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Just received my order from Shumway: a jostaberry, 2 elderberries and a hops vine. The plants were packaged well and arrived in good shape. The bare root berry plants are all very healthy and if anything goes wrong it will be my fault. I would order from them again.
On Mar 20, 2009, cerridwenn Farmington, NM (Zone 5a) wrote:
ordered a combination of live plants, seeds and supplies this year. have not ordered from this company before. found the prices for the most part to be reasonable especially for live plants - some of the trees i want are beyond my budget but i am hoping that is because they are so large and healthy that they are worth it.
the peat pot deals are especially a bargain, and some of the vegetable processing equipment are things i have not been able to find anywhere else.
my live plants are shipping separately, i'm not sure when but will comment on their state when i get them. the seeds and supplies came very promptly. also enclosed were some "bonus" seeds which were appreciated. shipping costs were very reasonable, especially considering several other places i have ordered from.
I have ordered from them for several years and been pleased. This year I ordered online and had the seeds in hand 8 days later. My kind of service. There was one packet on backorder--the one I count on them to have since the seeds are hard to find. Hope to see the seeds soon. Will let you know about germination.
So far so good. It's early in the season and I have not had the opportunity to plant many of the seeds I ordered yet. Our planting time is not until May. However, I started the petunia seeds inside and they germinated in 4 days. The columbine just started to germinate. The asparagus and onion startes are on backorder. They will probably not ship until planting time. I ordered from these folks last year and was very satisfied. I will post after I receive the backordered items.
I actually got my seed orders in early this year (Feb) and Shumway did their part as well! Complete order, received in one week's time...I was a bit startled at how fast I got it. Have used their seeds before and they have always given me great results! I think their catalog is cool!!
I ordered for the first time based on a catalog that I received in the mail. The seeds arrived in about two weeks with very good instructions and clear information on each packet.
On Feb 11, 2009, mersiepoo New Freeport, PA wrote:
I have ordered seeds from them for the past several years and was always pleased with them.
I finally ordered some bush cherries from them (first live plants I ordered from them) last spring. Years ago I had gotten 3 bush cherries from another company and only 1 had survived (the other 2 got destroyed by our township. So, I needed a pollinator. I ordered 3 bush cherry plants and one patriot blueberry.
I got MONSTER cherry bushes! They were the largest ones I've ever gotten, they looked almost full grown and were the opposite of the tiny sticks I had purchased from another plant company in the past. They were very reasonably priced and even put out flowers that same year! I was extremely happy with them and would order again if I need more bush cherries. The patriot blueberry was also extremely nice, and it survived the drought we had last summer with minimal watering.
The lemongrass plant I got was very healthy as well! It's still putting out leaves in my house. It grew exponentially last summer!
I decided to give this company a try as I received a coupon to use and was very delighted at the way they package their seeds, the instructions are very easy to read and understand and they were all in order. I have since then ordered pepper plants from them and I'm expecting that they will mail those at the proper time. Will I use them again? If my pepper plants show up like I think they will and in a timely manner, definately.
joy112854
On March 10th, 2009, joy112854 added the following:
I will defintely buy from RH Shumway again, and again, and again. I planted most of the seeds they sent, as this was the first time I'd tried this company, they don't scrimp on the amount of seeds they send you and they all germinated, didn't have any duds in the bunch. My plants are so beautiful too, so I would buy from this company again.
joy
On Jan 10, 2009, pjpackrat Accokeek, MD (Zone 7a) wrote:
Have ordered form this company many times over the years, ordered seeds on Dec. 29, 2008 they shipped the seeds, Dec. 31 and I had them by the 5th of Jan. everything is as ordered.
On Jun 28, 2008, ket0276 Aurora, IN (Zone 6a) wrote:
I received a catalog in the mail this winter, and I was happy to see that they offer non GMO seeds, so I placed a pretty good sized order. I have been VERY impressed by the quality of the plants that I've gotten from these seeds. I will definitely be ordering from them again this winter.
After reading the feedback about Shumway I was very uneasy about my recent order. My nieghbor had given me corn seed from Shumway last year. I really liked it and place a fairly good sized order with them. I recieved 95% of my order in under 10 days with only one item backordered. I e-mailed with a question, and was e-mailed back within a few hours with the answer. I'm very pleased so far with this company and would order from them again.
