I just received the 5th package of crushed seeds in the mail. The reason, old, used bubble wrap. Bubble wrap for bulky seeds should only be used once. Even if you feel there is air in the cells, you have to realize that the cells have been stretched and no longer protect bulky items.
You can see in the picture that the cells are intact but stretched. Results, crushed seeds.
X
Ohhhhhhh! So sorry, thanks for the warning!
Thanks for the warning! I ship out a lot of seeds and often wonder what condition they are in when they get there.
Beth
Your seeds always arrive in great condition! :)
Mike
Luckily I have an inexhaustible supply of bubble wrap from work!
Beth, the seeds you just sent me were in great condition and they went regular mail with thin bubble wrap. I think it really depends on the type of seed being sent. KD
whew!
The problem is, when the envelopes go thru those machines, it compresses the cell with the air in it causing the plastic cell to stretch. The bubble is still intact, but the size of the bubble has been increased but the amount of air has not.
This is not too much of a problem for flat seeds, but for seeds like canna or nasturtium or brittle seeds it's a death knell.
X
Generally, if you write "Hand stamp only please" on the envie, and pay parcel rates instead of envie rates, they won't put the thing through the machine. I talked with my PO guy about it, and he said that's what I should do. Basically, anything 1/4" thick or less can go through the machine, and if they don't have a reason not to, it will. It means a lower postage rate to use the machine.
However, it's _worth_ the extra 50 cents or so, in my opinion. I've sent rootlings in #10 envies with no bubble wrap, and when they were written on with 'Fragile' and 'Hand stamp only, please', and I paid the 1.13 or so (instead of 60 or 70 cents for regular letter post), they came through without being crushed.
You kind of have to write all over the envie, but they don't seem to mind that. :)
Not saying the bubble wrap isn't important, but adding in an extra thing-you-can-do, for those who want to be extra careful with precious seeds.
-Sev
Just be warned....I have got LOTS of envelopes that say "hand cancel only" and they have been sent through a machine. I think the only way to ensure the hand cancel is to personally hand the envelope to a postal employee (which means standing in line)
Paying an extra 50 cents doesn't seem like much until you are sending a hundred envies of free seeds across the US, then it adds up!
HI--package rates are definately it as far as im concerned --my postal person said put some extra stuffing in the bubble wrap envelope so its fatter than an envelope and is classed as parcel then hand stamp--it wont be run thru a machines rollers anywhere--a buck and a half even is a lot cheaper than seven dollars shippin and all from a seed company and something to doo--small seeds and bubble wrap added to a buisness size envelope should be alright without crushing--stevo
Good point X, I am glad you are posting that here. I have a hard time saying that to someone after a trade - don't want them to get mad or to feel bad!
Bubble wrap would never get that old around here because I compulsively want to POP it. I sometimes can leave the bubble envelopes alone but must pop any bubble wrap laying around LOL! C'ept that ancient blue plastic bubble envelope that I have been kicking around for 6 mos or so....guess I should get rid of it like the maillady and dh say :P I am sure its bubbles must be in a bad way.
Make sure the bubbles are on the outside, they should not be up against whatever they are protecting. The bubbles will break hands off porcelin figurines, break seeds etc.
Another thing everyone should do is specifically write what they are requesting on the return envelope. I get so many with nothing on it, or ones that just say "morning glory" and it takes a lot of time to track down exactly who they are (often no DG name) and what they want. I grow about 50 "morning glories" so that general term doesn't help much.
