I just traded Heliconias and Cannas with a couple of people, in California and Puerto Rico.
The postage to California was $27.00, and to Puerto Rico was $20.00.
I left about 4 feet of stalk on the plants, so the boxes were pretty big.
How does everybody else ship? I just traded for some gingers, and I got a big root ball, no stalks. Shipping was much less.
Is that the standard practice? Roots, bulbs, tubers, no stalks?
Thanks. Steve
Mailing Plants
Yes, it helps a lot - I think I just spent way too much money at the PO. Let's see what other people say.
Thanks.
Sometimes you know in advance that you will spend more than the other person, & other times it evens out with your other trades. I would either reduce the amount of plants that you send out, or specify that the foliage will sent bare root & pruned. (as long as the plant does not suffer as a result) This time may not have worked out the best for you, but you will have wonderful trades in the future, where you recieve far more in new plants than the actual shipping costs. When you trade, you get so much more in value than if you purchased them in a store, plus the satisfaction of sharing your plants with another person. I could not begin to put a price tag on all of the plants I have acquired through trades - & I know they could not have bought the plants I sent to them for what the postage came to. Be patient & I assure you - you will enjoy some wonderful trades in the future!
Julie
Steve,
Excluding anything send over the "Pond" or across the border to the north, get a scale so you can weigh it. You can get a lot of stuff in a flat rate box at $7.70 and these boxes do come in different sizes. With a scale, you have the option, in advance, of going regular priority rate or getting the box that says "Flat Rate" on it.
And as Julie says, in the end, it's all worth it.
Molly
:^)))
Hi Julie, hope you are well.
Steve,
I have recently started trading and it isnt all that bad. I have learned about flat rate and priority rates and for now, priority is still cheaper. I have gotten some plants that I cannot find nearby and/or too expensive to buy. Plus you know that this came from a different part of the country. I find a certain peace in knowing that I am sharing what I have with those who have not - even if the have not is a root of this or a leaf of that!
I dont mean to get philosophical but this here is a nice community even if we only chat online. One day someone will trade your weed for something that you consider most precious. Hang in there!
Ana
Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement. I never stopped being ecxited about trading; I was just wondering whether or not I was spending a lot more money than I had to,on shipping charges, and it turns out that I probably was. Live and learn.
Anybody have anything to trade???
Sure. Can we trade Japanese irises?
I, like you, spent far too much with shipping for the first five or so trades but gradually learned from seeing how others shipped to me. I just sent off a clivia with many many pieces to it, in it's own pot, with a saucer. I didn't dare cut off a leaf and it arrived fine. I didn't mind the cost because of the trade. It's a reward to know it's instantly wonderful for my trader and she doesn't have to wait for it to become something special.
The flat rate boxes are only good if you are sending something heavy, because the weight doesn't matter. There is also a flat rate box at $3.85. But the problem of waiting until you get to the post office to decide how to mail it is that you might have it in the wrong box, as those flat rate boxes are printed that way.
Hey everyone. I was the first person that told Steve he was way off base on the prices he way paying to ship our trades. This was d-mail.
Back me up Steve, it is sounding like I am the bad one here.
K
K
I don't think anyone is "blaming" anyone here K. It's just a learning experience most of us have to go through to see how others ship plants, etc. It doesn't come across, to me, as any attack. It must hurt to know how expensive it is to ship to traders such as yourself, Kaleem in Pakistan, and others. Yet, it's such a positive thing for gardeners to trade, although I cringe when I hear the prices for Kaleem's packages, I look at what I have from him and realize how nice it is to exchange with him.
Hi everyone,
Karen told me in D-Mail that I could have saved a lot of money if I had cut the stalks shorter. She's right - it appears as though that's what everyone else does.
I sent Karen and Quyen some plants in the mirror boxes from U-Haul, and it cost so much because of the girth of the boxes, along with the weight. I won't do that again.
I just bought a ginger at a plant show, and it came with a big root ball and about an inch of stalk. Duh, that should have tipped me off.
Well Karen, at least you won't have to wait so long for the heliconias to grow, and I'm glad for that. There is a silver lining here.
In case anyone is interested, I D-Mailed Kaleem (user name gumlla, from Pakistan), and he's OK. He described to me some of what's going on in the wake of the earthquake, and it sounds pretty gruesome. Those poor people.
Anyway, have to run - work is calling. Thanks again for all your input - I'll be a much smarter mailer now.
Steve
I too have donme the oversize or odd shaped box before - part of our learning experiences! I also learned that you have to cover up certain writing on reused boxes... we use beer flats & other boxes from the liquor store, & words such as "wine", "beer" or "liquor" must be blacked out. I make use of colored masking tapes to cover the writings.
To use a beer flat as a package, either use one as a top & one as a bottom of the package, or you can use a measuring stick & make slits where it will be folded over. It ends up being a very sturdy box - one half the size of the beer flat -just folded over on itself! (Did that make sense?)
It sounds good but I've been using the post office boxes without problems. Is there a reason why you don't like them? Size?
Also, you can order cases of priority boxes, many different sizes from the post office. They are free.
:^)))
Molly,
I didn't know that. I always send priority. I'll have to check that out...can you order them online?
yes, go to: www.usps.com
Order supplies
:^)))
No real reason I do not use Post Office boxes - except that I always see dumpsters loaded with cardboard, & it irks me... I hate to waste paper products. I like to reuse as many things as possible - so I usually get my boxes from recycling dumpsters & the stores. I like the square Priority boxes though - they are sturdy. Many of my trades are from reused boxes - we just peel off the previous labels, or cover the old names with new labels.
