Shipping plants methods?

MiamiAG · 2004-02-18

OK, We've started trading. So what's the best way to pack plants in order to make sure they make it to the recipient?

Six

· #81 · Jul 21, 2007

BTW the $1 store by me carries stryo box "coolers" that can be cut down to fit in a USPS shoe box. Worked great for fish and plant shipping

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jazzlvr123

· #82 · Sep 8, 2007

awesome, lemme just get in my car and drive to ohio and ill take all they got ; )

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Halibass

· #83 · Dec 13, 2007

Questions on shipping with heat packs -
1. Do you need to have a heat pack that works for the duration of the transit? Eg 72 hour heat pack for a 3 day estimated trip?

2. Do you need to insulate fully (on all sides) when using heat packs or will the package get too hot? Any difference when shipping livestock vs plants when using heat packs?

Thanks!

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ewitsshawn

· #84 · Feb 12, 2008

Id just bag em and mail with heater and foam things

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rohape

· #85 · Aug 9, 2008

I'm curious how everyone addresses the "liquid/ perishable" question when asked at the P.O.
If I tell them it's perishable does it get delivered faster? Do they want to see the items and raise a stink because it's aquatic plants and because of the liquid?
I've always just said "no liquids and not perishable" just to avoid complications.

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hoppycalif

· #86 · Aug 9, 2008

rohape said:
I'm curious how everyone addresses the "liquid/ perishable" question when asked at the P.O.
If I tell them it's perishable does it get delivered faster? Do they want to see the items and raise a stink because it's aquatic plants and because of the liquid?
I've always just said "no liquids and not perishable" just to avoid complications.

You do the same thing I do. Any question the postal clerk asks me, the answer is "no". I have had enough disputes with postal clerks to last a lifetime. I am now using PayPal's label printing, postage paying service, and I don't need to even see a postal clerk again. My post office has a big mail box where I can just dump the Priority mail package and never see a single human face.

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davemonkey

· #87 · Aug 9, 2008

hoppycalif said:
You do the same thing I do. Any question the postal clerk asks me, the answer is "no". I have had enough disputes with postal clerks to last a lifetime. I am now using PayPal's label printing, postage paying service, and I don't need to even see a postal clerk again. My post office has a big mail box where I can just dump the Priority mail package and never see a single human face.

I've been lucky. The postal clerks in this town don't ever ask unless I offer the information. But even if they did it wouldn't matter because they only want to know for the 'gossip-value' of the package.

...small towns...gotta' love 'em.

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fdxforester

· #88 · Aug 26, 2008

I work for FedEx assisting customers with packaging among other things. We ship thousands of lbs of fresh flowers, fresh fish, chocolate, steaks and other perishable products like medication. The only way to maintain reasonable temperature is to use foam coolers and a gel pad to maintain to keep the plants damp.

If you want to test your packaging, pack some plants and leave them in your unaircondtioned garage for 1-5 days. Open the box and see what condition the plant is in. If you ship ground which is cheapest way, transit times in the lower 48 range from next day to 5 days.

Other suggestions.

Ship your plants on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. If you ship Ground to a lot of destinations on Thursday or Friday the package will spend a weekend in a trailer or unairconditioned warehouse.

Don't recycle boxes, cardboard looses a significant amount of it's strength with every use. Buy new boxes. Consider double boxing fragile plants. Ziplock bags are great for keeping boxes dry.

Foam cooolers are not expensive and can be found used at grocery stores, meat markets flower shops usually for the asking. I have also used foam panels from Home Depot to make my own custom boxes.

Shipping by air is much faster and more expensive but your pkg gets handled less and probably wont get crushed. Many shippers in TX, AZ, NM, NV and other hot states wont ship anything perishable using Ground in the summer months. Too many losses due to extreme heat.

Use email shipment notification to let the buyer know when to expect the plants. UPS, USPS and FedEx will leave boxes outside or behind a gate. More exposure to heat, cold, kids and dogs.

If you label your shipments as plants be aware that some states have restrictions on some aquatic plants because of invasive species. Your package may be opened, inspected and or destroyed.

Consider FedExHome Delivery which is Tuesday-- Saturday until 8pm. You have a much better chance of getting someone at home that 8-5 M--F which is what FedEx Ground and UPS offer for not a lot more money. BTW DHL transit times are getting much longer these days to the western US since their restructuring. Each carrier can give you a pretty good estimate on transit times on their websites.

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Armin

· #89 · Jan 6, 2009

I'm shipping mostly mosses and ferns so rather strong plants.
Shipping time from Poland to Singapore or way back takes about 10-15 days.
From my experience best result is when plants are bagged in a ziplock bags without water and air. I'm wrapping ziplock bags into newspaper and putting into bubblewrap-lined envelope.
When I was adding water or wet towels to ziplock bags I had some problems with rotting plants.

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ringram

· #90 · Jan 7, 2009 (Edited)

I haven't been using heat packs for a while now and had good results. I use the free USPS Priority boxes off their website (order 20-25 at a time), so they're new and haven't lost any strength.
I use those newspaper-like mailers that we get all the time as "junk mail", crinkled up and used as cushion and insulation. The plants get wrapped in damp (not wet!) paper towel and put in a ziploc bag. This method has worked very well for me, regardless of season.
I suppose if they're subjected to freezing or 100+ degree temperatures for a long period of time, nothing will keep them from dying. It happens, but quite infrequently.

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Jackalope

· #91 · Feb 5, 2009

These are very helpful shipping hints, I hadn't given it much thought, but now, If/When I buy any plants, I'll know how to expect them to be cared for - for shipping

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Sollo

· #92 · Jun 5, 2009

You can tell the Yankee's in this string - heat packs? In Texas we want the ice packs !

Don't get in an uproar - I am a "many years ago" transplant (TWICE!) from the east coast and that doesn't mean I like it here - just haven't found my way home!

Life has me in Texas so that is where I am!!!

We have bought plants & fish from Live Aquaria and really like the way they pack - so anytime we prune to ship plants we use the wet newspaper wrap in an oversized ziplock baggie - then lay into a box filled for support. try to keep them in transit less then 3 days for best results.

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kwc1974

· #93 · Jul 22, 2009

This sugestion is not about the shipping, but the receiving of mailed plants.

What I have found works for me is to leave a cooler with ice or heat pack (depending on weather) with a piece of syrofoam on top of the pack to act as a separator. A big not on top of the cooler for the postal worker to place package into cooler upon delivery.

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Tex Gal

· #94 · Aug 24, 2011

PLEASE write on your boxes "LIVE PLANTS" "PERISHABLE". My postal worker brings the boxes to my door when they see this. I never know when the mail will come. It could be anywhere from 10am to 3pm. In that time, sitting in a HOT mailbox in TX can boil a plant. I can't camp out at the door all day waiting for the mail. I print out stickers ahead of time and just stick them on the shipping boxes. Works great.

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