OT shipping a live plant

Okay, you "know everything" quilters including the lurkers who just pop by
and never say a word. I need guidance.
For years, I've bought and tried to find the perfect dear little pepper
plant that is low-growing and produces wee peppers that look like Christmas
tree lights. It matters because our Daddy grew them and all of his
offspring enjoyed them and his pleasure in growing them.
Now that I've finally found the Perfect Just Right plant, I'd like to
send plants to my siblings. "Just" gifting them with an order from the
nursery would kill my budget. The nursery will only do big orders. So. I
want to pack live pepper plants and successfully ship them to my sisters and
brothers. Has anyone here ever successfully done such a thing? Any
suggestions? Polly

Polly Esther wrote:
Okay, you "know everything" quilters including the lurkers who just pop
by and never say a word. I need guidance.
For years, I've bought and tried to find the perfect dear little pepper
plant that is low-growing and produces wee peppers that look like
Christmas tree lights. It matters because our Daddy grew them and all of
his offspring enjoyed them and his pleasure in growing them.
Now that I've finally found the Perfect Just Right plant, I'd like to
send plants to my siblings. "Just" gifting them with an order from the
nursery would kill my budget. The nursery will only do big orders. So. I
want to pack live pepper plants and successfully ship them to my sisters
and brothers. Has anyone here ever successfully done such a thing? Any
suggestions? Polly

G'day Polly!

I've regularly bought plants from ebay and it's not too hard to wrap
them up safely for shipping.

Here are some of the solutions I've seen.

Plant seeds in a paper cup with drainage holes. When plantlet is old
enough, water generously and wrap the whole thing in saran wrap. Mount
in a cardboard box stuffed with newspaper.

Take cuttings or bare-rooted plants and wrap the 'roots' in wet sawdust
or soil. Wrap thickly in paper towel and wet generously. Wrap the lot in
saran wrap and then in bubble wrap to 'splint' the whole package.

Enclose the entire plant, pot and all, in an airtight container. Make
sure the plant has been well-watered and that something is holding the
soil in the pot (ie. so it can't fall out). Also, fill the container
with, say, crumpled newspaper or packing beans so the pot can't rattle
around inside and thus harm the plant. Wrap as for any parcel and post.

It's always good to post plants on a Monday morning so the likelihood of
them spending a hot, dry weekend in a post office is lessened. Also,
when putting them into the outer packaging, imagine that someone's going
to be chucking a TV on top of them in transit: that's how strong your
packaging needs to be. Marking them 'fragile' or 'handle with care' is
absolutely pointless. IMHO.

HTH,

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Thank you, Trish. I had some of the details figured out but certainly not
the part about dropping a tv on top of my package. You are so right. It
could happen. Polly
"Trish Brown" wrote in message
eb.com...
Polly Esther wrote:
Okay, you "know everything" quilters including the lurkers who just pop
by and never say a word. I need guidance.
For years, I've bought and tried to find the perfect dear little pepper
plant that is low-growing and produces wee peppers that look like
Christmas tree lights. It matters because our Daddy grew them and all of
his offspring enjoyed them and his pleasure in growing them.
Now that I've finally found the Perfect Just Right plant, I'd like to
send plants to my siblings. "Just" gifting them with an order from the
nursery would kill my budget. The nursery will only do big orders. So. I
want to pack live pepper plants and successfully ship them to my sisters
and brothers. Has anyone here ever successfully done such a thing? Any
suggestions? Polly

G'day Polly!

I've regularly bought plants from ebay and it's not too hard to wrap them
up safely for shipping.

Here are some of the solutions I've seen.

Plant seeds in a paper cup with drainage holes. When plantlet is old
enough, water generously and wrap the whole thing in saran wrap. Mount in
a cardboard box stuffed with newspaper.

Take cuttings or bare-rooted plants and wrap the 'roots' in wet sawdust or
soil. Wrap thickly in paper towel and wet generously. Wrap the lot in
saran wrap and then in bubble wrap to 'splint' the whole package.

Enclose the entire plant, pot and all, in an airtight container. Make sure
the plant has been well-watered and that something is holding the soil in
the pot (ie. so it can't fall out). Also, fill the container with, say,
crumpled newspaper or packing beans so the pot can't rattle around inside
and thus harm the plant. Wrap as for any parcel and post.

