Advice for shipping utrics

[wickedthistle]

Hey y'all,

Does anyone have advice for shipping terrestrial utrics, specifically sandersonii? I got mine at a cp meeting, so it wasn't shipped to me.

I attempted to get some from somebody, they were shipped with a bit of moist soil and wrapped in a paper towel, finally wrapped loosely with newspaper. Arrived 5 days later at my house quite dead and similar to boiled lettuce.

I tried to send some to a friend, potted, moist, and anchored to the box. It arrived 5 days later with the soil in pieces (as if kicked down the street or shaken violently) and also quite dead in wilty brown format.

Are these simply not hardy enough to withstand shipping, or are there tricks to sending such things? I've sent vft, u.gibba, and neps with no problem.

Thanks....

[magore]

I purchased small zip lock bags (3" X 4"). I place sphangum moss in the pottom and place the plnt on top of the moss. Then using tweezers I place more moss around the plant. I then wrap the pag in bubble wrap to secure the it in the box. I think the bubble wrap may also help control the temps inside the box. It takes a while but I think it is worth the effort.

[BigCarnivourKid]

Hi wickedthistle [img]http://www.**********.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif[/img] ,
Don't know if this will work with Utrics but I have recieved several VFTs and 2 S. "Judith Hindle" from PFT/Exotic Gardens with plastic wrap used to secure the soil in the pot. It's wrapped around the base of the plant with a clear plastic cover (cup) pushed down over that holding the plastic inside the pot (on the VFTs). On the Saras, I believe they used a short peice of bamboo stake through the overlaps of the plastic to hold it in place. It also has the benefit of holding moisture into the soil so it doesn't dry out so quickly.
Anyway, just a thought.

[wickedthistle]

Oh, I shoulda been more specific. It was potted, place in a ziplock (slightly open for air), taped to that ziplock so it wouldn't slide, the ziplock taped to the box, styrofoam peanuts and plastic grocery bags placed carefully around it and taped again... [img]http://www.**********.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif[/img]

I am SO peeved! Maybe it's simply the PO. I think next time I'll strap down the soil better with more plastic/bamboo straps. Thanks for all of the good suggestions! [img]http://www.**********.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif[/img]

[magore]

One of the problems may have been the fact that it was tapped to the box. The plant recieved all of he bouncing that the box did. By letting it "float" inside the box the vibrations and shock are reduced. Also don't worry about leaving an opening for the air, I always seal mine tight. When I send a plant potted I usally place moist sphangum over the top of the plant and tape plastic over it.

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Take a film cannister, but some moss in the bottom, fairly wet. Remove the clump to be send from the pot, wrap this root ball in some moist moss, tuck the ball into the cannister, and top with a little more moist moss, so there is no room for the ball to move. For larger amounts use the same idea, but with some sort of larger container like deli salad containers. Snap the top on and pop it into a padded envelope. Avoid sending potted plants unless they are surrounded with styro peanuts that prevent any motion whatsoever.

[Parasuco]

If u send it bareroot... errr, stolon, then u can just put it in a miniature ziplog baggy (mine are like, one and a half inches winde, two or three inches tall), and put it in a casette case... With casette cases there are those two nublettes to hold the small bag in place, and that lip at the bottom... Its rigid so nothing gets crushed.

[dodecatheon]

I take a chunk blot it with paper towel so that it is still moist but not soggy. I put it in a small ziploc bag, then in a small plastic box, then in a bubble wrap envelope. I have had pretty good luck using this method.

The important thing is to make sure it is not too wet, that it has a bit of air in the bag and that it doesn't get crushed. I think smaller portions may be more resistant to jostling.

[wickedthistle]

Thanks again everyone! These are really good ideas. I originally sent it in a little 2" pot, because my friend is an absolute plant newbie, and has no pots/soil/watering trays, backyard, etc. I'm gonna have to try it again when I grow some more stolons. It's sort of a funny story, she doesn't grow plants but is obsessed with bunnies, so a pic brought her over to the "green side" [img]http://www.**********.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif[/img] Hopefully I'll have enough by Easter, I think these plants make a great gift, especially if they're flowering!