Well I am so full of myself. I got this great idea and it really worked well. I had some potty paper rolls (toilet paper) the cardboard - soak it in water - quickly slipped it over the 2 inch plants and then into a plastic bag. the person I was trading with said that this was the best trade she had ever had!! Has any one else used this method???
New shipping Method???
Sure have! I found that I could keep them from getting ragged by doing this. And I have used paper towel tubes for seedlings. I feel better knowing someone else does things like this. I think my family thinks I am nuts for saving all manner of containers, but they sure come in handy. Keep sharing your tricks, I always like to read of what others do.
I've often thought of doing this, but have read several times not to reuse tp rolls because of the germs that they more than likely hold. Now paper towel rolls I use for all kinds of things.
This is a "tried and true" method of shipping. The people I know who use this way of shipping prefer empty paper towel rolls. They can always be shortened by cutting to fit the height of the plant. Plus, another bonus feature is that the plant is totally surrounded on all sides by cardboard, which is sturdier and protects it better during shipping. Lastly, I like the fact that the carboard tube can be wetted to keep the plants' roots moist during its travels.
The only problem I have found is, what do you use if your plant is to large to fit inside of the cardboard tube? Sometimes, I revert back to using moistened newsprint paper surrounded by a plastic bag and tied with a twistie. Has anyone else found something more creative for larger plant shipments?
yep i have done it too and have put seeds inside of them to mail too.
Just think of all that wrapping paper we will be using come Christmas time!!! Now I know what I am going to do with the empty rolls that I always seem to have! Best of all you can cut them to fit! Cool idea ya'll!
Another good "container" for shipping small plants is the corrugated sleeve you get light bulbs in. It gives a bit of padding for protection, and will flatten down if you have a small plant or stay up as a square sleeve if the plant needs that much space.
WOW! I like that idea Aimee of an "expandable" corrugated light bulb sleeve for larger cuttings.
I need to pass on this great idea, but it's not mine, its Callalily's. I just received some Brugs from her wrapped in a disposable diaper! You can pre-moisten the diaper with water to keep the plant moist during shipping. Plus, it has a larger surface area to protect bigger plants. The diaper had a plastic liner on the outside to prevent leakage. A rubberband could be used to keep the pre-moistened diaper around the plant to be shipped. Thanks Calla for this great idea!
And I love that idea! It happens I have a few diapers left over from Granddarling's early days. She won't let us pack them away, likes to see them in their old place for some reason, but if I involve her in packaging a plant, she might yield. Otherwise, I have to buy diapers, but what a neat idea from Cala! Thanks for passing it along, Shirley.
Somebody was going to send me plant cuttings recently from a couple states away, but I thought it was too cold & asked her to wait until spring.
She said she'd send them with those gel-type hand warmers hunters keep in their coat pockets, to keep the plants warm.
I never thought of that, & told her to hold off on shipping because I thought it'd be too expensive to buy them & mail the package, until I found the items at WalMart & saw they cost just around $2 for a pair.
Has anyone else ever tried this shipping method in colder weather for relatively short & quick plant mailings?
If so, how did it work out for the plant(s)?
The hand-warmer thang sounds great -
you could reuse them for someone
else's trade, unlike diapers which
would have to be thrown away
i think it depends on how your mail is delivered. if you pick it up at the PO, the package should never get cold. i've sent plants to zone 4 in the winter before, if they aren't left in the mail box they are fine.
otoh, a trader i know outside of jacksonville lives at the end of a route and the guy doesn't drive an air conditioned truck, so she doesn't trade in the summer because her plants go to mush before they get to her house.
probably the further away the better, so the plants will be shipped by plane.
So, if I understand, the little plants are slipped inside of the tube with no pot. How do you slip soil inside of a tube? I'm thining that you could slip the rootball into a baggie and then slip into the tube? With spring trading coming up I think this is a good tip for lots of folks. For those of you who have used the tubes, maybe you could elaborate. Once in the tubes, how do you box up for shipping? Is there a FAQ somewhere with all this infor? Some plants are in little 2 inch pots already and won't fit into a tube. How are those shipped?
check out the trading primer here: http://davesgarden.com/trading_primer/
Thanks, tiG!