Strategies to send plant material for the price of a stamp

[RandyS]

I just remembered another plant I've propagated from small, very flat pieces: Homalocladium platycladon, "tapeworm plant". I guess these are technically stems, and all that's required to get a new plant is a piece with one node (very localized). I propagated these a few years ago; my mom has a big plant nearby.

The little guys with leaves are new plants.

Homalocladium platycladum -- Ribbon Plant

 

[Andrew42x89]

Just because, you know, science.. tested the cracked coin capsule to see how it fared holding water. Left water sitting in it for a few hours over a paper towel and saw no sign of moisture underneath.


However, there was clearly quite a bit of loss overnight with it sealed.

 

[RandyS]

When I get a chance, I'll try the following:

1) Water in undamaged coin case
2) Water in undamaged coin case inside ziploc bag
3) Water in undamaged coin case inside ziploc bag, moist paper towel inside ziploc bag

Then try cracking whichever one(s) show no water loss

 

[Camden M]

My results:


I think that the bag somehow got pinched by the coin case and when the coin case cracked, everything(the water) just escaped.

 

[Camden M]

I know you can wrap cuttings in damp paper towels, then put that in a bag. Idk if that would be practical though :/

 

[Camden M]

Ohh I wonder if it evaporated through the cracks?

 

[RandyS]

It sounds like of the 4 sent out (also reported privately), all 4 had problems with the coin case cracking and the cuttings drying. Whether they would have dried without the cracking seems unclear (?).

But did the case end up preventing the cuttings from being crushed? If so, that is the first goal. Adding something moist, a paper towel or sphagnum, perhaps inside the coin case and/or inside the bag might do the trick. Finally, encasing the whole thing in tape as a third barrier to moisture loss might be a final safeguard.

This is starting to seem complicated, but perhaps it can be done simply and quickly?

 

[RandyS]

I'm going to wrap up a couple cuttings as follows:

1) Put cuttings in the coin case. Add moist paper towel inside the coin case, if it fits (probably rolled up, next to the cuttings, not surrounding). In principle, I could even directly spray a small amount of water, but I'm not sure I want to do this in general.

2) Put a fair amount of barely moist paper towel inside the bag, outside the coin case. Presumably this would eliminate any evaporation from even a cracked or intact but less than airtight coin case.

3) Encase the whole thing in tape in case the coin case cracks AND the bag rips.

4) Crush with some pliers to the point where the coin case is cracked, but still basically intact. And see what happens.

So far, from what I'm aware, the coin case has served as a framework to keep the cuttings from being smashed by the rollers. Please let me know if anyone thinks otherwise. So water loss is the concern at this point.

 

[RandyS]

Here's what I just described, using the same numbering. However, I crushed the coin case before sealing with tape, so I left those numbers as is:

 

[RandyS]

I could either see what happens here to those cuttings above, or pop them in the mail. It would certainly be trivial to do the latter. So if anyone wants me to send it, please let me know. It could be interesting to see how a coin case that has been cracked from the beginning handles the trip.

To follow up on a couple things:

I checked the coin case that I sent myself (which went to Oakland). There are cracks in the edge, but not across the center:



This is what those cuttings look like today--I'm not seeing obvious signs of growth. I did start those before I sent them (on Jan. 28th), so they are over 3 weeks old. The D. binata cuttings that have been here the whole time are starting to grow. I'm not sure about D. capensis 'Red' cuttings that stayed here the whole time.

The mailed cuttings:

 

[Andrew42x89]

Quick picture update of the cuttings:

 

[bluemax]

It can take some time. D. murfetii leaves take about 8 -10 weeks to sprout out with little ones. D. binata is part of a very quick to strike group.

 

[RandyS]

Quick picture update of the cuttings:View attachment 11531

Do those look OK? I can't tell for sure from the photo

It can take some time. D. murfetii leaves take about 8 -10 weeks to sprout out with little ones. D. binata is part of a very quick to strike group.

D. binata from the same plant after 40 days with my conditions (temperature about 65 F). i think I noticed signs of life after 3 1/2 weeks.

 

[Andrew42x89]

Do those look OK? I can't tell for sure from the photo

…

Hard to say really, but they’re not rotting or anything yet!

 

[RandyS]

NineLine sent cuttings similar to how Andrew42x89 suggessted, in a cardboard cutout. The cutting look great, and USPS did not complain about the rigidity.

It looks like Drosera is part of some sort of Ramen dish.​

 

[NineLine]

Super easy to cut out of the cardboard! I also put a small bit of wet paper towel in the coin case. Good test!

 

[NineLine]

Unfortunately, I don't think my cuttings have any life left in them!

 

[RandyS]

No, that doesn't look good. The ones I sent to myself look partially alive--I have plantlets coming from D. binata, not sure about D. capensis red. I'll have to take a picture.

 

[NineLine]

Do those look OK? I can't tell for sure from the photo

D. binata from the same plant after 40 days with my conditions (temperature about 65 F). i think I noticed signs of life after 3 1/2 weeks.

View attachment 11537

This looks really great!

 

[RandyS]

What's funny is you can search for D. binata propagation online, and there are many almost identical photos.

I put that one on sphagnum to hopefully grow roots.