Comments regarding Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner)

I ordered from Sooner Plant Farm because of the positive feedback here at Dave's Garden. They took my order a few weeks ago, but just shipped this week. This is because it's early spring and they have a shipping schedule based on cold hardiness zones. They didn't charge my card until the plants shipped, which is the proper way to do online sales. When the plants arrived, they were excellently packed, and the tops of the pots were sealed so that soil didn't fall out during shipping. Since I ordered 2 gallon-sized plants, their tall shipping box had one upside down, but because of the way they sealed the pots, the soil in the upside down pot lost no soil. Very impressive packaging! The plants arrived 2 days after leaving the nursery, so the plants arrived fresh and just breaking dormancy. The included planting and care instructions were thorough, and they included a packet of fertilizer for each plant, to reduce transplanting shock. Very nice touch! I called them to ask about potting up one of the plants for this year, and they were knowledgeable and helpful in making sure I understood how to ensure the plant would do well in our Texas summer. I would order from Sooner Plant Farm again. My experience is that they are reliable, knowledgeable and honest, all required attributes for being a trustworthy online seller of live plants.

Posted on May 24, 2014, updated July 19, 2014
Posted on July 31, 2013, updated May 24, 2014
Posted on May 17, 2013, updated July 31, 2013
Posted on May 6, 2013, updated May 17, 2013
Posted on March 1, 2013, updated May 6, 2013
Posted on June 14, 2012, updated March 1, 2013
Posted on June 5, 2012, updated June 14, 2012
In the last few weeks, I have ordered twice from Sooner Plant Farms. I cannot say enough positive about them, their service, knowledge and wonderful selection of plants. I was AMAZED at the shipping quality and the extra mile Sooner Plant Farms went to to assure safe delivery of my order. Straps, gel, boxes with ventilation and proper packing procedures made the shipping another positive. I was thrilled. Not even a broken branch not to mention the quality of what I ordered. A 3 gallon butterfly bush was beautiful. Like on a local nursery or garden center. It is lush and budded. Total planting instructions with fertilizer accompanies the package.
I since have placed another order. Their customer service with questions is top notch. They work with you and that to me is so important to get a voice instead of a machine when you call during business hours. A friendly knowledgeable person who is a joy to work with. Thank you to them for being who they are, wonderful!!!!!

Posted on July 15, 2014, updated July 16, 2014
Posted on March 8, 2007, updated July 15, 2014
I spoke with them on the phone many times, they called me to let me know a plant I ordered wasn't in, and they were super friendly.
The plants came today, budding, roots happy and big, not one broken branch. Superb packing, quality plants!
I will order again!
Thank you for your great plants and great staff!
Christie

"On Jul 16, 2014 7:47 AM, Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner) responded with:

Hello Mrs, Colla,

I’m sorry that you did not receive any response from us. Because you did not receive the automated responses from us ( you should have received 3 emails updates since your recent order was placed on July 4th, as well as a email notice from UPS regarding the shipping and tracking of your order Monday July 14), and since I never received any email correspondence from you, I must assume you may be having a problem with your email service. I will post this on Dave’s Garden as well as sending it through to the email address you have on file with us. Also I see you have 2 accounts on file with us and only the oldest account was displaying online under order history. I have put a request to our IT people to resolve this issue. I will call you also regarding this in case you don’t see my response. Brian

Great plants, great customer service. Eager to share knowledge. Ordered Japanese maples. All are healthy, good looking plants. Looking forward to doing more business in the future. Thanks, Brian. My husband and I enjoyed working with you.

Bought one tree and one shrub in Spring of 2014. Both were healthy and properly shaped; both have transplanted beautifully. Good communication and packing. Recommended.

Posted on June 23, 2011, updated May 19, 2014
WOW, is all I can say for my first time ordering from Sooner Plant Farm. I found their website while in search for a certain variety of Japanese Maple & I was just amazed at their offerings!

Needless to say, I placed a pretty substantial order, and am not sorry I did. Their customer service, plant health on arrival, the size of the plant material, and great attention & care to packing plants was amazing. Hats off to you folks!!!!!

I do 80% of my plant ordering from on-line nurseries & am so glad I found your website. Fall is right around the corner ......

For those who haven't ordered from Sooner Plant Farm, I highly doubt you will be disappointed!!!

