I have a few questions -

One is packaging trees for shipping. I made an incredibly stupid error when I shipped off a young rooted cutting to a member - I forgot to wrap the pot up in a plastic bag. Insert forehead smack here. But a few other things in my packaging failed too. I had a bamboo stick in the pot cut to the length of the box and I also cut some cardboard as a shelf around the tree trunk and taped it down, so two attempts at keeping it wedged into place. Both failed. The tree didn't make it intact. Heartbreaking. The root system is good so here's hoping the tree will recover. The receiver sent me some kind suggestions for the future which I appreciate. Any other suggestions from anyone else for some tried and true methods? If you have pics, please post. I am a visual learner.

Second question - what have you found to be the most cost effective method of shipping? While getting them to their destination in a reasonable amount of time. Do you use the 'if it fits, it ships' boxes at USPS? Or is it cheaper to bring your own box?

Third - I was a little surprised to learn I apparently shipped some ants with the young tree. We've moved recently and we didn't have ants at the old house. I have noted that they are around at the new house but I had no idea they were taking up residency in my containers! So that was a little shocking to hear I had accidentally shipped some with that ill fated tree. I can't be the only one living with ants in my yard. How do you all deal with them?

Needless to say I am feeling incredibly bad about that tree. I don't want this to happen again so any advice you all have will be greatly appreciated and well received. Thank you.

I've not shipped, but received plenty of plants this summer.  I think the ones that I've seen do the best during shipping had damp newspaper packed on top of the dirt and then the whole top of the pot was taped shut with packing tape.  Just do a grid pattern around the trunk of the tree.  It's probably best to have the tree trunk supported with a bamboo stake and then have 1 or 2 thicker rods to support the pot in the box.  Taping the rods to the outside of the pot is better than putting them in the pot with the dirt.  I've had pots come in that the rod had broken through the bottom of the plastic pot.  The biggest part is to make sure your box is just barely big enough for your pot and tree!  You don't want that baby to move any during shipping.

I use usps. I have shipped a couple hundred plants the past few years. The smaller ones 4 inch pot I use the mailing tubes that the usps has. I just wrap the pots with sandwhich baggies and tape real goot inside the tube before closing it up. Now for my larger trees 2.5 quartsi will cut a length. Of half in pvc pipe as long as the box it tall. I have pvc pipe laying around that why I use it. I will tape the pipe very well to the outside of the pot and wrap with a walmart bag or two and tape very well all around. I normaly have to use 2 ebay shoe boxes to make one box. The pot fits nice and snug while the pvc don't allow any upward movment. Also wet newspaper on top of the soil before wrapping. I will take pics the next time I ship one out.

Thank you I'd appreciate those pics next time you ship one out. I was planning on shipping some trees to friends out of state but now I'm a little nervous to do so. Plus these ants! I'm not sure what to do about that.

The best packing method for potted plants that I have seen involved the newspaper and tape over the dirt in the pot to hold it in place, and then the pot was secured at its end of the box by three 'grabber' type long screws (the kind they use to hold sheetrock onto wall frames). These were about 1.5 to 2 inches long. The whole box could be held upside down and knocked around and still the top of the plant was safe in its space while the pot was kept firmly in place by the screws.

The screws as I recall were driven in from three sides of the box, right into the plastic pot at the point that the round pot touched the wall of the box.

Nichole, do not feel bad. Most of us have had a bad shipping experience. We live and learn.

You might find this thread very useful, I know I did.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/teach-me-to-package-a-baby-plant-6407248?highlight=mailing

I'd say that losing the top is not that bad for the tree.  If the root system is strong then it will re-grow the top with 90% probability.  On the plus side, that top that was knocked off can be used for cuttings to start some new trees. 

I have shipped a number of trees in the usps priority triangular mailing tubes.  The shipping cost depends on the weight, but you don't get charged extra for the length.  If you bring your own box, they will measure it and may charge extra if it's over a certain length, width, or height.  Also, the box itself is free, which is a pretty good deal.  Another good thing about using priority mail is that it comes with $50 insurance for no additional cost, or you could purchase more for what would probably be a relatively small fee. 

Whatever you do, tape up the root mass or pot so that nothing comes loose, and moisture is retained.  Don't completely seal it.  Leave/cut a few holes so that it can breath.  I like to put it in a plastic grocery bag and tape that up.  That way it's easier to cut it free when they get it. 

Is it a heavy infestation of ants, as in a nest in the pot, or just a few?  If it's just a few, I wouldn't worry about them, as long as they're not fire ants.  If they are fire ants, I'd get rid of them first.  There are eco-friendly ways of doing this, I think, but right now I'm outside of the fire ant zone, so I don't recall. 

i tie the pot to the box using those green coated wire thing used for gardening. put 4 holes on the bottom of the box, run the wire through the whole, wrap the wire around the trunk of the tree and pass it outside. tie it down. so far so good.. i think. haven't heard any complaints yet. also i used to make my own box out of old furniture boxes. make sure to fix the container tight. but i'm out of those, so having to do with whatever i have now days.

I think it's just a few ants. Not a whole colony or anything. I don't think they are fire ants - they aren't known for being in western washington and they haven't bit me yet. They seen pretty docile. That said I don't really want to mail them to anyone. Just seems.... wrong/bad.