All seeds and all plants are not the same, My response to R.H. Shumways is POSITIVE. This Company will answer there telephone and e-mail and make good on there products. Early in the year (2007) I ordered Rasberry's and Blackberries all but 1 did great, they promptly repaced the one that did not come up but also sent two in the place of one. No argument at all. I later ordered strawberries and received them in a timely maner and in good shape. I highly recomend this Company. Thank you and good gardening to all. Bob & Carol
On Apr 6, 2007, Vashur Wichita, KS (Zone 6a) wrote:
This was my first order from the company. I ordered onion plants and potato sets because the cost was much less than my usual source. They arrived today and they are really good looking product. I also received a generous bonus pack. I would have liked them a couple of weeks earlier but it is working out for the best anyhow because we now have unseasonably cold weather and they won't have to contend with it. I will certainly use this company for a larger order next year.
On Mar 16, 2007, happyscientist Fairmont, WV wrote:
I had never ordered from this company before, so last month I placed a small test order of around $25. The complete order arrived in less than two weeks and included a few bonus packs of seeds.
I have ordered from this company for years without any problem. They may not as flashy as some companies, but they deliver good quality seed at fair prices. I also like the fact that I can order bulk seed without spending an arm and a leg.
On Jan 21, 2007, gafbuffalo Orchard Park, NY (Zone 5a) wrote:
Good, fast service on seed delivery. This company has a very nice selection of vegetable seeds, generally better than their parent, Jung, at least for what I like to grow. I've never had a problem with germination rates, either.
I ordered about 25 different varieties of seed, 20 asparagus crowns, and 8 different berry shrubs (2 blueberry, 2 lingonberry, 2 gooseberries, and 2 black currents). The seeds were shipped 2-3 weeks after I placed my order (by mail), except fava beans, which were on back order. It was down to the wire with them to get them in time for the narrow planting window, but they did make it here by the first week of March, and I got them in the ground a week later. The shrubs all arrived in one shipment in late March. We put them in the ground right away; one of the gooseberries did not sprout from the existing stems, but it did manage to send up new growth from the roots, and now all the berry bushes are looking happy. The aspargus crowns all eventually came up as well.
I received several bonus packets of "experimental" varieties, which was nice, although they should indicate what the sweetness genetics of the experimental sweet corn are, since certain hybrids shouldn't be planted with certain other hybrids.
All told, I will definitely use RH Shumway again--they have good prices on a lot of old standbys,
This was the first time I ordered from R.H. Shumway. I am so happy with my order, it was shipped very fast and everything I ordered is very good quality. I ordered rhubarb and they have to be at least 6-8 inches long and about three inches around! I also ordered walking onions (multiplyer onions) it says 10 to a package but one package has 19 and the other has 16! My mint chocolate plant is also a nice size! I am very happy with my order! I will order from them again.
On Mar 15, 2006, bean_freak Kellyton, AL (Zone 7b) wrote:
i ordered from Shumway ,s and they were quite fast and i i got what i ask for
also i ask for a order form and they sent it right a way
Go Shumways
wayne M.
So far, Shumway's has been so-so. This is my 1st time ordering from them, and they took pretty long for being such a large outfit. I ordered from 3 companies at the same time, and Shumway's delivered last (and was also the largest company). One of them was even snail mailed in versus my Shumway's order that was placed via the internet, and it still arrived before Shumway. The order was incomplete, but the backordered packet did arrive about 2 weeks later. I took a leap of faith and ordered 2 blueberry plants which are to arrive in Spring, so I am keeping the fingers crossed on that one. The good thing about Shumway is their price, they have a lot of varities at a lower cost than other catalogs I received.
On May 15th, 2006, shockme_wv added the following:
Well, my 2 blueberry plants arrived and were in good shape and since being planted (in March) they're doing very well. My rosemary seed did not germinate well (3 came up out of 24 planted) but I don't know if this is because rosemary is difficult or if the seeds were bad). I would order from Shumway's again after my experience which overall was generally positive.
On Mar 17, 2005, IslandJim Keizer, OR (Zone 8b) wrote:
I placed an order for three Stevia [rebaudiana] plants from Shumway's on February 28, 2005; they arrived today, March 17, 2005. They were well packed. They arrived a bit dry, but perked up as soon as watered. I'm satisfied with what I got for what I paid. Tomorrow, if the rain stops, I will plant them out.