Posted on April 17, 2013, updated May 19, 2014
Posted on May 4, 2009, updated April 17, 2013
I placed an order with Sooner Plant Farm this year and was completely satisfied. They had several trees and shrubs that I was not able to find elsewhere and the prices were very good. Everything arrived as promised and on time and all but one in fine condition. The only exception was a single plant that had gotten damaged in shipping when part of the box got crushed. The customer service rep who I emailed responded almost immediately saying they would be sending me a replacement plant right away. Two thumbs up!

Posted on March 13, 2014, updated May 14, 2014
Brian and staff are very friendly and helpful.
I placed my first order on March 7, 2014 for a Blueberry & Rasberry Smoothie Althea..a.k.a. Rose of Sharon.
I received my plants in excellent condition on March 12th.
That's very very fast service.
The plants were very healthy, bushy & nice size. The leaves were beginning to show on tips of the branches. I took pictures of the package and plants upon arrival. When I have the time, i will add the photos to my blog.
I give this company an A+ rating.

I had a very excellent experience with this company. I placed a small order of strawberries, but they arrived FAST, in great condition, and have already started to sprout with new growth less than a week later. I would most definitely order from this company again. Their prices were very reasonable, too!

Ordered 8 plants and received one that I did not order, but was
sent in error for one that I did order. Sent e-mail on Saturday and was told that they would send the original plant and I can keep the one sent by mistake. Within a week I had my plant!!!!!!! Colin, thank you. Your company deserves their 5 star rating. Best customer service I have experienced.

In October of this year, I ordered 2 Abelia Kaleidoscope shrubs. I received 2 beautiful, extremely well-packaged shrubs that were in excellent condition.
I would highly-recommend this company. It is obvious that they really care about their products.

Posted on November 1, 2013, updated November 5, 2013
am not new to landscaping/tree planting/gardening. I have many trees and shrubs on my property that I have personally planted over the years that thrive year in and year out. Regarding Sooner Plant Farm, I purchased two Fire Dragon Shantung Maple Trees from them last fall at a perfect time for planting in PA. The day they arrived, I planted them immediately. The trees appeared dry, but shipping from Oklahoma, I assumed this to be normal. I fertilized, watered, mulched around the base, etc...everything the instructions called for and also how I have planted trees for years. The leaves began falling off shortly thereafter, but due to the time of year, all my other maples were losing their leaves for the fall, so I thought nothing of it. All appeared in order, so there was no visible reason for concern.

Winter came and went and soon spring was upon us. All my other trees leafed out as expected, but nothing but bare little trunks and brittle little limbs on my Fire Dragon Maple Trees that I had been so excited to see grow. It was clear to me this spring that these two new trees most likely did not survive the winter, but I left them in the ground, hoping against hope that they just took longer to leaf out, perhaps. I waited months to notify Sooner Plant Farm in hopes that the trees would show some sign of life. After all, I knew I had done everything possible to ensure these trees would get off to a great start.

Eventually, I faced grim reality and I contacted Brian with Sooner Plant Farm. I advised him of the situation, knowing I had not purchased the insurance, but believing that, due to the circumstances of my situation, the amount invested in the trees, and the inexplicable likely death of the trees with no other logical explanation, perhaps he would replace them or atleast offer a significant discount on two replacement trees, as these trees never even "got off the ground." Wrong answer. Brian was professional about it, but covered himself and his company by pointing out the unpurchased guarantee on my trees and added that I had not contacted him within something like 48 hours after receipt of the trees to notify him of any problems. How could I? Whatever the problem was with these trees, it was not visible in such a short time frame. Bottom line is that I got two "duds" for trees....it happens and I see both perspectives...both from his side as business owner and obviously from my side as an unhappy customer. I admit I am biased, but as they say "the customer is always right." The amount spent on these trees is significant to most people, myself included. In the business world, typically when a consumer spends any amount on a product, if that product does not function correctly or at all, as in this case, the company that sold it offers a refund or replacement. Guarantees such as Sooner's or extended warranties only apply if the product did function and functioned in some capacity beyond the original manufacturer's warranty before failing. That is not the case in this situation...the trees never grew. I guess there is no exception for when the changing seasons mask a problem with two dead Sooner trees.

