I recently ran out of saran wrap so I sent the cuttings in a ziplock bag, my thinking was the cuttings were still "wrapped".  I know not to add extra moisture via paper towel, because that might induce mold.

At the time I was concerned about getting the cuttings in the mail so didn't put a tremendous amount of thought into it.

Now, when I am reflecting upon it, I want to know other peoples opinons and thoughts on why wrapping cuttings in saran wrap is a good idea.

Another way of putting it is, what is the best way to ship dormant cuttings?  Thanks!

I think either way is fine.  As long as there's not excessive moisture the cuttings should do well.

Thanks Don for asking this. I was overwelmed getting 24 sets of cuttings out in one week and prayed that the ziplock bag would be enough. The thought of trying to wrap all 6x24 at one time was crazy. Thank you Bob for affirming the resiliency of fig trees. ;-)

I tried to keep track of what had the best success. Wet paper towels 0% living, all moldy, DOA. Wet newspaper 50/50 sometimes they are moldy, sometimes not, depending on how wet the paper is. Saran wrap 95% success rooting, no mold, also I think if it is wrapped thick enough it also helps with lessening the damage from being bumped around in shipping.

Never send cuttings with wet anything.  They have enough moisture in themselves to make it, especially this time of year.  Rooted cuttings are a different matter though, that the root ball be wrapped with damp material so the roots don't dry out.

I wouldn't stake my life on that.  I had some cuttings shipped to me just about a year ago from a forum member, sold on ebay.  I am trusting that they did not knowingly send me "bad", dried out cuttings (give the benefit of the doubt to a forum member) but the cuttings I got were very dried out.  They were just thrown in a Priority Mail box with no saran, no baggie, nothing.  They were extremely dry & never showed any signs of budding or rooting -- they just eventually rotted.  I am thinking that it was cold in route.  When that cold dry air warms up, it sucks the moisture out of things because its relative humidity would be quite low at room temperature.  That seems to be the only reasonable explanation if I was not sent garbage initially ...

John

Don, I just received cuttings from you today. They were so fresh, there was evidence of condensation in the bag at the cut end of the fattest bit. No need for additional wrapping, which I would have immediately removed to inspect the cuttings anyway. I can understand eBay sellers putting up pics of the very cuttings on offer and holding week-long auctions needing to wrap to insure moisture level/viability once sold and shipped so many days later. I think what you sent me must have been freshly cut and so did not need additional wrapping. Now if I want to wait to begin rooting them, I can now wrap them if I want

I use a gallon freezer bag to hold multiple cuttings. The bottom of each cutting gets wrapped with a half piece of paper towel. The paper towel is wet and then wrung dry beforehand. As long as the closed bag stays in fridge or someplace cool the cuttings stay good for a long time and ship well. If you see condensation it means you used too much water. Paper towel needs to be fully wrung out.

The intent of saran wrap (cling paper) is to preserve the fresh cutting's own moisture and avoid desiccation. No moisture or moist paper needed at all. Ziplock bag can be used as effectively if the air is sucked out before tightening the zip (as was mentioned in a previous thread). It just keeps the vitality longer.

I think the paper towel helps.  The little bit of moisture prevents the cutting from drying out and it encourages rooting.  But everyone has their own method that works for them.

Fresh, or somewhat fresh, cuttings have a lot of moisture in them. Don't think of them as cut flowers that need additional moisture. You are just trying to keep the internal moisture from getting out. I ship cuttings wrapped in dry paper towel and ziplock bag. I think that when in a straight ziplock bag some humidity does escape the cutting and leads to condensation inside the ziplock bag. When that bag is shipped and tossed into the receivers fridge that condensation will pool and now the cutting is sitting in cold water in the fridge which will certainly lead to rot. The paper towel wicks enough of the water to just have an equilibrium of humidity without the risk of rot.

Btw I use small bubble wrap that I buy seperately and have the USPS send me free paper shipping envelopes. When printing the shipping label at home the shipping on that package is only $5.50. If someone has a cheaper way please let me know.

Edit: If you ever receive a dry cutting, don't give up right away. Soak it in slightly warm water for 8-24 hours in a tall glass. Let dry out completely and then wrap in plastic wrap. I have had a few recover this way.

I usually send cuttings that I have rinsed, dried, and had the cut ends dipped in paraffin. Then into a plastic bag and mailed. They won't dry out or mold, even if they get lost in the mail for awhile.

I have shipped 100's of cuttings over the years. Before I store them in the frig I wash them in 10% bleach solution and let them air dry, then zip bags. When I ship, I wrap in saran wrap and then into a plastic baggie, air sucked out and zip tie. No complaints yet
When I first started out, I shipped in just the slightest, tiniest bit moist newspaper and then baggies, and that worked fine too. 

Moist paper towels and Ziplocs. Can't go wrong.

When I ship cuttings, I wrap them very tightly with saran wrap to prevent any air space.  The air space is just room for moisture and mold in my opinion.  For long-term storage (a few months), I will take the tightly wrapped cuttings and double-bag them in zip-lock bags and store in the fridge.  Nearly zero condensation.  The cuttings root no problem, assuming they're fresh to begin with.