Guys what are some of the best ways to ship a small plant like say a 1 gallon? I should pay more attention and study when I open packages from some of the best.

This way maybe I can start giving ppl beyond driving distance baby plants instead of cuttings!!

The short answer is any method where the pot is solidly fastened to the box, so that it cannot more, is fine. If you immobilize the weight (keep it from shifting within the box) all the rest will be fine. That does NOT mean taping where you are relying on on the tape sticking to the inside of the box. It means some sort of strap: cardboard, strip, etc. You have to assume that the box with be upside down at some point in the shipping process, and thrown around, etc.

OK, here's how I do it. 

I use a modified Priority Mail medium mailing tube.

https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?productId=P_O_1098M&categoryId=subcatMSS_B_Free

I modify the 3 sided tube by taping a 4rth side to it turning it into a long 4 sided box. A 1 gallon pot fits so snuggly into the modified box that it will hardly budge when turned upside down. 
In order to anchor the potted plant in the box completely, I cut slits on opposite sides of the box at the level of the top rim of the pot and thread a long piece of cardboard from one slit through to the other slit and then tape each end  tightly on the outside of the box.

Of course, the pot itself is first enclosed in a plastic bag, bunched newspaper or paper towel is wadded around the stem and taped shut so that the soil can't possibly spill into the box during its travels.
Wrapping the leaves in newspaper or plastic can cause more damage than not wrapping them. If the pot is anchored properly, the leaves should be fine.

Finally, I wrap the box in manila paper to add more protection and to hide the "misuse" of the boxes from USPS.

Recently Jon and I exchanged 2 of my 1 gallon potted plants for two of his.   I hope he does not mind me sharing how he does it...it is so simple yet foolproof and there is hardly any added weight.  I tape newspaper inside the rim of the pot to keep the soil secure and the plant in the pot. 

It is just two strips of 1.5" cardboard tape to the back and front box flaps.








I am reusing his box and this is a White Triana that is heading to NJ in the morning to ADelmanto to replace one the Postal service sent god only knows where as it has disappeared.    

One plant per box then just tape two boxes together for multiple plants.

Does anyone use blue ice to combat the heat during the summer? What if anything do you do about that?

I have received some that followed the same instructions for paper and bagging the pot, but instead of using cardboard to secure they punched a small hole in the side of the box at the level of the top of the pot and ran twine through one side out the other and tied on bottom then secure twine with tape. Some also cut a piece of bamboo the length of the box and insert it into the pot as an added back up or use that method alone without the twine. The bamboo alone works well enough, but the pot fastened to the box has delivered the healthiest plants to me.

I haven't ordered anything in summers heat, but I would do the same as during the winter in extreme cold. I just call the post office on the days I am expecting my plants/cuttings and have them hold them; then I go there and pick them up so they don't freeze on my porch or in my mailbox when I am at work.

Before you tape off the top of the pot so that the soil stays in place, cut one or two pieces of bamboo stake and shove to the bottom of the pot.  Then cut the bamboo off exactly at the interior height of the box.  This will prevent the pot from moving even if someone puts the package upside-down.  Since I'm the belt-and-suspenders type, I sometimes supplement this with the twine technique cis4elk describes above.  I ship some very heavy plants (sometimes 15-20 pounds), and I haven't had problems since I started doing this.

FMD-
  Just a tip.  I recently got a package from someone who was sending me a book and packaged it in a USPS Priority Mail box that had been turned inside out to hide the markings.  When the postman came to deliver it, he asked me to pay an additional $15 before he would hand it over since the USPS figured it out and considered it to have been shipped in Priority Mail materials.  Apparently they see this "re-purposing" frequently and are on the lookout.  Just so you know that your recipient could have an unhappy surprise if the USPS figures out what you are doing.

Wouldn't it be easier to remove some of the dirt to make it lighter? Unless the roots have reached the sides I don't see why ship a "small" plant in a 1 gallon pot. 

Bareroot is always more stressful for the plant and when shipping in hot weather you really don't want to add stress.  

 
 I LOVE these ideas.  My future fig recipients will benefit from these packing methods
Thanks,  Soni

The heat issue of shipping in the summer is mostly a function of a few simple things: 1) how mature the plant is. A rooted cutting is more susceptible to stress than a one year old plant that is well established. 2) whether the plant is delivered and left in the sun, or not. 3) how well watered it was before it was shipped. Was it watered well the day before and allowed to become fully hydated? Was it re-watered just be shipping?

I had some plants shipped from San Diego to NY and back (shipping address snafu), so they were gone for 12 days and they were fine. Put them in the shade and watered them well and reshipped them the following Monday.

Summer heat can lead to problems, and stuff happens, but if done properly, it is doable.

Wills, Thanx for the pix. I know I have some somewhere, but not at the ready. The string "thing" works fine, as well. Again, as long as the weight is controlled, the rest will take care of itself.

FYI, packing peanuts do NOT control the weight, they just reduce the amount of the pot can move. There will always be some settling during shipment, and then the weight is loose and the leaves and stems are now in contact with material which can rub against them and damage them.

I use the bamboo stake method and tape the pot to the sides of the container.  I cut the bamboo 1/8" shorter than the box. Then I tape the top of the bamboo so there's no sharp edges.  I put it in the pot, see where the bamboo will hit inside the box and tape 2 layers of tape there so the bamboo doesn't poke through the cardboard.  I also tape newspaper inside the pot so the soil can't get out.

Hey Kudzu,

What you say is true. That's why I wrap the package in opaque paper before shipping plus I use Priority Mail most of the time anyway.

Thank you all so much for all the info and experience sharing. I am going to study this and give it a try in a couple months :).

i tie the pot to the bottom of the box using green coated wire. sort of like how kids's toys are packaged now days. i water the container day or two before and let it drain. put some moist paper towel, not wet, on top of the soil. double bag with grocery plastic back. make sure the trunk of the tree/plant is well padded with plastic. bring up the wire from the bottom of the box, wrap it once or twice around the padded part of the trunk, and take it down on the other side to bottom. tied the wire. do that once more with another wire.

so far i haven't heard any bad news yet. i also use tape, but not around the plant or the pot. i'm afraid some of the plant part will get stuck and will rip off.

Thanks WillsC. I look forward to my package. The 1 plant per package and tape the packages together should not go overlooked. I've sent figs a bunch of different ways and that is the method I will stick with.