I am a repeat customer with Sooner. I have handed over a sizeable amount of money to buy trees from them instead of other companies over the years. In hindsight, perhaps that was an error in my judgement. Loyalty means nothing to some. I will say this...other trees I have bought elsewhere are some of my best performers and I have not sustained losses such as I now have with Sooner Plant Farm. As stated earlier, I have purchased trees from Sooner in the past with varying degrees of success, as I have other maple trees that have done well, but have had Royal Frost Birches die on me inexplicably...all from Sooner Plant Farm. As far as the Fire Dragon Shantung Maples, I invested a substantial amount of money (I believe the amount to be somewhere between $300-$400) for the two trees. I did not purchase this guarantee from Sooner, as I believed my purchase was a safe one considering their reputation on this site, the time of year being ripe for planting new trees, plus I am used to many other companies offering 6 months to 1 year guarantees on their plants that doesn't typically cost me any additional money beyond the actual cost of the plant/tree. Sooner's prices on trees are competitive, but their shipping costs are high, so it becomes a tough pill to swallow once you add up cost of trees, coupled with high shipping costs, then offering a guarantee on their plants as an additional charge. The guarantee should be included in the cost of the trees, in my opinion.

I guess my purpose in this email is to warn folks that not every plant coming from Sooner will survive and, in fact, my percentage of living Sooner trees has diminished significantly. Also, not every business decision they make is with their customers' best interests in mind. Apparently, they are ok with keeping your money and not making sure you have healthy plants/trees. Customer satisfaction drives a successful business. Perhaps Brian and Sooner Plant Farm will reconsider circumstances such as this in the future and realize that everything is not "black and white"...often times there are gray areas in a situation that may dictate deviating from their firm, yet not practical, rules governing their guarantees. Brian...your website trumpets that Sooner Plant Farm is all about the customer, with "top 5" awards and Sooner Guarantee medals splashed all over your website...so please honor it. This is a quote directly from your "about us" section...."Because we are experienced growers, we can stand behind every plant we sell and are committed to your satisfaction." If you want to make it right, I can still send you pictures of both trees as proof. I apologize for the negative review, but I feel at this point as if Sooner Plant Farm has left me no alternative.

"On Nov 2, 2013 1:35 PM, Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner) responded with:

As always we are thankful for customer feedback. We are reviewing the circumstances regarding this issue and will be responding on Monday, hopefully to the customers satisfaction. Brian 10-02-13

I ordered 2 bushes (Dwarf Forthergilla and Scotch Broom "Lena") from them. It took 7 days to get to my house. I was a little worried about the condition they'll be in when they arrive. They got here today and look fine. Yeah! Thank you.

i have ordered helleborus and japanese maples from Sooner. they are all doing well and i'm very happy with this company. they offer an amazing range of plants and have a huge selection. they offer plants i've never seen anywhere else that are truly unique.

they have a notify system for plants not in stock and two of the plants i ordered were on my notify list. this is a very helpful tool. their representatives are courteous, but more importantly, their plants are beautiful.

you can pick a shipping date, too, something i don't remember ever seeing before. one maple came during the hottest month we have in my area and the next maple i scheduled to come in october, when the weather is more conducive to plants being shipped across country in a hot train/truck for days. that is also a very convenient tool.

very happy with Sooner and intend to do much business with them in the future. after dealing with other companies whose quality of plants and customer service has declined radically, Sooner is a blessing, indeed.

The winterberries arrived quickly, well packaged, extremely healthy and were much larger than I expected. Great experience. Thanks, Sooner.

Absolutely outstanding on every count:
Enormous selection
Superior (more than superior) customer service
Great packaging and tracking
Superb communications
AND WONDERFUL HEALTHY PLANTS
It simply doesn't get better

On December 14 2012 I ordered 4 Dazzle Me Pink Dwarf Crapemyrtles. I planted these on January 24 2013. I could not be more pleased with the performance of these plants. They are approximately one foot tall with no less than a dozen blooming flower heads on each. There are more buds not open yet. I had no expectation of these plants blooming six months after planting let alone so profusely. I recommend this company to any gardener and will definitely be ordering again in the future.

Posted on April 16, 2012, updated June 20, 2013
Posted on July 9, 2010, updated April 16, 2012
Ordered a Dynamite Crapemyrtle. No significant issues. Tree arrived well packed and healthy. Would use again.

Posted on June 19, 2011, updated June 17, 2013
I ordered last year for the first time and was very pleased with my order that was a one gallon pot of Salvia that I couldn't find anywhere else.

