Winter Shipping with Hoyas

How is this accomplished? I've avoided purchasing any more hoyas via the 'net because of cold weather. (But, guess what? I'm wanting to buy more hoyas!) So how do hoyas get shipped successfully during the wintertime?

I'd love some feedback from customers and would seriously appreciate vendor/grower info on how they ship in cold and winter weather.

Lynn I sent a hoya Bella to Connecticut last week and it arrived in great condition. I wrapped it in a paper sleeve, put newspapers all around it and it was fine. It was in a 6 inch pot with lots of long leaves and really full, no problems.

Blessings,
Awanda

Awanda, do you make sure the soil is a little drier when sending during the colder months?

Ann yes I do, unless I'm sending to a warmer state, then they don't have to be as dry.

Blessings,
Awanda

I wrap in double newspapers and, hopefully, the recipient will pick the box up at FedEx rather than letting the box run around in an unheated truck all day. In the DEAD of winter I make an effort to not ship....

Carol

During these times, do you guys tend to ship on a 2nd day delivery or overnight?

When I receive orchids in the winter, they're packed with heat-packs and shipping is 2nd day. I've never had any problems with them. Do you ever use the heat-packs?

Carol the hoyas I receive from you during the winter months all arrive in great condition, but then I guess it depends on the state:-). Carol is certainly the Wal-mart of hoyas:-), you can get anything and everything from her. Me on the other hand, well I'm just a small neighborhood hoya seller:-).

Blessings,
Awanda

This message was edited Nov 20, 2005 6:37 PM

I don't use heatpacks, but I can. Orchids are shipped out of Hilo all year round. I will look into it.

WalMart? I BEG your pardon!!! Nordstrom, perhaps...or even Macy's - I will go as far as IKEA. LOL

Carol

Hey Carol, some of my best friends shop at Wal-mart:-), and so do I:-).

Blessings,
Awanda

Hey....I SHOP at WalMart too - :>)

Lynn, I ship a few Hoyas in the winter. I try to only ship when the temperatures of my area and the recipients are above 30 for 3 days.
I have used styrafoam coolers or a priority mail box lined with sheets of that packing material that often comes with other items I have mail ordered. Also, in winter I try to leave the soil slightly damp. Should the parcel be exposed to inclament weather, the roots would freeze faster in dry soil. Thus far, I have had good luck with this method.

Meltn, thanks for that info about roots and dry soil. I had always thought the soil should be dryer when sending plants through the mail during colder months for the same reason you say it should be kept moist. I love this forum! I learn somethin' new every day!

Thanks for all of the encouraging information and for the 'tidbits'. Looks like I can order some more Hoyas! Now....where's my credit card.....

LOL

Ann,
Just for the record, my "damp soil in the winter" theory may or may not be correct. I based it on the fact that when tropical areas like Florida are faced with below freezing temperatures, they spray their citrus trees with water on the night before the freeze.
Lynn,
Go for it! I can think of nothing much better for winter blues than receiving a nice healthy plant or 2 in the mail!

Mel, When sprayed with water, the ice forms on the leaves and while there may be some leaf damage, the tree is protected from BELOW freezing temps by the ice. Same theory as snow protecting the ground from freezing if the temps fall BELOW 32deg.

A damp/wet pot left out in freezing/below freezing temps would freeze the roots... I think I would ship as dry as possible in the winter.

Damp soil or dry, a plant left out in below freezing temperatures will be toast. The first thing our Ag. Extension agent will tell us is to water plants before a freeze.
The safest thing to do is not ship a plant when temperatures are below freezing.