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I'm not in any position of authority but I have been around the block a few times and have done mass distributions of cuttings in the past. People who want cuttings can make it easy or hard on on those who give out cuttings. If you make life miserable for your benefactors you won't have any more benefactors.
Here's how to make life easy on people who give out cuttings. If they have a good experience they'll want to give out cuttings more often. If they have a bad experience they may never give out cuttings again. Your choice.
1. Read the descriptions carefully and don't file complaints against people who are giving you cuttings for very little money (or anyone else, for that matter) until you're absolutely sure the date you were supposed to get them by has passed *and* the sender won't work with you.
2. Don't badger the sender if you haven't sent money. If cuttings were supposed to be available Dec 1 and it's now Dec 25 and there's been no word, be patient. My figs are still bleeding white latex. Usually at this time of year all the figs are dormant but take a look at the weather. Cuttings wait for dormancy. Even if it's been cold and plants are likely to be dormant all kinds of things can happen - family or personal emergencies or what have you. If you're contacting the sender so are 300 other people. No one has time to answer all of those PMs. Be patient. I know several people who can't post any more because they get too many emails/PMs every time they do. Others have disabled their PMs for that reason.
3. Be patient. Once the plants are dormant it takes hundreds of person-hours to cut and label branches, then cut and label cuttings. If it took less they wouldn't be offering them on a large scale (publicly on forums).
4 YOU pay the fees on PP. I usually send a few extra $$ as a way of saying 'thank you'. That encourages people to send cuttings more often.
Many people want to give away cuttings for low or no cost other than postage. Be grateful, patient and generous in return. Tread softly on their time and energy. In the long run you'll reap a lot more cuttings that way
Here's how to make life easy on people who give out cuttings. If they have a good experience they'll want to give out cuttings more often. If they have a bad experience they may never give out cuttings again. Your choice.
1. Read the descriptions carefully and don't file complaints against people who are giving you cuttings for very little money (or anyone else, for that matter) until you're absolutely sure the date you were supposed to get them by has passed *and* the sender won't work with you.
2. Don't badger the sender if you haven't sent money. If cuttings were supposed to be available Dec 1 and it's now Dec 25 and there's been no word, be patient. My figs are still bleeding white latex. Usually at this time of year all the figs are dormant but take a look at the weather. Cuttings wait for dormancy. Even if it's been cold and plants are likely to be dormant all kinds of things can happen - family or personal emergencies or what have you. If you're contacting the sender so are 300 other people. No one has time to answer all of those PMs. Be patient. I know several people who can't post any more because they get too many emails/PMs every time they do. Others have disabled their PMs for that reason.
3. Be patient. Once the plants are dormant it takes hundreds of person-hours to cut and label branches, then cut and label cuttings. If it took less they wouldn't be offering them on a large scale (publicly on forums).
4 YOU pay the fees on PP. I usually send a few extra $$ as a way of saying 'thank you'. That encourages people to send cuttings more often.
Many people want to give away cuttings for low or no cost other than postage. Be grateful, patient and generous in return. Tread softly on their time and energy. In the long run you'll reap a lot more cuttings that way
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