I'll be ordering again from them.

I've never shopped Sooners before. A Cornhusker here :-) but did this year looking for something that one of my regulars messed up on. Sooners are terrific. The plant stock was first class; communications great; shipping prompt and quick. I was impressed by the size of the vine, the care that had been taken of it before it was ever sold. I was also impressed with the root development. Packaging and shipping were the best I've seen in a long time. Thanks!

Great experience with Sooner Plant farm. The maple I planted a month ago has grown a foot since I planted it. I attribute it to the smart pot. They make a HUGE difference. No circling roots and the tree got established and started growing right away. Can't wait to see how much it will have grown by the end of the season. Happy customer.

We are very impressed by the customer service & trees we received from Sooner Plant Farm. We ordered two crape myrtles that were perfectly packaged, healthy & an incredible size. The myrtles are growing beautifully.

Brian was very helpful & quickly responded to our e-mail which was appreciated.

Thank you very much! :)

I have ordered twice from Sooner Plant Farm. I have used them as a sort of online nursery of last resort simply because they are located 1000+ miles away and I have tried to minimize the effects of transport exigencies that could be detrimental to the health of the plant. And by "last resort" I mean I am so desirous of getting a certain plant(s) and they are the closest supplier to me I am willing to use them to satisfy this desire. They seem like a large business compared to others I've used, but this doesn't reflect negatively on their performance. Response time is immediate with an automated email acknowledging your order. Subsequent emails arrive over the next couple of days advising you when the order will be shipped. I would guess that the total turnaround time from order to receipt is about ten days, and that includes about 3 full days in transit..

The plants I've ordered are two types of viburnum carlesii and two types of viburnum carlcephelum. They usually have a selection of sizes available but I think in my cases all were only available in trade gallons. The condition of the plants has been just fine, even after 3 days in a box. No damage from transport. I immediately planted them and they have all adapted to their new homes just fine. The price per plant was $16.95 so not a problem. I have no doubt that I will select this nursery for future purchases when the need arises, a most dependable source of good plants.

Posted on May 3, 2013, updated May 17, 2013
My beautiful Pocomoke crape myrtle just arrived. Fantastic size and packaged very well. Delivered at the time promised. Very impressed with this company.

I ordered an Old Yella Hibiscus for delivery in May and I came home from work one day in March and the plant was on my porch. I contacted the company and told them I couldn't leave the plant outside because it was too cold, much less plant in frozen ground. They told me they would reship the plant in May, I received it yesterday and it is fabulous.

I will definitely order again because of the quality and customer service

Posted on June 12, 2012, updated April 15, 2013
Posted on April 19, 2012, updated June 12, 2012
Posted on January 3, 2012, updated April 19, 2012
Posted on August 2, 2011, updated January 3, 2012
Sooner Plant Farm is probably the best online nursery I have ever dealt with. Their employees are always very informative and helpful over the phone and through e-mail. They have the best website I have ever seen for a nursery. They also have an enormous selection of plants and trees to choose from, which are very healthy. In fact, they have a much wider selection than my local nurseries do.
I have only one complaint: the shipping and handeling. It is extremely expensive. I was going to order a sawtooth oak for $49.99. The s&h cost more than the tree and extended warranty together. This is the only reason I chose not to order from them. The trees at the local nurseries near me are a bit more expensive, but when you add the s&h that Sooner Plant Farm charges it is much less expensive to shop at my local nurseries.

Positive +
Is worth it to pay an extra penny so You can have a well rooted , healthy big size plant !
One day they called me : Is it ok to send you a smaller tree 24" to 32 " ? We know You pay for a 34" to 44" (or bigger) . I answered : Well ... I really care about the caliper and the root system the most , being few inches shorter and same species , I'll be happy .
I received a nice healthy well branched tree as usual !
I will order my trees from them , all the trees I bought are beautiful and doesn't take long to stablished . Some of them are flowering size even when you think you'll get blooms next years or so .
Note : order early because inventory doesn't last long , specially during spring . Happy gardening !

Posted on April 4, 2013, updated April 4, 2013
Tree received was so well packaged I think I could have stepped on the box and it would have not bent. Needed a box cutter to get it out it was so well-packaged. Shipping container could not have been better. Item in excellent condition. Would order again. Dave's "30" is a great resource. I have ordered a number of items from the "30" and have not been disappointed so far.