It's always good to post plants on a Monday morning so the likelihood of
them spending a hot, dry weekend in a post office is lessened. Also, when
putting them into the outer packaging, imagine that someone's going to be
chucking a TV on top of them in transit: that's how strong your packaging
needs to be. Marking them 'fragile' or 'handle with care' is absolutely
pointless. IMHO.

HTH,

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Somebody has to say it....

Polly's Packing a Peck of the Perfect Pepper Plants!


On 5/29/2012 12:18 AM, Polly Esther wrote:
Okay, you "know everything" quilters including the lurkers who just pop
by and never say a word. I need guidance.
For years, I've bought and tried to find the perfect dear little pepper
plant that is low-growing and produces wee peppers that look like
Christmas tree lights. It matters because our Daddy grew them and all of
his offspring enjoyed them and his pleasure in growing them.
Now that I've finally found the Perfect Just Right plant, I'd like to
send plants to my siblings. "Just" gifting them with an order from the
nursery would kill my budget. The nursery will only do big orders. So. I
want to pack live pepper plants and successfully ship them to my sisters
and brothers. Has anyone here ever successfully done such a thing? Any
suggestions? Polly

you can also put a big arrow ^^^^ or 4 on the outside of the box pointing
up.....'this way up'.
i think 'fragile' or 'live plant' might also be allowed on the outside of
the box. i'd ask at the post office.
something stiff and at least as tall as the plant. like a big cylinder
shape, inside the box seems a good idea too.
heck if they can ship bottles of plonk without breakage a plant shouldnt be
so difficult in the scheme of things.
if all else fails, drink the plonk and invite them all to your house for a
visit and they can take the plants home themselves.....after they sober up
of course.
just a thot,
j.
oh another thot, can you find a website that ships plants of the size you're
wanting to do and ask them how they do theirs with no damage to the plants.
they might even have it showing on their website.
ok, did you google 'how to ship a live plant' ???
doh, sorry, having issues focusing on various anythings lately, what with
decisions to be made and not really doing well on those either. :/
j.


"Polly Esther" wrote...
Thank you, Trish. I had some of the details figured out but certainly not
the part about dropping a tv on top of my package. You are so right. It
could happen. Polly

"Trish Brown" wrote ...
Polly Esther wrote:
Okay, you "know everything" quilters including the lurkers who just pop
by and never say a word. I need guidance.
For years, I've bought and tried to find the perfect dear little pepper
plant that is low-growing and produces wee peppers that look like
Christmas tree lights. It matters because our Daddy grew them and all of
his offspring enjoyed them and his pleasure in growing them.
Now that I've finally found the Perfect Just Right plant, I'd like to
send plants to my siblings. "Just" gifting them with an order from the
nursery would kill my budget. The nursery will only do big orders. So. I
want to pack live pepper plants and successfully ship them to my sisters
and brothers. Has anyone here ever successfully done such a thing? Any
suggestions? Polly

G'day Polly!

I've regularly bought plants from ebay and it's not too hard to wrap them
up safely for shipping.

Here are some of the solutions I've seen.

Plant seeds in a paper cup with drainage holes. When plantlet is old
enough, water generously and wrap the whole thing in saran wrap. Mount in
a cardboard box stuffed with newspaper.

Take cuttings or bare-rooted plants and wrap the 'roots' in wet sawdust or
soil. Wrap thickly in paper towel and wet generously. Wrap the lot in
saran wrap and then in bubble wrap to 'splint' the whole package.

Enclose the entire plant, pot and all, in an airtight container. Make sure
the plant has been well-watered and that something is holding the soil in
the pot (ie. so it can't fall out). Also, fill the container with, say,
crumpled newspaper or packing beans so the pot can't rattle around inside
and thus harm the plant. Wrap as for any parcel and post.

It's always good to post plants on a Monday morning so the likelihood of
them spending a hot, dry weekend in a post office is lessened. Also, when
putting them into the outer packaging, imagine that someone's going to be
chucking a TV on top of them in transit: that's how strong your packaging
needs to be. Marking them 'fragile' or 'handle with care' is absolutely
pointless. IMHO.

HTH,

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

LOL. What I'm trying not to do is Pickle 'em. Polly
"Liz Megerle" wrote in message
...
Somebody has to say it....

