Can I use Miracle Grow plant food, the kind that dilutes in water? They say on the box you can use it to help prevent transplant shock. Do I use full strength or a weak dilution?
This message was edited Jun 4, 2004 8:14 PM
Plant trading help!
i dont see anything you are doing wrong. you probably need to track your shipments. that way you know exactly how long it takes to get there. delivery confirmation is only 35 cents extra. this way you can also complain if it takes longer to get there.
also when you wrap in paper towels do you rubber band it?
if not in all the tussel packages go through the wet towels may be coming off and truley the plant is drying out.
some plants will wilt while in transit but after a good watering and a day of shade most perk back up.
finally ask the people to take a picture of how it arrived so you can see for your self the condition it came in.
hope this helps Marie
Capt.,
My 2 cents worth would be this.....I always wrap my roots in wet paper towels and then wrap the paper towel in plastic wrap and tape it up tight. I would think that just the wet newpaper would dry fast and then start sapping up the moisture from the roots.
I just sent a hugh box to Maine from Calif. and she said they arrived in great shape.
Hope this helps a little.
Donna
Definitely wrap in plastic after wrapping in paper towel or newspaper. Also...I poke holes in my boxes if the weather is warm so that air circulates in the box.
I always expect a bit of wilt after travelling in a box all cooped up. But as said previously a good drink in the shade for a day or two usually brings them around quickly. Leaves re-grow so it's really the roots that you need to be most concerned about. I try to use the packing peanuts as filler as this protects delicate stems.
Brenda
Some of the larger plants do better if you snip back some of the foliage too. Digging them outta the ground puts quite a bit of stress on the roots and they can't support all that top growth.
Awwww...poppysue! I sure hope my secret trade makes it ok. I sent a rather large item and did not trim back the foliage. Guess I'm playing the waiting game now (like I wasn't before!).
it will also help if u presoaked the plants the night before shipping in water and B1>>> help the plant from absorb liquid and prevent the shock of being uprooted. hth.
Formula: 1 gal. water plus 1 Tbsp. B1. plants i sent out and received, i soak in this formula. good also for transplanting---> help the plant get adjusted to it's new environment. jmo
I always clip back the foliage by 2/3, wrap in paper towels & drop into a plastic bag. I then tape the plastic bag on & wrap the whole thing in newspaper to seal it in. Ship on a Mondy or Tuesday so it doesn't sit anywhere for the weekend. Now should be agreat time to ship plants.... August cooks them!
captmich, if you want to track them for free, you can go to the usps website and when you use there label system, with priority mail, you get free delivery confirmation.
https://sss-web.usps.com/ds/jsps/ds_landing.jsp
debi z
My plants usually arrive in fine shape.
When rooting plants, I use 6 oz. clear plastic drinking cups with holes poked in the bottom. Frequently, the roots are visable inside the cup when I mail it.
I just put paper around the stem of the plant over the soil and tape it down.
I then put the whole cup in a plastic bag and tape it around the stem.
Then tape the cup to the side of the box so that it cannot move around in the box.
Then I put packing peanuts around the plants so that they cannot move in the box.
If I must dig a plant, then I trim the roots as much as is safe. I pot the plant in the smallest cup possible that will not injure the roots and wait for it to get over the wilt before I mail it.
Flicker's got some serious trading experience -- Wow! that's some awesome packing!
See, the thing is I'm always paranoid they're either going to dry out if I don't wrap the roots enough without plastic or they're going to cook and become mush if I do use plastic on the roots.
By the way, I always rubberband. Is it because I'm sending bareroot in some cases? Sending plants with dirt really adds up. I try to send certain kinds in a root ball with at least some dirt.
Freezer paper works pretty good in hot weather... instead of plastic wrap. It has a plasic coated side that will keep the moisture in.
I wrap roots in a damp paper towel stick that in a ziplock sandwich bag(or whatever size fits best) and use a trash bag tie to keep it closed. I like how much easier it is to get the tie off than tape( I can be dangerous to myself with scissors in small spaces). Since I never use the ties with the trash bags I always have a bunch. I put in newspaper balled up loosely in the box, enough to keep the plants from moving but not so much as they get squished.
Soak the roots like MaVieRose says.. it really helps it stand right up.. I use Superthrive and soak the plants in it for an hour at least or longer before packing them, then use the same water to wet the paper towel.. the vitamin B. in the superthrive gives them that extra boost. The bottle is about 8.00 at Lowes, and I hear they have it at Walmart. You only use a drop per gallon, so it goes a long way. I even mist it on some of my other hanging plants. Everyone has given good advice. Soil does weigh more and postage is higher. But I swear by that Superthrive, it is used on cuttings when trying to root also..
presoaking the plant in water and B1 or even superthrive, will allow the plant to retain extra moisture to sustain itself during the trip. presoaking also take off extra soil off the plant. soil in the plant is not allowed in some states, plus it will make the package much heavier. the other negative aspect of soil in shipping, soil do carry unseen materials/bug that maybe dangerous to some area.
wet towel around the rootball is fine, but i use damp not soggy wet peat moss around the rootball. the peat moss is predamp with the same solution plant was soaked in. wrap the rootball with saran wrap and secure with rubber band. be sure to properly label the plants too. will help receiver to properly identify the plant.
i use styro foam peanuts to secure and prevent the plant from moving around the box. i find newspaper to be extra heavy in packaging. feel free to use whatever material u feel is more convenient in ur case.
so far, i feel whoever i trade plants with are happy receiving the plants i send them. all they need to do is take off the saran wrap and plant the new babies they get without disturbing the rootball. hth... ma vie