When purchasing tubers from our farm, you agree to the following policies:

We want you to be happy with your purchase! All tubers are grown here on our farm in Oakville, Washington. Tubers are planted, tended, and harvested by hand. We guarantee viable tubers, true to variety, with at least one viable eye. Of course, we are just two people, and people can make mistakes. If you receive a mislabeled tuber, please document with photos over the growing season, and reach out to us at Southforkflowerfarm@gmail.com. We will work with you to make it right. Any refunds issued will not exceed the cost of the tuber itself. All sales are final.

Photos and descriptions on our website pertain to our specific growing conditions, and our farming practices. There are countless variables to consider when growing dahlias including, but not limited to soil PH, soil conditions, hours of sun per day, watering, fertilizing, insect pressure, other pests, etc. Dahlias are plants, so please manage your expectations. In many cases, we have personally found that some varieties require an adjustment period, often being a bit slow the first season only to knock our socks off the following season. It may be difficult in this age of instant gratification to recall that dahlias are living things. Slow down, practice patience when growing them, and enjoy the journey of gardening. Please remember that the tubers you are purchasing were grown in an environment completely different from your own, dug up, chopped to pieces, stored indoors, and then shipped across the country. I’d like to see any of us look like a beauty queen after such treatment. That being said, we do everything we can to ensure that you receive healthy tubers that will reward you tremendously over time with proper care.

Tuber Appearance:

I’m a little disappointed in humanity that I even have to address this but here goes. TUBERS ARE ROOTS. Roots go in the ground. What they look like does not matter. I have never seen another plant root publicly analyzed in the way that dahlia tubers are. I will tell you all right now, it makes no sense to hold plant roots to beauty standards. Pretty roots do not grow better than ugly ones. Dahlia tubers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are huge, some are tiny, some are Goldilock’s standard of just right. Not all varieties have necks. Many sprout right on the edge of their tater selves. Some are round, while others are long and slim. So long as they are viable with an eye and a body (even a partial body will do), they will grow… unless they don’t. Dahlias are plants. They are living things, and most of us understand that living things sometimes lack the will to live. I have received absolutely gorgeous, sprouted tubers from numerous reputable farms that simply never grow. They don’t die, they just don’t thrive. Never would I hold a farm responsible for that. They sent what I ordered. A viable tuber. Meanwhile, that heinous little wrinkled up cat turd of a tuber next to it will blast out of the ground like it’s late to a party.  

Tubers from our farm may have any of the following cosmetic blemishes.

Wrinkles and/or sagging skin. Much like us, they age with time. Unlike us, they plump back up once in the ground.

Peeling skin. This is not a problem. They don’t need all their skin.

Trimmed tails. This is not a problem. They don’t need their tails.

Sliced in half. So long as the slice is scarred over, this is not a problem. Obscenely large tubers are sliced to fit in storage.

Pokes and gouges. This is not a problem.

Vertical splits or stretch marks. This is not a problem.

In an effort to be fully transparent, we include photos of average tubers of every variety we sell within each product description. Our guarantee is that you will receive a viable tuber, not a preconceived notion of what you think a tuber should look like. You are purchasing the DNA for the bloom that you want. Not every tuber has a social media influencer body, so check your expectations. If you cannot accept what nature has provided, please feel free to order from one of the many farms out there that can promise such things. We will NOT offer refunds if you do not like the size or shape of the tuber you receive. Again, all sales are final.

Carts:

Items in your cart are not reserved for purchase. Once you have checked out, and received an order confirmation, only then are those tubers yours. We all know how it goes. Some varieties will be gone in seconds; others will never be gone. What we have is what we have and once they are gone, they are gone. 

SHIPPING:

Here’s the deal. We ship via USPS within the continental United States, only. Sorry, no Hawaii orders. There is a flat $20 shipping charge.

We will automatically combine shipping, with a couple caveats.

 Names, emails, and addresses must match in order for us to combine shipping. Once an order is placed, we cannot add or subtract items to that order. Please place a new order for any additional items. For combined orders, we will issue refunds at the time of shipping. Combined shipping is available within reason. This means that we will use the number of boxes necessary to safely ship your tubers, and may not refund your total shipping amount.

