shipping plants

[penguin]

Since swapNsell has come I have wanted to sell some plants and was wondering what is the best method to do so? Like what stuff do you put around the roots to stop em dryin out and stuff.

thnks, penguin

[-bijanto-]

There are some good methods, but here's what I do:

• First, soak the root-surrounding soil in a solution of growth-promoting substances that include Vitamin B-1 and NAA. I'm using Liquinox Start, it's formulated to help reduce transplant shock.
  
• Transplant it to a plastic pot containing non-soil medium such as live sphagnum moss or moist coconut peat. It's best to soak the medium first in a mild fungicide.
  
• Let the plant sit in a humid and shady area for a couple of days until the plant is adapted to the new environment. If the medium doesn't have any nutrient, fertilize the plant through the leaf.
  
• When the plant is back to its normal condition, remove some leaves to avoid excessive transpiration and pack it securely in a strong box, tape everywhere so it won't move.
  

 

And here are several other methods from the WWW:

The classic one:

How to Ship Plants So They Arrive Alive

Written by Leif E. Foliage

All too many times do we send or receive plants through the mail or UPS only to have them dead upon arrival. Nothing can compare to the heartbreak of opening some long-awaited package and having loose soil and dead plants stare back at you. Here are some simple tried and true methods to help you avoid the dead plant blues:

• Always remove the pot before packing. Make sure you send only the healthiest plants and check them for parasites before sending. Place the root-ball in a plastic bag, moisten it and wrap the top of the bag loosely around the stem of the plant and tape it closed. Put another plastic bag loosely over the pre-misted top of the plant, so that it meets and somewhat overlaps the bottom bag. The plastic bag should not compress the plant. Wrap loosely and tape to the bottom bag.
  
• Be sure the box is sturdy and large enough. The box should measure four to six inches larger than the plant in each dimension and be sturdy enough to withstand the inevitable abuse it will take in transit. However, unless your plants are properly packed inside the box they will be bounced all over and the box will show no signs of damage. This is the worst scenario; you expect that the plants will be ok because the box seems unharmed. When you open it, soil and dead plants fall out.
  
• This is the most important part: First, fill the bottom layer of the box with packing material so that there is at least two inches of packing material covering the entire bottom.
  
• Place the plant in the package on the packing material so that the plant will not touch the sides, top or bottom of the box.
  
• Fill in all around the plant with packing material so that the plant is held immobile, but not crushed by the material. Put packing material over the top of the plant in the same manner. Shredded newspaper or styrofoam (soya) peanuts are the best. They provide support without potentially damaging rigidity. Crushed newspaper can be used with care to avoid hurting the plant. The plant should be completely suspended in the packaging material and as immobile as if it were sealed in a block of plastic.
  
• Now you are ready to seal the box. Have a good grade of tape and don't be afraid to use it. Tape all of the edges and seams of the box.
  
• Glue the address labels to the top of the box and run clear packing tape completely around the box, covering the labels for protection and to add strength to the box. Wrap tape completely around the other two axes of the box as well, so there are bands of tape keeping the box from bursting in any direction.
  
• Use the fastest method of shipping you can afford. Most plants can stand up to four or five days in the dark without any more damage than severe wilting and foliage loss and can be revived by light, heat,water and time. Any longer than that and (with the exception of unrooted plants and cactus/succulents) you risk losing the entire plant. Parcel post is not a good way to send live plants. Priority mail seems to be the quickest and cheapest.
  
• Always mail as early in the week as possible. Having a plant sit over the weekend in the post office in the dark will not help it any. Inform the recipients ahead of time to be on the lookout for their plants.
  
• If you are expecting plants and you have a P.O.box, check it every day.
  
• If your plant arrives looking dead, give it light and water. The foliage may all have died, but the roots are probably still alive. Treat them as though they are. Pot them and give them love and hope for the best. Some plants can die back to their roots and make an amazing comeback. Don't give up hope. Have patience; it may take months.
  

Here's from Garden Web Forum:

To ship plants within the borders of your own country is easy. You should always use a box. An envelope gets too crushed. The plant should have as much soil removed as is possible without doing any damage to the roots (this makes it lighter and less expensive to ship). The roots should be wrapped in damp newspaper or paper towels, and then the roots and wrapping can be placed in a plastic bag that is loosely tied on. Poke a few small holes in the bag. Line the box with crushed newspaper, place the plant in, and place more crushed up newspaper on top. Mail the box immeadiatly using priority or express mail. Regular mail can take up to two weeks - the plant would almost certainly arrive dead if it has to wait that long.

