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Re: Best way package plants for shipping?
>>I really hated the "wet newspaper" method when I recieved plants from mail
order sources. The mass of the wet papers themselves oft crushed and
damaged delicate plants in transit. Not to mention increasing the chances
that you'll damage your plants in unpacking them from the heavy, sloppy wet
globs of paper.<<
Oh common Dwight, thats an exaggeration! All you have to to is wrap the
plants in a single newspaper page or two, fold it up and dip it in water,
let the excess water drip off and put it inside a plastic fish bag, or lay
each bundle inside a plastic garbage bag. Or just put the plants in a
garbage bag with a peice of wet newspaper laying on top of them. If you have
globs of wet paper, you are using too much water, and too much newspaper.
Dan Quackenbush packaged all his plants this way, so does Arizona Aquatic,
(sometimes they use palm leaves), and Aquarium driftwood, Aquatic
Greenhouse. Pets Warehouse puts them in a bag with a little water that leaks
all over the box, making the bottom rot away, (and all their orders go FED X
overnight) Newspaper is commonly used because its cheap, easy to find,
absorbs and holds water well, and is easier to remove than thinner, softer
paper like, paper towels.
>> Low humidity seems to lift mosture right out of the bag should it get
damaged or become unsealed.<<
Thats a new one... Its heat that makes the water and plants dry out, which
in the summertime happens anywhere in the country, but the plastic bag helps
to keep moisture on the plants and paper longer.
>>I never recommend anyone use the flat priority boxes during the Summer,
neither in the dead of winter.<<
I am not sure what box you are reffering to, but those I have looked at are
thin and only open at the small end, which makes putting the plants in and
taking them out a pain. I would be more worried about the thin boxes getting
damaged than how much insulation they provide.
>> I noticed how much stronger and healthier plants were that I got on
TRADES that were NOT slobbered in wet newspaper. GEE, THEY ALL LIVED!!
AMAZING!!! Thus, I figured wet paper was far less critical to sucessful
shipping. I figured if this company was so well known and that big and
were this lousy, I could do a much better job for fewer, smaller
customers.<<
Well, like I said, as long as the plants are kept wet, it really doesnt
matter what you use, newspaper, paper towels, toilet paper, whatever..as
Sylvia said, many things that companies do, or should do is for the
convienience of the customer, not to keep the plants from drying out.
Shallow boxes, 4 to 6" tall provide enough room for plants with some dry
newspaper on top to keep the plants from moving around, particularly potted
plants which will roll all over the place in a big box with no packing
material.
>>However, there is no way currently to garantee success of any one
particular small shipment that does'nt involve at least $15.75 and express
mail.<<
Obviously the less time the plants have to spend in transit the better, but
overnight or two day shipping doesnt gurantee anything either.
Robert Paul H
http://www.aquabotanic.com
SAEs and other algae eaters...Amano shrimp
San Jose, CA, USA