We want your tubers to arrive safely, so orders will ship once freezing temperatures are past. Typically, this is late March through April. If you would like your tubers shipped early, please reply to your order confirmation with your preferred date. If you are willing to accept the risk, then we are willing to place your tubers in a box, and get them on their way. We will email tracking information as soon as it becomes available, however we are not able to guarantee arrival dates nor are we responsible for damage caused during shipping or lost packages. The good news is that USPS packages are insured, so if something happens, you may file a claim with USPS. Please understand that we are a small farm and cannot refund or replace orders that are lost or damaged in transit.

When you receive your tubers, please open and inspect them immediately. You have 3 days to report an issue upon receipt of your tubers. Should you have an issue that cannot be addressed by our policies or FAQ page, please contact us directly via email at southforkflowerfarm@gmail.com, NOT on social media. We do not have time, nor can we be expected, to monitor social media posts for issues regarding orders. It is simply not a reliable way of getting in touch. If we find that you have posted a public complaint on social media before contacting us, and giving us a chance to respond, you are voiding ALL guarantees. You are otherwise assuming all liability as soon as tubers leave our farm. We are not responsible for education on specific growing conditions, plant care throughout the growing season, or for the continued health of the plant.

Dahlia virus:

It’s everywhere. Even in places where it looks like it’s not. According to the American Dahlia Society, 87% of healthy looking dahlia plants carry at least one dormant virus. Virus is a part of nature, and affects all plants if they are around long enough. It should be a testament to the resilience of dahlias that they can look fabulous while essentially being Typhoid Mary. It is not reasonable to expect virus testing for every plant nor is it reasonable to expect farmers to dispose of nearly 90% of their stock every year. If that were the case, I can promise you that NO ONE would do this job. If this math doesn’t work for you, and you still want to grow dahlias, consider growing from seed each year.

PURCHASE AT YOUR OWN RISK like the rest of us.

We do the best we can to help our plants flourish by building healthy soil, and providing plenty of nutrients for them to look and perform their best. We give them all a chance to live and be glorious. Obviously infected plants are ripped out of the ground and disposed of. We use bleach dip or Virkon between plants when cutting flowers, plant takedown, and between clumps when propagating. We limit where we purchase stock, and practice crop rotation every two years. We do a lot to keep our soil healthy as we believe it’s the plant’s best defense. Despite best practice, we acknowledge that bugs and bacteria exist and we can’t stop them all. That’s nature for you.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, we do NOT test for virus. There are many factors that can impact the visual health of dahlias including plant care and growing conditions. Because of these factors, we will not refund for plants that display symptoms of virus.

Gall is a whole different kettle of fish. Neither variety is specific to dahlias, and can live in soil for years. We do not test our soil for gall. We visually inspect plants at every stage of growth, harvest, and planting. We destroy only what we can see. That being said, much like virus, both types of gall can be dormant in dahlia tubers for years before displaying symptoms. While I understand concerns over gall and dahlias, I think it is important to note that both crown, and leafy gall are not exclusive to dahlias. What this means is that the bacteria can be in your soil for any number of non dahlia related reasons. I think it’s important to remember that dahlias are no different than any other living thing. Sometimes they get sick, and die. This is part of life, and a risk that we all need to accept when growing living things.

If you are interested in learning ACCURATE information about gall, I would recommend taking a look here‍ ‍at the OSU college of Agricultural Science page. Geeking out on plant pathogens is their jam, so there is a LOT of science based real information available to look through. For a more concise experience, please review this very informative paper here.

Customer Responsibility and etiquette:

Unfortunately, we can’t please everyone, but under no circumstances will we tolerate crappy behavior.  Christine with Dragonfly Dahlias in Michigan has the most eloquent customer etiquette policy known to mankind. With her permission, I am linking it here. All statements written within that policy apply to our farm as well. Again, we are a small farm. It is just the two of us. There is no “Manager”, or, worse for all of you, I am the manager, and my patience only goes so far. In our experience, the flower community is an exceptional group of people, so we hope not to have to cancel orders based on poor customer conduct.

As the customer, it is your responsibility to read this lengthy sales policies page, and to accept it before purchasing tubers from us. It is your responsibility to know your growing region, and conditions. It is your responsibility to enter your email, and address information correctly, and go through proper channels when contacting us. It is your responsibility to be an adult and realize that we are growing flowers, not saving lives.