I have many duplicate/triplicate rooted cuttings, healthy, rooted with many shoots and leaves in the double plastic cups.  I have promised these duplicates to many here, and was trying to figure out a cheap and easy way to ship.  I just purchased three of these rolls of recycled corrugated paper from Ebay, thinking I could cut a circle from stiff cardboard for the top and bottom, fit the cup in snugly, tape, cover with brown paper taped like crazy and ship!  What do you think? 

The double plastic cups are strong, and the roll can be cut to exactly fit.  My plan is to top the soil with barely damp sphagnum and stretch plastic wrap over that, sealed with tape to keep the soil from spilling all over everywhere.  If bracing is needed, I can do that easily with cheap bamboo from the 99 cent store.

OK!  Your turn!

Suzi

I shipped some recently and I used damp paper towel or newspaper to keep them moist and put some clear tape to hold it in place. I also
taped the top and bottom plastic cups together to keep the soil/paper from falling out. I used a small box and some air bubbles for padding.

   Just recently shipped a small tree down to North Carolina. It was my first time shipping a tree so I think I over did it a little. I used a USPS priority box (not the smallest, but the next size up).  A very stiff piece of packing material that I salvaged from another box that I used as the "backbone" of the box, and also to support the seedling tree.  Lots of bubble wrap and some semi-stiff foam packing material to stabilize everything. And sent it off on a wing and a "prayer".
   Got a reply from the recipient a couple of days later that it arrived in one piece. Sending a bunch of them out that way could prove a little costly. This package cost about $15.75 to ship, but it was for a special friend, so no problem.  Maybe the people you send to could pick up the postage so it's not so bad on your bank account....LOL....  :)    
  

I got a special tree that exploded completely in the box. it was taped, padded, and all, I almost cried when I saw the scene.... there was not one root left on the cutting, so I started the process all over, but only let it rest a couple of nights and planted back in same pot it came. I put inside of a grocery plastic bag and tied a knot on top. Put in my window and today I see a new leaf  sprouting, which tells me new roots have emerged.  It is my experience, that you should not send the dirt that is not really necessary.


I would get a aluminum foil and open the cup gently, shake off the loose dirt that is not anchoring roots, the remainder,  you spray it a bit and make another aluminum foil clump ball (sort like the airlayers we saw in videos) make it tight, take the cutting and the bottom covered in foil to another cardboard. prefolding in 3 or 4 carboards works great. After I sent you (my first shipping) I have learned and the people I sent received and have no complaints, except for one Adriatic that exploded on the way that took some 10 days.. I think they made it into a football or something, because it was taped to the container.

I am sure you will figure it out..less soil is less cost in shipping for sure.

if you get some of the post office flat rate, and manage to pack to fit in those, you are better with costs. because of the dirt... I have fitted plants with soil into those flat small containers.. very cramped, but enough to shove in a few peanuts or shread paper to really pack it.

my package from a nursery also exploded, they taped the dirt but the package was too loose inside of a  much larger box.

Suzi,

I purchased several orders of figs from Almost Eden nursery and they were packaged with corrugated cardboard and arrived without incident. attached is a posting with pictures of the packaging Look at post #33.
The pot is placed in a plastic bag, damp wadded newspaper is place on top to hold in the potting mix, then rubber bands are used to keep everything together. The pots are taped to the cardboard with packaging tape. Two (2) plants can be shipped in each tube taped at either end. The USPS medium flat rate box can hold at least 6 if packaged the same way.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Almost-Eden-Figs-5900615

Hmmm, so you think I still need to put the corrugated roll INSIDE another box?  I was hoping just to send the roll, all taped up with the double cup inside, and hard cardboard discs at either end, providing structure.  I'm shipping nothing until February, so this is preliminary research for me.  I have plenty of grape vines to use for stick support.  They all go dormant soon, and my trades just might get a free wine grape cutting that serves two purposes.  I have them coming out my ears!  Great on the BBQ by the way!

Grasa, I will tell you the double cup you sent me, all taped up has survived and will live a long life!

Yes, bare rooting is best, but when the cutting is a baby, not so sure.

Suzi

I have shipped quite a few potted plants (mostly pomegranates) and also received many potted plants.  I have only had one problem with an order that was shipped to me and no reports of any problems which I've shipped.  I place a plastic bag around the pot and tape it in place firmly to hold all soil firmly into place.  I also place a stake into the pot and cut it so that it's the same length as the box.  The stake prevents the weight of the pot from shifting to the top of the plant and crushing the plant.

I ship USPS Priority Mail, usually not able to use Flat Rate shipping because of size of plant.  I have often created long boxes out of stacking the free USPS #4 boxes (7" square).  It has worked out well.  For some shorter plants being shipped relatively close (few hundred miles), the Regional Rate boxes provide some fantastic shipping values ($5.90 to zones 1-3, as I recall, for Regional Rate B box which is 12" x 10.25" x 5" with weight limit of 15 pounds).

You are all missing the point!  I KNOW how to ship other ways.  Just wondering if my rolled corrugated cardboard will work wrapped around a rooted cutting in a double cup.  Maybe I'll have to just try it to get an answer.

The cheapest cuttings I ever got from anyone was quite clever.  Cuttings in damp paper towels, wrapped in bubble wrap, covered with a piece of printer paper with address on it, all wrapped and sealed with packaging tape.  Small package, and a cheap send.

