So, how does ordering a tree from iTrees.com work 🤔💭?
In a nutshell, it's easy!
- Choose your trees
- Select your delivery, planting & warranty option
- ...Enjoy!
For a quick breakdown of these three simple steps, visit our 'How it Works' page.
In this post, we will provide a slightly more detailed look at the iTrees.com online ordering process. Diving deeper into tree selection and placement, choosing the delivery and planting option that's right for you, and understanding how ordering and scheduling work.
To recap, here's what we'll talk about ↓
• Delivery, Planting & Warranty Options (what you came here for)
Our Tree Availability
To be transparent, we do not grow any trees; we plant them 🌳! The good news is that we have a reliable supplier. The trees we plant are all locally grown, high-quality trees. The majority of the trees we plant are grown by our family-partner nursery, located right down the road from us in Mazon, IL.
Our online availability depends on what the nursery can grow and dig each season. There is a small number of trees that the nursery does not grow, but that we have available online; those trees are sourced from another local, high-quality nursery.
Timing:
Our family partner nursery digs deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in the fall) when they are in dormancy. The nursery will dig trees before they get their leaves in spring, and some trees can be dug again in the fall when they lose their leaves.
To explain this more, in spring, the nursery digs trees before they leaf out, and the trees are then placed in the nursery's holding yard. This is where the trees are kept safe & sound until they find their new home. The trees are held there and maintained on drip irrigation throughout the rest of spring, summer, and into the fall. This is also the same area where customers can come out and visit to tag their own tree! More on that later.
Some trees can be dug again in the fall after they begin to go dormant for winter and lose their leaves 🍂. So long as the tree was dug correctly and at the right time, we can plant trees anytime, spring, summer, or fall. Our family-partner nursery assures us of this with every tree we plant.
We plant trees beginning in early May after the nursery has wrapped up their spring digging, and continue to plant throughout the summer and well into fall. Usually, our crew finishes up planting for the year around the end of November, to the first week of December, weather permitting.
Online Shopping Tip → When browsing trees on our website, be sure to check the stock status.
Common stock statuses you might see:
The stock status indicates when a tree will be available for planting.
• In Stock - Planted Spring: You might see this in late winter or early spring. This stock status means you can order before your tree has been dug for the spring. Ordering early is beneficial so you can ensure the tree you want doesn't sell out before our planting season begins!
• In Stock - Planted 2-4 Weeks: This is our standard turnaround time during our planting season, which usually begins in early May. This means we are about 2-4 weeks out from the date you order.
• In Stock - Planted 3-6 Weeks: You might see something like this if we've had several rain delays, or our schedule is packed. Sometimes things get pushed back a bit, and we always work hard to get orders out as timely as possible.
• In Stock - Planted Fall: You might see this in late summer, early fall, when we are taking orders for fall planting. This stock status means you can order early, before your tree has been dug from the nursery's field. Fall orders typically get planted sometime between mid-October and November.
• Out of Stock - Sold Out: This means that we don't have any more of that tree in any size. If you see this but still want the tree, let us know. We can place you on a callback list. So as soon as the tree becomes available again, you'll be the first to know. First dibs are the BEST 😁!
Our Pricing
One of our founding principles is to provide our customers with quality trees at an unbeatable rate. We account for the quality of the trees we plant. We take into consideration the maintenance that is needed to grow and care for the trees so that we can comfortably plant them in your yards.
• All-inclusive Pricing: The pricing includes the cost of one tree, planted with a 1-year warranty. We will go into warranty options more below. Also, there are no hidden taxes or fees. What you see is what you will pay. If you're looking at a tree in a particular size, click/tap on the tree size, and you will see the total cost for that size tree.
• Get an Estimate: Before placing your order, please do not hesitate to reach out to us to go over the details once more. We are happy to get you a formal estimate. Estimates can be helpful if you're working with an HOA, a tree reimbursement program through your village, for insurance purposes after the loss of a tree, when you want another tree planted, or if you plan to order a large quantity of trees. Also, estimates can be useful if you simply need more time to mull things over; you can get an estimate so you have the pricing information right at your fingertips.
• Discounts & Deals: We do offer quantity discounts. If you order more than one tree, you'll see a savings applied automatically when you check out. For other deals, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on our social media. Those are the two places where we advertise any sales and dish out those Willy Wonka golden tickets 🎫, aka coupon codes. For bulk orders, we will work with you on pricing.
Start by visiting our Design Center →
• Selecting the Right Area for Your Tree
Tree Selection
Selecting a tree can seem daunting. Let us make this clear: it does not have to be!
• Browse Our Website: Start by browsing our website to familiarize yourself with our tree selection. Start right here → Shop Trees
• Contact Us: Call or email us, we'd love to chat! This is a good first step in the process. We can discuss your needs and wants, and take it from there. Give us a shout right here → Contact Us
• Let Us Take a Look: By looking at the area where you want to plant, we can get you more customized recommendations. An easy way for us to do this is by looking at a picture of where you want to plant. By pairing that with looking at your property online using Google Maps/Street View, we can get a pretty good overall picture of your yard. In some cases, an in-person consultation may be needed.
