I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with cuttings that were left in freezing temps over night and if they rooted or died for you?

Knowing I had cuttings coming in the mail, and did not want my cuttings to freeze, I was watching for the mail lady Friday and Saturday to make sure they would not be left out in the cold in the mailbox. I saw her drop off the mail Saturday and there were no cuttings. So, I figured they will come Tuesday (no mail on Monday).

So yesterday, I went to the mailbox to put a letter in the box for today, and there are my cuttings sitting in the mailbox! I have no idea what happened, either she forgot them the first time she dropped off the mail and then came back around and she put them in my box after I already got the mail, or she delivered them to the wrong house and someone came and put them in my mailbox. Figures, after I did all that watching.

The temps that night were around 18-20F at their lowest point of the night. They were insulated well though, wrapped in plastic, then in a plastic Baggie, then a large black garbage back was folded around them several times to make several layers, and they were in the mailbox.
I assume cuttings go through all types of temperatures going though the mail this time of year, so hopefully they are ok. But I have never had them left overnight before.

So I was wondering if anybody has ever had this happen to them before and what happened to your cuttings?

Thanks!

You should have no problem with the cuttings. I once left my cuttings out on a 12 degree night and they rooted perfectly. You should only worry if they aren't a hardy cultivar or it gets below 10 degrees.

Thanks Ekierk! I feel a little better now, I think the thing I have going for me is that the sender packed them very well. We will see!

Hey Christy......No Worries....The mailbox also  protects them at those  Temps....Keep us Informed! ; )

Thank you for giving me hope frankallen!

I think it partially depends on how they were packaged.  I had some RdB cuttings a couple years ago that i waited a year for and when I got them in the mail, they were wrapped in a wet newspaper and it was completely frozen, even right onto the cuttings.  In the same package I had Valle Negra cuttings and they pretty much all rooted for me.  Meanwhile the RdB were covered in mold almost immediately when I started trying to root them and obviously none made it. 
So this demonstrates both it depends on cultivar and quality of the scion as well as if they were wrapped in wet material or not. 

Good to know Timmy. Fortunately, mine were wrapped really well, several layers of protection and he did not wrap them with anything moist, so things seem to be on my side so far!

I did not experiece any unusual results from cuttings that were subjected to 25 degree weather for over a week.  They all woke up fine and dandy.  Getting down in the teens or single digits will be for someone else to answer.  Good luck with your cuttings.  Richard

That's great news Christy!  Good luck!

Recently I received a package of cuttings, all really well wrapped like yours, without moisture.
I can't say that they're all ok, because I'm only rooting a third of each variety, but so far so good.
They sat in 10 degree weather for about 7 hours.

I had the same issue with RdB cuttings... they arrived frozen and molded pretty quickly.  It was somewhere in the teens that day.

Nick

Well, we will see,,,,

But I still want to know how they got into the mailbox after I watched her deliver the mail on Saturday. Now, I am going to be freaking out watching for Jon's cuttings to get here with out no mailbox "magic tricks"!