Shipping new cuttings

What's the best way to ship new cuttings. They are going quite a distance, FL to IL.

I read someone here uses those florist water vases (the ones which hold a single rose stem). Someone else mentioned about a water-retaining gel used (?). I've sent cuttings wrapped in saturated soil(vermiculite based), rolled in a baggie( to clear it up, only wrap the bottom of the cutting/root area..not the entire plant!). The receivers told me the cuttings looked as though they were freshly cut. I think the florist vases would be fantastic to use.
Trish

This message was edited Tuesday, Aug 7th 10:44 AM

There are people on the brug forum that swear by wet, but not dripping, perlite.

What the heck is a brug? The cuttings are hibiscus. I have them in small plug trays that I got from work. I don't think they will fit in vases. I'll probably go with the baggie. Do you mean leave the soil the cuttings have rooted in and then, packing them in perlite?

DO NOT enclose the entire plant in a baggie or any plastic for that matter or they will arrive a rotting smelly mess. Its ok to wrap the soil ball and secure with some rubber bands. Mail them on a Monday and send them Priorty Mail so they get to their destination in approximately 2 days. Priority Mail is only slightly more expensive then first class.

MG, if you've never been in the Brug and Friends forum, please stop by. We'd love another convert:)

I haven't tried the florist small containers yet but I am the one who posted that info. I have yet to do it as I haven't traded cuttings since I hit upon that brainstorm. In the spring I tried pill bottles with wet cotton and think that would work with the perlite or some of the jell pellets that hold water. I put a small plastic sandwich bag around the bottle only and I secured the top of the bottle area well with a rubber band or a twistum. That worked well and the people who got them said they arrived in wonderful shape.

I always send too many cuttings for the florist tubes. I try to send at least 12 cuttings of whatever..Even with GA's heat, I have had good luck mailing them in dampened paper towel's and them loosely wrapped in damp newspaper..Then I slip them in a plastic shopping bag, but don't tie it up, so air can get to it..They arrive fresh and ready to root.
Larkie

I use wet paper kitchen towels soaked in a root hormone liquid. the are then put into a plastic bag. quite often cuttings will root if the are in the post for a week.

Mark

I have used damp sphagnum moss wrapped around the root ball and this works very well.