Shipping plants this time of year

[brettjm]

Allo forum. I'm planning on shipping a plant to someone this weekend or early next week, and wanted your recommendations for who to ship with and type of shipping (1 day, 2 day, etc). It is July after all, and its mid to upper 90's every day. I've never shipped a plant before, so I'm open to all tips and ideas, though I've got my basics down I think (secure base in packaging, wrap the base in a couple bags and tie around the stem to prevent soil from going anywhere, etc) Thanks for any ideas you've got. Also, don't be afraid to tell me that its a bad idea to ship a plant this time of year. I don't really know any better.

[newnandawg]

Ship on a Monday or Tuesday and not during a holiday week. Water well the day before.

[brettjm]

Who do you ship with, by chance?

[newnandawg]

USPS 2 day

[brettjm]

wonderful. thanks!

[Rafed]

I remove some of the leaves. I clip away at thee stems so that at least 2/3 of the leaf stems remain intact. Water it well and let drip for a couple hours before packing.

[Sarahkt]

This was my first year shipping plants too, but I've used USPS Priority Mail with good results. It's relatively quick, has tracking, boxes are free. You also have the (free) option of asking them to mark it as fragile and/or perishable, which may or may not ensure more caution from the handlers during transit. For watering, I've tried to water well the day before, and not the day of because it can add unnecessary weight to the package. If the pot is in a decent soil, its being well wrapped with bags, etc. should prevent any large drop in moisture. I also took my cue from others who try to ship on a Monday/Tuesday so it doesn't sit in the potentially hot postal system over the weekend. If it's a large plant, I've seen some include a bamboo or stick the length of the box to keep the pot from shifting around and crushing the plant. I haven't done that myself yet, but would save on the need to massively seatbelt-tape the pot into the box's interior.

[COGardener]

I also look at the weather forecast along the route during the shipping time. If there is going to be extreme temps, I postpone shipping.

[brettjm]

I appreciate all the info. I think it will be USPS, and I think I'll try to do 2 day shipping with a "perishable" label, if I can. It's not a terribly large plant, maybe 5 or 6 leaves and close nodes, and the pot is bigger than it needs to be at this stage of growth. I hadn't originally planned to gift it off anywhere. Thanks again.

[COGardener]

What size pot 1 gallon?

[brettjm]

I think its a 1#....maybe only a 1/2#. Still, its a small plant for the pot. It'll grow out of it by the end of fall, but not yet.

[F. Bennett]

Great topic. I'll be shipping a couple plants in the upcoming weeks.

[COGardener]

I've successfully shipped two so far and have some more going out shortly as well.

[fitzski]

On the tree I got from Hershell, he shrink wrapped a stick around the pot that was the length of the box to prevent its movement inside the box. I should have taken pictures as I unwrapped it so I can do the same when I ship a fig.

[Kelby]

I've been using USPS 2 day priority, usually around $10 but can go up to $20 if heavy. Haven't had any trouble yet. Just make sure the pot is secure in the box. Bamboo stakes cut to the size of the box jammed in the pot do the trick.