If the plant is really small, or doesn't have much of a root system, or it's too fragile, I've found that shipping plants in their pots is best. Make sure the soil is damp, but not wet. I find it best to give the pot some sort of lid. A fitted plactic one with a hole cut in it for the plant to poke through, or cling/saran wrap one held on with a rubber band (also with a hole poked in the top). This keeps the soil from drying out, and falling out. I like to secure the container to the botton of the box with large quantities of packing tape, and use no padding - it can come loose and bang around, injuring the plants. Just make sure the pots are *securely* attached to the box. If you want or need to use padding to protect the leaves or stems, then make sure it won't shift around. Put lots of this end up markings on the outside of the box - sometimes you can get stickers at the post office.

And here's from http://www.robsviolet.com/how_we_ship.htm:

• How to ship plants without the soil coming loose and making a big mess? This wouldn't be a problem if you only could be certain that plants would make their entire journey "right side up". We know differently, however.
  
• Our solution is simple. Secure a plastic "collar" over the top of the soil and pot rim, but below the lowest leaves. Our "collars" are square pieces of thin plastic, with a slit half-way in the middle. At left, you see both sides of the collar being gently pulled around the neck of the plant, so that none of the soil surface is exposed. It's also important that the soil level is at the pot rim, so that the plant doesn't bounce "up and down" beneath the collar. The collar is then folded down over the pot and secured with a rubber band. Bands and collars are also easily removed when unpacking.
  
• Next, we carefully wrap each plant in a sheet of stiff newspaper. Leaves are gently moved into a more upright position so that they can be rolled into a paper cone without breaking leaves. This is a skill that our "wrappers" acquire only after extensive training and practice on less-fragile plants. The person "collaring" and "wrapping" each order initials your order form and is responsible for your plant's safe packaging.
  
• After the small plant is rolled up inside the paper, each end of the cone is stapled shut. The plant can no longer move inside of the paper cone, even if it spends its entire journey "upside down".
  
• Wrapping larger plants, like standard violets, is similar, but requires a bit more care. 2-3 sheets of newspaper is used so that the cone is more stiff. Also, since neither end is stapled shut, the paper is taped to the pot side at three different points, so that the plant cannot move up or down within the cone.
  
• After the cone is complete, it is stapled together, then further secured around the pot with a rubber band. Often, the top of the cone is folded over so that the cone is "closed" (not done here).
  
• Except for times when the weather is extremely mild, we ship all of our plants in insulated boxes. Each box is lined with fiberglass insulation that is cut to size from much larger rolls. For winter shipping, we use even thicker insulation than what is seen here, so the plants are even better protected from the cold. We also insulate boxes when shipping during the hottest parts of summer, especially to places in particularly hot climates.
  
• During winter shipping, and for plants that are very sensitive to the cold (like Episcias and Begonias), we wrap each plant in an extra foam sheet, then wrap it again in the paper cones shown above. This way each plant is insulated, then placed in an insulated box!
  
• Each plant is then carefully placed in the box. More temperature-sensitive plants are placed in the center of the box, to further protect them. Any empty space in the box is filled with crumpled newspaper. This ensures that there is absolutely no room for plants to shift or move while in transit. We have boxes of every size, though the small one shown here is typical.
  
• The box is then sealed and labeled, "Very Fragile! Avoid Heat. Do Not Chill." All our orders are shipped via the US Postal Service.
  

 

Edited September 27, 2006 by -bijanto-

[entheonoob]

When I ordered an Acacia maidenii from Herbalistics, it came with the root ball in sphagnum moss which was wrapped in damp newspaper, then the whole things was in a poster mailing tube stuffed with tissue paper (i think) and the leaves had been tipped to prevent wilting.

[whit3rabbit]

What about shipping cuttings? I know they'd be a lot easier to pack compared to whole plants, but at what stage of cutting should they be sent (freshly cut, get roots first, etc)?

[entheonoob]

What about shipping cuttings?

would those little vials that florists use work for cuttings? it could be filled with rooting hormone/fert/water for the trip. have to stop it leaking tho.