• Tag Your Tree: This step is entirely optional. You do not need to tag your tree; however, some customers enjoy the tree tagging experience. Customers are welcome to visit us by appointment only. Contact us to set something up. If you want to see your tree before ordering but can't make the trip, do not worry. We can send you pictures via email. Otherwise, the nursery will personally select your tree for you. They guarantee to select a healthy, well-branched tree for your yard.
Tree Placement
This aspect ties into tree selection. Tree placement often dictates tree selection. Have a tight space? You may want to go with a tree that won't grow too big. Large open yard? You've got options, baby.
Sometimes, homeowners come to us knowing the general area for their tree and need help with the finer details of placement. Other times, homeowners start with a blank canvas and only know they need trees, but need assistance determining where to put them.
• Let Us Take a Look: Again, the best way for us to help with this is by chatting about it and taking a look at your yard.
• Hit Up Our Design Center: This is for those who like to be more hands-on with their landscaping. Here you'll find a design tutorial, guidance on planning your tree layout, and more. Check it out right here → Design Center
Delivery, Planting & Warranty Options
Okay, here it is, the meat of it all. What are your delivery & planting options anyway? Simply put, we deliver and we plant. Feeling smart? You can upgrade your warranty, too, if you'd like. Oh, and if you are an expert at planting, we can deliver the tree to you, and you can do the hard work instead of us!
Get to know more about the different options below.
Delivery
Delivery is free within our service area when you have us plant your trees. We repeat, DELIVERY IS FREE when you have us plant your trees.
We proudly deliver and plant trees across select counties in Northeastern Illinois and parts of Northwestern Indiana!
Is your county not on our list yet? No worries! We might still be able to plant for you. Depending on where you are, a minimum tree order or a small delivery 🚚 fee could apply.
Got questions or live just outside of our service area? Give us a shout 📞! We’d love to see if we can bring some trees your way!
View our service area map right here →
Planting & Warranty Options
We plant trees; it’s all we do. Our crew has the experience and equipment to properly plant large trees. The trees we plant are all large, ball & burlap (B&B) trees weighing upwards of 500 - 1000 lbs. The crew uses a skid steer to move the tree from off the truck to the planting site. Then, they'll use the skid steer to help plant the tree using their auger attachment. It kind of looks like a giant drill bit. You can see it in action right here.
When planting, our crew ensures your tree is planted correctly with no detail left unnoticed, all with a mulch finish and a tag containing our tree care instructions.
• Planting with a 1-Year Full Replacement Warranty: Our planting comes with a 1-Year Full Replacement Warranty. We usually know within the first year whether or not a tree is going to make it, especially if you communicate any concerns about your tree with us. We will work with you to remedy the situation or get it replaced if necessary.
• Additional Warranties: Some customers prefer a little buffer, which is why we offer the peace of mind of having a 2 or 3-year warranty at an additional cost.
• Delivery Only with 50% Standard Warranty: The Delivery Only option is not recommended, as the trees we plant are heavy and generally require special equipment and more than one person to install. However, if you are a tree planting pro all on your own, this could be the option for you! It can be a fun activity for the entire family. A little bit of hard work, and you'll have planted a tree yourself, and one you can enjoy for many years to come. Please keep in mind that this option may incur a delivery fee. Also, the Delivery Only option means we will deliver the tree next to the planting site. You will need to do the digging and planting yourself. This option comes with a 50% Standard Warranty, which is good for 1 year from the date of planting. If the tree needs to be replaced, we’ll cover 50% of the cost. We’ll also provide you with our recommended planting instructions. Delivery Only is not an option on our website when ordering online. To order Delivery Only, please call us at (815) 448-2138, and we can take your order by phone.
Ordering
Once you've done the legwork, you can officially place your order!
• Accept Your Estimate: If we've been emailing and you've received an estimate from us, you can approve your estimate by emailing it back to us signed, or by simply sending us an email back stating that you approve it. Ensure the estimate has the correct details on it before approving it. You'll want to double-check that the billing and shipping address are correct, phone number too, and that your order looks good.
If you approve of the estimate, we can simply take all of that info and place the order for you. It's really that easy.
• Order Online: Simply order online from the comfort of home! Select the tree & size you want and head to the online checkout. When ordering online, you can select the option to pay upon ordering with a card, use Shop Pay, or you can choose the option to pay with cash or a check when we come to plant.
• Call to order: Call us at (815) 448-2138, and we can place your order by phone.
Other payment options are available. We also accept bank transfers, or you can mail a check.
Please note that the final payment is due upon delivery and planting. We will email your invoice to you after ordering, and we will automatically send it to you again around the time that we plant for you.
Scheduling
Ahhh anticipation! Everybody wants to know WHEN the tree will be planted 📆! As soon as you've placed your order, we'll hold your tree and place you on our scheduling list. Not to worry! We'll stay in communication along the way.
We'll be sure to coordinate planting with about 1 week's notice.
For more on what to expect before your tree gets planted, check out Tree Planting Day: What You Can Expect. In it, we go over everything you need to know about what to expect before we arrive to plant your tree.
Now that you know your options and how it all works, it's time to get started!
Be sure to check out our other tree planting blog posts linked below!
Happy Planting!
