Frequently Asked Questions

Please refer to the Shipping Times section on any product page to estimate when shipping to your region is open.

Orders Placed When Your Region Is Open To Shipping (approx. mid-March through October)

Your plants will ship within 3-5 business days of the order being placed. Once your order is shipped, you will receive an email confirmation and tracking number for your package(s).

Some plants are seasonal and may only ship at certain times of the year. If seasonal shipping restrictions apply to the plant you ordered, it will be noted on the plant’s product page.

Orders Placed When Your Region Is Closed To Shipping (approx. November through mid-March)

Due to the cold weather in our area, we are unable to ship plants during this time. Your plants will be shipped as soon as weather allows and shipping is open to your region.

If you created an account, you can check the status of your order at any time. Once your order is shipped, you will receive an email confirmation and tracking number for your package(s).

No, we do not ship to Post Office boxes. 

No, we only ship to the contiguous United States – the “lower 48 states.” 

Shipping costs are calculated in your shopping cart. Shipping costs are based upon the shipping method selected and your order subtotal. See shipping cost tables below:

* Order Subtotal is the total dollar value of items in your shopping cart, after taking into account promotional discounts, and prior to shipping costs.

You may select one of the three shipping methods when placing an order:

1.    FedEx

FedEx shipping method is completed through the FedEx Home Delivery service. This is available for shipments to the contiguous United States only – the “lower 48 states.”

Larger plants are not available to be shipped via FedEx due to weight and box size limitations.

The following sizes are available to ship via FedEx:

• Bare root shrubs 3 feet and smaller
• Bare root trees 5 feet and smaller
• All small bare root bundles, crowns, quarts and flats
• #1, #2 and #3 containers and grow bags
• Select #5 containers

2.    Local Delivery

Local Delivery shipping method is completed by McKay Nursery through our own trucks and delivery personnel. This shipping method is available for shipments within a small radius of our nursery in Waterloo, WI (approximately 100 miles).

Enter your zip code on the product page, shopping cart or checkout to see if you are eligible for Local Delivery.

All plant sizes are eligible to ship via Local Delivery.

3.    In-Store Pick-up

In-Store Pick-up shipping method is available if you would like to pick up your plants at our nursery.

All In-Store Pick-up orders must be picked up at 750 S Monroe St, Waterloo, WI 53594. These must be scheduled for pick-up Monday-Friday 8am - 3pm CST and at least 3 business days from the date your order was placed. We do not allow same day pick-ups.

All plant sizes are eligible for In-Store Pick-up.

We apologize if we have shipped you an incorrect item. Please contact customer service at 1 (800) 236-4242 or email us and we will work with you on a quick resolution.

We have perfected boxing and shipping to ensure that your plants arrive in great shape! On the rare occasion your plants are damaged during shipping, contact our Customer Service Department and we will work with you to resolve the issue.

Yes. Please call us as soon as you place your order so we can delay shipping to accommodate your needs.

Yes. All In-Store Pick-up orders can be picked up at 750 S Monroe St, Waterloo, WI 53594. These must be scheduled for pick-up Monday-Friday 8am - 3pm CST and at least 3 business days from the date your order was placed. We do not allow same day pickups.

No. Unfortunately, our drivers are unable to spot your plants. This is for the safety of our drivers. If you order large plants that you need spotted, please make separate arrangements to do so. Please note that our larger balled and burlap tree may weigh up to 750 pounds!

During our shipping season (April through October) FedEx orders will be delivered within 5-10 business days of your order being placed. Local delivery orders will be delivered within 7-14 business days of your order being placed.

Because we offer a wide selection of bare root, container and balled & burlap items they each require certain ideal planting times. Keep in mind these timelines are not a guarantee and only a guide. Timelines can shift due to unforeseen weather, industry demand, staffing, and time of year. We do our best to notify you of any changes via email and/or phone call and reserve the right to change them at any time. We do this to ensure you receive healthy and thriving plants from McKay.

We start shipping when the planting season is right for your area. Historically we have started shipping in early spring (late-March to early-April), but mother nature has been known to throw us some curveballs in Wisconsin. We do not ship any nursery stock from December-February to accommodate for the cold weather in our area. We stop shipping in fall once mother nature tells us to stop (mid-November).

We do stop shipping earlier on certain products. Balled & burlap evergreens and certain perennials must be ordered by early October so they can be shipped out prior to mid-October. No perennials or evergreens will be shipped late fall (mid-November or later). Any nursery stock orders placed after late-November will be held until next spring when shipping resumes.