Polly's Packing a Peck of the Perfect Pepper Plants!


On 5/29/2012 12:18 AM, Polly Esther wrote:
Okay, you "know everything" quilters including the lurkers who just pop
by and never say a word. I need guidance.
For years, I've bought and tried to find the perfect dear little pepper
plant that is low-growing and produces wee peppers that look like
Christmas tree lights. It matters because our Daddy grew them and all of
his offspring enjoyed them and his pleasure in growing them.
Now that I've finally found the Perfect Just Right plant, I'd like to
send plants to my siblings. "Just" gifting them with an order from the
nursery would kill my budget. The nursery will only do big orders. So. I
want to pack live pepper plants and successfully ship them to my sisters
and brothers. Has anyone here ever successfully done such a thing? Any
suggestions? Polly

Adding a small amount of those water absorbing crystals (I'm blanking out on
the actual name) to the potting soil would help it retain moisture.

Jeri

"Polly Esther" wrote in message
...
Thank you, Trish. I had some of the details figured out but certainly not
the part about dropping a tv on top of my package. You are so right. It
could happen. Polly
"Trish Brown" wrote in message
eb.com...
Polly Esther wrote:
Okay, you "know everything" quilters including the lurkers who just pop
by and never say a word. I need guidance.
For years, I've bought and tried to find the perfect dear little pepper
plant that is low-growing and produces wee peppers that look like
Christmas tree lights. It matters because our Daddy grew them and all of
his offspring enjoyed them and his pleasure in growing them.
Now that I've finally found the Perfect Just Right plant, I'd like to
send plants to my siblings. "Just" gifting them with an order from the
nursery would kill my budget. The nursery will only do big orders. So. I
want to pack live pepper plants and successfully ship them to my sisters
and brothers. Has anyone here ever successfully done such a thing? Any
suggestions? Polly

G'day Polly!

I've regularly bought plants from ebay and it's not too hard to wrap them
up safely for shipping.

Here are some of the solutions I've seen.

Plant seeds in a paper cup with drainage holes. When plantlet is old
enough, water generously and wrap the whole thing in saran wrap. Mount in
a cardboard box stuffed with newspaper.

Take cuttings or bare-rooted plants and wrap the 'roots' in wet sawdust
or soil. Wrap thickly in paper towel and wet generously. Wrap the lot in
saran wrap and then in bubble wrap to 'splint' the whole package.

Enclose the entire plant, pot and all, in an airtight container. Make
sure the plant has been well-watered and that something is holding the
soil in the pot (ie. so it can't fall out). Also, fill the container
with, say, crumpled newspaper or packing beans so the pot can't rattle
around inside and thus harm the plant. Wrap as for any parcel and post.

It's always good to post plants on a Monday morning so the likelihood of
them spending a hot, dry weekend in a post office is lessened. Also, when
putting them into the outer packaging, imagine that someone's going to be
chucking a TV on top of them in transit: that's how strong your packaging
needs to be. Marking them 'fragile' or 'handle with care' is absolutely
pointless. IMHO.

HTH,

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

I know what you mean, Jeri, but there's none here. I hope that getting the
soil really damp and sacking the bridal veil tulle around the plant and then
a freezer weight zip bag will take care of the moisture. Our cute UPS guy
(who is also our Number One Son) says they ship live plants and live fish
daily and everywhere with no problem. I now know how to pack a live koi if
anyone needs to know. Polly
"Jeri" wrote in message
...
Adding a small amount of those water absorbing crystals (I'm blanking out
on the actual name) to the potting soil would help it retain moisture.

Jeri

If they're growing in small plastic pots, water well, let drain and then
take some masking tape and place across the pot, so the soil doesn't spill
readily. Then wrap each pot with newspaper, and place in a box with more
crushed newspaper around the pot. If you're sending just a couple of pots
in a box, and you've got some spare cardboard, cut the cardboard to the
height of the box and the width of the diagonal of the box. Tape the
newspaper wrapped pots to the cardboard, slip them into the box,
then add the extra cushioning.

Watch the temperatures where you're shipping -- try for quick transit
times and a cool day.

Or just send 'em some seeds.

In some cases, you may need plant health permits to legally send live plants
over state lines. You certainly need them internationally.

Kay (old botanist)