Plants were in superb condition when received! This is quite possibly the best Internet/mail order plant company that I have ever used. I have never received such healthy and large plants come to me in the mail. Five stars!!

sooner plant farm is an OUTSTANDING FARM for the plants u want, very healthy and fresh plants, will do business with them again far down the road, best part is they ship midweek here to me in OK and i receive them either thursday or friday, NO COMPLAINTS, ALWAYS a helpful breathing person on the phone when I call was a pleasent surprise when I found them on the website, after doing business with other Major Nursery, and comparing the plants and the prices, well lets just say u pay for what u get!! the lilacs and crape myrtle i have ordered were very healthy plants!!.

I got to hand it to these people. I ordered 3 Blue Moon Wisteria and I had my doubts on how they were going to make it to me without damage. Also, considering I'm in Dallas and they're in Oklahoma the shipping was super quick. Despite the UPS man not being so gentle with these things, I just unpacked them and WOW!. The packing was excellent, boxes were excellent (however getting the brass staples out were a pain), but that's great. I can't wait for these to show their vigor and spread out and grow. The plants are in excellent condition and more stems than the wisteria I bought at one of our more expensive nurseries. Also, if you want a great variety of plants, Sooner has it and when I had questions, I got very friendly replies. I will order some of the weirder things I want for my front flower beds instead of the bushes everyone else has on my street. Thank you SOONER!

We ordered and received 10 bushes from Sooner Plant Farm in good shape and everything got off to a good start. And what I would especially like to note was their prompt and very reasonable response to a concern we expressed.

A "Royal Red" Butterfly Bush did not match the picture in the on-line catalog. And while it may have been slightly more red than most purple Butterfly Bushes, it was essentially purple. We had intentionally wanted to order something not purple as we already had one. They agreed it was a bit misleading (they did not name the plant), and granted our request to a 1/2 credit for next year.

What was most important to me for the future is that they are also discontinuing stocking it. That speaks to integrity and gives me confidence for next year, as we'll likely order more that just another Butterfly Bush from them.

Sooner Plant Farm is one of the best. I ordered 16 dwarf gallon crepe myrtle from them on Monday. The nursery called me about the shipment. Also they emailed me when the order was shipped with a UPS tracking number. Delivery was very rapid, and the plants arrived in excellent condition, just two days after I ordered them. I removed them from the containers and planted them on the day of receipt. The roots were well-formed and I expect the plants will grow and do well. A WORD OF CAUTION: When ordering plants in the summer months, plant them on receipt, and make sure you do not break the ball of dirt the plant is in. Cut the plastic container away from the ball of dirt and carefully lift the ball of dirt out and place it in the hole. If you break the ball of dirt, the plant may not live. At any rate, the plants were in good condition, and were as advertised. I will order from this company again if I have a special need.

This is an incredible company. I ordered a Crapemyrtle Hopi on-line and they kept me informed during every step. They even e-mailed me what day it was scheduled to be shipped. I wasn't sure what to expect but the 3 gal Crapemyrtle is beautiful - lush and very healthy. Thanks. We'll definitely order again.

Posted on May 31, 2012, updated July 1, 2012
Awesome plants. Delivered the day projected. 1 gal plants hit my navel planted, removed a plethora of berries to be sure it will put it's energy into growing first, no root girdling only healthy roots looking for soil.On planting I see what I'd thought would take 5 years of waiting! Theresa checked availability and took my order. As they were the last two I wondered what I'd get but these far, far exceeded my expectations. I'm already planning another order.

Beautifully packaged and great looking plants that have done very well in my garden in the month since I planted them. Highly recommended.

My plants coneflowers arrived healthy and nicely packed. They did an awesome job!!!!

Ordered 3 trees and a perennial; all arrived on time and according to instructions. They were planted two months ago, all are doing fine.

Happen to find them while surfing on-line. I saw their Black Magic Elephant Ears available (Colcasa esculenta) and bought 2 one gallon plants. After the on-line purchase I immediately received a order confirmation and notice of approximate ship date (agricultural inspection required). I got another email a number of days later with a shipment update. Received the plants on the date promised. They were well packed with no damage to the plants. Shipment was from East Coast to West Coast in hot weather so I was surprised to find the soil still moist. They also include enough fertlizer for each plant during transplanting. Plants look great as they are just starting to take root. Very impressed and will buy from them again.