But, I have all these duplicate cuttings in a rootbound condition WITH leaves, happily growing, and I'd like to send them that way.

Suzi

The2  important things are 1) to immobilize the container, whether it is a cup, a small pot, a large pot, or whatever, and 2) to keep the plant/cutting in the container during transit. If the container moves around, the the top growth gets damage. if the plant/cutting comes out of the container, same problem.

well, picture a bottom cup full of roots with sphagnum moss on top secured with seran wrap and tape, so the dirt can't come out.  The top cup is secured with masking tape, so no damage is done to the top half.  This whole drama gets wrapped in lovely corrugated cardboard, covered with brown paper and shipping tape and sent.  I'm going to try it.  I have so many duplicates of really fabulous varieties, and the roots are getting root-bound, and the leaves are green and wanting out of the double cup.

I just wondered if anyone else tried this method.  I am guessing not, so I'll be the pioneer!!  Happy to do that.  I was just wondering....

Suzi

Alan. plastic cups..  strong plastic cups!  I like to be first, and I ordered a ton of that stuff, so anyone getting a living rooted, growing in a double plastic cup will get it my way, or the highway!

Suzi

Take some pictures as it's still hard to visualize what this is going to look like.

I don't like plants spending too much time in transit (cuttings aren't nearly as critical), thus the preference for Priority Mail shipping.  For this service, anything 2 pounds and under costs the same so there's no need to keep the package particularly small.  Packages get tossed around several times during transit and other much heavier packages will be tossed on top of yours many times.  I would not rely on the recycled cardboard adequately protecting your rooted cutting with such handling and would suggest having it in a larger box which you can get for free from USPS.  Sometimes local offices don't have the free boxes or not in the sizes I want but I order several hundred at a time online.

Harvey, not sure how long you have been on the earth, but figs have been here forever, and they want to live!  They, like wine grapes, are determined to survive.  I just wondered on this topic if anyone has ever used the corrugated cardboard.  Evidently not, so I'll be the first, and I think the recipients will be happy with the health of the plants I sent to them for the cost of shipping.

Suzi

Suzi, you asked for opinions but you don't really seem to want them.  Good luck.  I have shipped many thousands of packages.  Stuff happens.

Harvey, I asked a question relating to one thing.  And I would like answers for the corrugated cardboard.  Simple.  Easy!  I know how to ship all ways, and have shipped all of them.  This one is different.  Evidently I will be a pioneer!  Happy to be that!  Stay tuned.

Suzi

Hi Suzi, I think if the cups are very sturdy plastic such as tupperware, they might make it with no problems.  If the cups are more like a deli container or disposable drinking cup, I don't think the cardboard wrap will offer enough protection from the sides. 

The guys and gals who work with the shipping companies are not handling our packages the way we do!  Even with "Fragile!!  Handle with care!!"  written all over it.  They will toss it, drop it, punt it, hurl it - whatever they need to do, to get it where it needs to go.

I volunteer to be your first recipient as a guinea pic ;) lol

Cool, Jo-Ann!  You will be the first, and it will be a surprise......... nah!  a rooted Desert King (Have a few of those, and I heard this is an amazing fig)!  Take that off your wish list! 

Thanks for sticking to the topic here!  I really wanted to know if anyone has done this corrugated cardboard tube thing for a cupped up rooted cutting.  The most creative and cheap way I received ordinary cuttings was from a member here who simply wrapped the cuttings in the customary damp paper towel, then a cushion of bubble wrap, then covered the entire thing with a piece of printer paper with the name and address printed on it, and completely covered the whole thing in wrapping tape!  Wow!  That cost him $1.80 to send.

The above was for shipping straight unrooted cuttings, but what I will be sending is the result of too many cuttings rooted, when I only wanted one, with dozens of roots, shoots, and leaves, in their little humidity cups.  My offer for extras is on another thread.

Suzi

Suzi,

   If you use one of those document tubes, they're pretty strong. I don't know how large your figs are, but if you go to a hardware store and look at the cardboard concrete forms, you'll see that you can  cut them to size and they will ship just fine. In fact, if you secure the medium in the pot, as discussed above, you won't even need the top cup. Just wrap damp newspaper around it.

Suzi - your welcome!!  And thank you!!!!  I'll take pictures of it so you see the condition it arrives in.

I think it  is sad real sad that there are nice people trying to pitch in to help this old wench and she barks at them because they don't 'get' her point. Get off your high horse and be nice or you will find a lump of coal in your stockings this year. I know so because it's all I get every year.

Uh oh, and this from a newbie?  And I am a wench?  an old wench?  You need anger help, Juicebud!!  I wasn't looking for a war.  If you took the time to search the thread for shipping options, you would find many!  This is just one that hasn't been covered.  But I've got a guinea pig, sweet Jo-Ann who will take photo's and post them here.

Not sure why I deserved your anger, but so be it!  Merry Christmas! 

Suzi

AMEN.....juicebud!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone needed to say it......Looks like to me you nailed it!

WOW Suzi, LOL

Suzi.
I like your grapevine idea. I never would of thought of that.
Maybe you could label your grape sticks too.
Your cardboard tubes will have to be able to withstand crushing presure just in case. But I'm sure if the figs get crushed they'll survive anyways. 

Edit: Just clicked on the ebay listing where the cardboard roll is.
 That cardboard is definetly not strong at all.