If you enter your zip code on our website, the page will display what your hardiness zone is.  That zone identifies the area where the plants will best be grown in. If you are shipping to a zone where you are not located, you must change the zip code. Click here to check out our hardiness zone map.

Yes. A 1-year warranty is available for purchase on all plants. The cost of the 1-year warranty is 10% of the cost of the plant. There is a one-time only replacement policy for warrantied plants. We will not refund the plant cost, but will replace your plant at the original cost of the plant at the time of invoice from McKay. If we no longer have that plant in stock, we can offer you a substitute. The replacement request must be made within 1 year of your original order date to be honored.

Customer is responsible for the shipment costs of the replacement plant. This guarantee does not cover plants that have been destroyed by neglect, weather, livestock, drought, insecticides or herbicides, fires, floods, etc. We also do not cover plants that have been planted in a zone not recommended for the plant. Our guarantee does not cover plants that are planted in fill, scraped ground unsuitable for those species as outlined in the information material contained on this web site, pertaining to a particular species of plants. In the event of multiple claims or excessive losses we may require a soil test to determine soil compatibility problems.

We cannot guarantee replacement of any plants that are not warrantied.

Our nursery operations are located in Waterloo, WI. We operate a working nursery and do not allow visitors to tour the grounds or shop in-person. If you would like to have an in-person shopping experience, please visit one of our garden centers.

To see and buy our plants in-person, you can visit one of our garden center locations:

McKay Garden Center-Oregon

5655 Lincoln Rd

Oregon, WI 53575

McKay Garden Center-Oshkosh

2957 Brooks Rd

Oshkosh, WI 54904

Hours and inventory at our garden centers are subject to change seasonally.

Yes! We can always include a gift message with your purchase. You are also able to purchase gift certificates.

From time-to-time online sales are available that provide savings on the purchases of multiple items. Nursery professionals looking for bulk pricing and availability should call our wholesale department at 1 (800) 236-4242. Wholesale pricing is only available to businesses that meet the wholesale guidelines.    

You can always call to speak with a customer service representative who will be happy to assist you. Call 1 (800) 236-4242 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, Central Standard Time.

Fertilizer packets and root stimulators can be purchased online here.

We now accept payments online for services not purchased through our website. Be sure to have your invoice number handy, as you’ll need that to submit payment to your account. 

Our products listed on the website will always be our most up to date information. However, we do have a digital copy of our catalog here.

Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards are accepted at this time.

If you have a promotional discount code, you can enter it while you are viewing your shopping cart.

All the details for proper plant care can be found within this guide.

Bare root plants are held dormant in our coolers and they still think it is winter. Even though you may be receiving them while plants in your yard have leaves, these plants are purposely held dormant and without soil on the roots. Plunge these bare root plants into water overnight before planting for great results. They will show signs of life almost right away. If a container grown plant arrived without leaves, don’t panic. Completely saturate the soil with water and allow a few days to see if the plant recovers.

Immediately upon arrival, please open your boxes and water the roots and soil right away!  Many times, depending upon the weather in your area, the plants may heat up and need moisture during shipment. Don’t panic, just get out the hose and your plants should recover fully soon after you have soaked the roots and soils. Bare root plant roots should be soaked in water overnight in a bucket or tub prior to planting. Container plants should have the soil saturated. 

We will send out any viable dormant plant materials early in the spring or late in the fall season. These plants are healthy, but may no longer be actively growing in early spring or in fall due to their dormant state. This can include browning of the leafy material or the plant may not have any leaves at all. This is normal and essential to the plant’s health and makes relocating the plant less stressful. It also takes bare root material more time to leaf out than traditional container material. It could take up to 6 weeks for these plants to show signs of growth.

All sales are final, and the package cannot be returned without our permission. Should we approve a return, the customer will be responsible for all shipping and processing charges for any returns. We will not be liable for damages in an amount greater than the original purchase price of any plant.

If your order has not been processed, you can cancel your order by calling our customer service team at 1 (800) 236-4242. If we have already begun processing your order, it may be subject to a 20% cancellation fee. Orders cannot be canceled after the order has been shipped or if the order is in the packaging process.

If your order has not been processed, we may be able to provide substitutions. Please contact our customer service team at 1 (800) 236-4242 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, Central Standard Time. You can also email [email protected].