Shipping anything, anytime, is up to traders.
I know people want to let this thread die, and I am sensitive to that. However, some things really do need to be adressed.
Let's just bear in mind that I am a patient person and am willing to wait for the best conditions before acquiring plants. I've negotiated 2 trades in the summer last year, and both were shipped to me this winter because my trading partners claimed, that (ironically in regard to the argument here) winter, specifically February, was the best time to ship them...and one of these deals was with Lois Ochs.
I waited half a year...patiently...when I had sent both my parts months in advance. And, no, I was not upset! I wanted the plants to be shipped at the best time. I do not think any less of my trading partners for shipping months behind me.
I'm not really up on what the whole argument is here, but I do agree that waiting is good, and also that sometimes it is important (to the reciever) to ship in the winter, as to get a plant established in your collection so it will thrive and flower in the spring or summer.
Why would anyone want that? why would anyone insist it be shipped?
that makes no sense..you cant wait a few weeks to get a live plant?
If I was shipping CPs, and the receiver INSISTED, I would say "too bad, get over it, im not killing a plant because you are too impatient"..
actually, if someone insisted, I would refuse to ship to them, ever, and would withdraw the offer, because they obviously aren't a responsible CP owner and grower..
Scot
This is a very harsh stance. We were all newbies once. Most of us have killed a few flytraps. I did! But I learned something from it other than how to correctly take care of them:
I cannot discount my experience even though I am shocked as I look back on it. I once had a VFT for a whole year. It lived in 2" of soil, in a very shady place, and was watered occasionally with 400-500ppm tap water. It lived from spring of purchase to spring of flowering...then it died, of course. No way it should have made it that far, but the flowering was the last thing. But seriously, it would even catch earwigs.
People who don't understand the seriousness of shipping in cold weather are not necessarily "[irresponsible] CP owner(s) and grower(s)."
So check this out..
it just so happens, I have been monitoring the temperatures of packages in the US mail lately!
For work, I have been tracking the temps of photo paper placed in trucks and being shipped between Rochester, NY and Colorado..for the project, all we care about is the temp inside the truck..but the package, containing the temp sensor, is mailed back to me, so I also get the readings while the sensor was in the US mail..I pulled out just the data from when the package was in the mail, here is an example from a month ago:
That shows 4 days in the US mail.
scary..
each data point is 30 minutes apart.
the package went through four freeze-thaw cycles, some of them quite severe.
and an overall temp range between 75F and 9 below zero!
yeah..dont ship plants in the winter..
Scot
This is very interesting! However, I might just want to explore a few variables:
How was the package sent back to you? Most of us send plants priority mail, but I have my doubts that you would send your temp. sensor this way since the cost would be high. But still, I don't rule out the possiblity that you did so.
Also keep in mind that not all of us send plants to cold regions during the winter. I know San Diego is not cold...and a few of us members live here ( at least SDCPs, zhilin, Miguel SK1...lizard atavar, and Mrs...with the "nep ghettos") Forgive me for the horrible references to you guys but I forget the screennames or mispell them.
thanks!
yeah, its pretty interesting, and telling, data.
I have 4 months of data like that, HEAVY temp swings from the US mail..
I dont think they pay any attention to temperature control at all..its just not a factor in their business model..
Scot
Just to explore testimonies from professional shippers of CPs, I quote:
"Yeah, I imagine that it does happen from time to time. But Steve and I have shipped probably over 100 orders during the winter months via USPS Priority Mail and we've not yet had one customer report that the plants were frozen upon arrival."
"I have also shipped hundreds of orders through USPS over the past couple winters and have had very good results. I add 72-hour chemical heat packs when the weather looks especially severe, but I have yet to determine how necessary that is."
http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1007509&postcount=19
http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1007576&postcount=25
Why do these shippers have such success? Is Scott's data not representing their average shipping conditions?
nope..not at all.
if you cant be bothered to take proper care of a plant, or CARE about its proper care,
why should I send you one? sorry, but I have no respect for irresponsible people..
People might want to think twice about sending plants to SDPS, Doomsday and eou812.
IMO they are not worthy.
Scot
Friend: how wrong you may be.
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Really, I don't think too much less of anybody that has participated in this discussion, but it
has saddened me. So, I apologize for stirring the pot again, but the mods left this open for good reasons that only they know
, and I'm going contribute.