrived right on time, and the packaging was far superior to other companies from which I had ordered plants. I have ordered more than once from Sooner Plant Farm and have always been very satisfied with the quality of plants. If there is ever a problem, I am quite confident they will do all they can to fix it.

I operate a small garden services business with several wholesale accounts. However, when I'm looking for a one off or special order item, I purchase retail online. I buy a lot of landscape plants/trees online and frankly wasn't expecting much more than what I typically experience with an online source that grows their own stock. The reviews on Dave's Garden Watch are outstanding for this company so I went ahead an ordered a couple of items. I had questions about shipping and Brian was more than patient to suffer my insistence to ship early...I have an indoor greenhouse. But his patience paid off for me and in the end I respected his explanations and stayed with his scheduled ship date. I was pleasantly surprised at the outstanding quality of the stock, the careful packing and the overall customer service. Sooner Plant Farm is now high on my list of sources. I'll definitely be a returning repeat customer! Thank you Brian, your dedication and commitment to excellence certainly shows. Well done!