Receiving a nursery plant delivery: a site checklist
Check quantities, labels, specifications and visible condition when nursery stock arrives. Prepare a clear receiving record and aftercare handover.
The arrival of a nursery delivery is an important handover from purchasing to the site team. Receiving is not simply a count of the plants on a vehicle. It involves matching the batch to the approved schedule and recording observations. A prepared team can communicate missing information or visible differences more clearly to the parties responsible.
Prepare before the vehicle arrives
Give the receiving team the latest approved plant schedule. Any accepted substitutions or size changes should appear in the same document. Check vehicle and equipment access, identify the place where plants will be set down and name the person responsible for the delivery.
Have competent personnel plan the movement of heavy or large plants using suitable equipment. Safe working methods and lifting capacity cannot be established through a general online description. This guide addresses receiving records, not lifting-operation instructions.
Count against item references
- Match the delivery list to the order reference.
- Check species labels, cultivars and item codes.
- Record each line's quantity separately.
- Assess dimensions and form using the agreed acceptance method.
- Observe whether container or rootball presentation matches the order.
A catalogue image is not the same document as an approved specification. Use the final agreed technical schedule as the reference for receiving, with photographs as supporting records.
Make observations specific and dated
If you see stem or branch damage, broken containers, different wrapping or missing labels, link the photograph to the relevant item. Record which plants and quantities are affected rather than sending only a general message that the batch has a problem. A whole-plant view and batch reference can be useful alongside close-ups.
Do not diagnose a disease from a delivery photograph alone. Official plant-health procedures and commercial receiving checks serve different purposes. For international deliveries, follow up required documents and authority procedures with the parties assigned to manage them.
Hand over holding and planting responsibilities
Decide where plants that will not be installed immediately will be held and who will care for them. Record arrival time, observations, planned actions and the person contacted about any issue. Pass these records on if the installation team changes.
Check the actual order terms for how differences should be notified and assessed. This article does not create a claim deadline or acceptance period. Its purpose is to help buyer and supplier work from consistent information about the same consignment.
Frequently asked questions
Why take delivery photographs?
Images linked to an item reference and date help connect an observation to the relevant batch.
Does a receiving checklist replace plant-health inspection?
No. A commercial delivery record does not replace specialist advice or official plant-health checks.