I have ordered from Shumway on a couple of different occasions and both times I've been quite pleased with both the speed and quality of the seeds I've bought. The prices were beyond fair according to what I've seen elsewhere on the internet, too. A big thumbs up to Shumways.
I was shocked at reading all the negative experiences with this company. I ordered from them in 2004 & my order arrived promptly & completely. I am a market farmer & it was a fairly large order, though it was all seeds, no live plants or seed potatoes. I think when you deal with a company affiliated with the Randolph, WI address, you almost HAVE to get your order in extra-early, & I would NEVER order anything but seeds from them. Course most of the other companies at this address will not ship until March or April, but Shumways claims to be the exception to this rule.
I've never had a problem ordering from them. Have been using them for years. Guess I've been lucky. They have a few items I like , so I'll keep using them.
After reading all the negative remarks here I wasnt sure if i wanted to place an order with this company. However I decided to try my luck and I place a 50 plus dollar order with them. Two weeks later I had my order in hand and it was 100% complete, no back orders or out of stocks. I will use this company again in the future. All I can say is great company and great service!!!!
On Dec 4, 2003, Farmerdill Augusta, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:
I have purchased vegetable seed from the Shumway company since the 40's. The major positive has always been their good selection of traditional open pollinated varieties. In the 60's while it was still a Shumway company located in Rockford , Illinois quality and service began to slip. On occasion mis-labeled cultivars arrived. The company name was bought and moved to Graniteville SC and during the 90's I bought a lot of seed from them. Again the attraction of older cultivars that are difficult to find and the fact that I could go down to the warehouse and buy the seeds without the mailorder hassle.( It was only 11 miles from me) Only problem was that their major supplier (Seeds By Design) which is a major player in the production of heirloom seeds has spent too little time insuring the purity of their cultivars. Since the Jungs buyout and subsequent move to Wisconsin, I hope they get their act together, but I am not holding my breath.
On January 25th, 2004, Farmerdill changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
Placed an order first week of January and was pleasantly surprised to receive complete AND correct order within a week. This was for seeds only. They use to drop ship plants and garden supplies so many problems could have been with contract shippers. At any rate the Jung people show signs of getting the company in order so I have go positive. Downside is that they seem to be phasing out many of the vegetable varieties that drew mw to them in the first place.
Whenever I use a new supplier, I tend to order small, which is what I did this year. Ordered seeds and three elephant ear bulbs. The elephant ears were only 3 for 12.00, much more reasonable than other sources and they are magnificent!!!
Yes, my order did come in three shipments, but to be honest, I received all in a timely fashion and with explanation.
I notice that most of the negative comments about this company are from past years. This year (2003), I ordered several items from R.H. Shumway, including seed potatoes and vegetable seeds. All except two backordered items arrived promptly and in good condition, and even those two still arrived in time for normal planting. I think these guys deserve a chance!
I ordered seeds, equipment, and chemicals. The seeds didn't arrive until after I bought replacements. A letter with the seeds explained that they had a warehouse fire. They made arrangements with another company to send seeds they lost to the fire and sent me a coupon for $$ off next year's order. I see this as an attempt to carry on in the face of a company disaster. This was my first order from them, and I'll be back next year. I can't see kicking them when they're down as benefiting me or them.
Great Company. I purchased German Stiff-necked Garlic, got it early in Oct and planted it. This garlic is gigantic. I need their catalog so I can order more from them.
On Dec 1, 2001, Horseshoe Efland, NC (Zone 7a) wrote:
A great company that sells mostly heirloom and OP varieties. Probably one of my favored businesses to deal with. You should at least have them send you their catalog, it comes out as an old-style magazine with only black and white pics and drawings. (Only a few yrs back did they start adding color to the cover.)
Shumway's is a good place to buy not only small packets of seeds but you can also buy in bulk and save $$$. (A good place to order from if you want to get together with your neighbors and buy quantity.)
Altho Shumway's does not have a toll-free number you can place your order thru Horticultural Products and Services...they handle Shumway's orders and have a toll-free number.
We have been Shumway customers for several years now and they are without a doubt my favorite seed supplier. Good quality, germination, etc. and NEVER a delivery problem. We live in west central Minnesota with a short growing season and have excellent results with Shumway.
I have been ordering from Shumway for several years - I started ordering from them because they are one of the few companies that has the EH hybrid sweet corns as well as some old fashioned things like Flat Dutch cabbage. You get a lot of seed for the price and I have had good luck with their seeds.