My family was recycling metal & glass long before most did in my community, so I grew up very aware of what is recyclable. It became second nature. Annoying, but I feel good about it. Am I the only recycling nut out there?
No, you're very wise to do it. We also peel off the labels and reuse the boxes. It would be nice if we could all do it.
Me, too. I don't throw away a box until it just can't go any further. My family used to laugh at me, but guess who they came to when they needed a box.
You also have to be careful about anything "medical" being printed on the boxes. I use boxes from the hospital where I work, and one post office person would not accept a box full of baby toys because it said something medical on the box.
I had not thought of that - I am very careful with overseas packages - you don't know what they may view as suspicious. My Dad ships all over the world, & some of the packages never get to their destination. The boxes always look like they have been through a tornado as well...
One of my best shipping tips is to use toilet tissue tubes - they are perfect for protecting little plants from getting squashed in transit! Then I sometimes tape it to the side of the box to secure it as well. You can slit it down the side to gently slip the plant into the tube, then tape or use a tie to keep it closed around the plant. It may sound funny, but it works very well. Paper towel tubes are great for taller plants & they help protect the new leaves too. Those cardboard cup holders that you get from fast food & coffee shops work well for succulents, which can break easily & rot if packed in plastic. Sorry to hijack the thread - but it is always good to share shipping hints. I have learned so many things - mostly the HARD way! :)
I think I would like to add my 2 cents here for what it's worth.
Having worked for the post office, being a former E-Bay Seller and an avid plant trader I have found that buying a cheap 10-15 pound digital scale is THE best way to arm yourself. Simply put your scale (get an extension cord if you must) in the center of the floor (or even outside if you can), fill you box (don't tape the top yet) with everything you are going to put in it. Go to www.usps.com and type the persons destined zip code and what the weight is. If it comes to less than $7.70 you can leave it in a regular Priority Box (you would be amazed how many plants fit in a box before you hit $7.70) but if it weighs more than $7.70 then get a Flat Rate and re-pack it into a Flat Rate. I would suggest ordering (they are FREE) 1 case of every size Priority Box (if you can store them somewhere in the shed/garage etc.) and 1 case of ever size Flat Rate you think you would possibly use. Then, when you are packing parcels you have your choice of boxes right at your fingertips. You can literally at this point calculate your own postage and even have your check already written out before you get to the post office *lol* I have fit up to 12 named daylilies in a flat rate box for $7.70 and these weren't tiny daylilies *lol*
As far as recycling, in Maine we have to pay per bag for our trash so needless to say, I am known in our family as the recycling queen *lol*. We recycle tin, cardboard, plastic, glass, junk mail/paper. Now our family of 4 only goes through about 1 bag a week. Most of it would be compost material but I still don't have the nerve to compost as I don't want critters. As it is I have a mother skunk who LOVES to dig up everything I plant the day after I plant it. I have to go outside and put it back in the ground only to find it back on top of the ground the next morning. This goes on a couple of days in a row and then she moves on to the next plant. I think next year I'm going to try the mothball trick to see if that helps.
If you use recycled boxes they can't have anything already marked on them that is liquid/perishable or potentially hazardous to others (since 9/11 and for OUR safety) so even if it's only a plant inside the box can't say anything towards any of the above. Even a bleach box has to have all the markings blacked out or covered up.
I once got a call from the Postmaster General because my box was leaking water. He wanted to know what was in my box (or they were going to send it back to me). I told him it was blueberries that I had freshly watered (this was in my newbie trading days) and he asked me if I used any insecticides or pesticides on my blueberries. Of course I don't as they grow wild on my land so I told him no but if I had said yes they were coming back home. He told me that I can't have a box that leaks. So now if I think a box will leak I will either write my name and phone # on the box or I will disclose exactly what is in the box and write no pesticides or insecticides used. I could just imagine the postal workers screaming "we have a leaking box here" and grabbing their "hazardous material gear" only to find out the box had Maine blueberries in it. Oh my.
Anyways, that's my take on this and hope it has helped in some way.
Kim
They could have kept the blueberries and made pie!
Thanks to Kim and JRush and gardengram for some great ideas.
JRush: I think you may have mentioned that idea once before and we now have this huge bag of toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls. It hangs proudly in the kitchen and gets more expansive all the time. I smile when I see it just knowing I'm recycling way more than our town requires. My neighbor uses the toilet paper rolls to protect new plantings of vegetables in springtime.
Kim: I have sent our tomatoes, a few times, to friends in Florida. "Friends" being used casually here. They complained of leaky boxes, etc. and rarely said much about how good the non-leaky tomatoes were so I don't waste my time sending them anymore. I have sent my share of leaky plants and I'm grateful, now, that I've learned more about how to pack and ship and that the post office knows me quite well and probably hates to see me walk in the door!
Gardengram: Not having access to medical boxes I'd never even have thought of it but you make an excellent point.
9/11 changed our lives in many more ways than we realize some times. Now I just black out or cover up anything that I think may be misinterpreted.
So true and so very sad. Better safe than sorry but it is a very different world than the one in which we all grew up.
You know what amazed me? Mailing a package to Puerto Rico is like mailing a package across the street. No extra cost involved at all; just the standard, domestic USA rates.
That surprised me, too. I was expecting some really high "foreign country" charges.
Me, too!
It cost me way more to mail to California than to Puerto Rico - identical packages. In fact, the package to P.R. was heavier. The man behind the counter mumbled something about zones...
Now that is very interesting!
Would they be talking about time zones? I know the further away (as in crossing more time zones) the more you have to pay. So if PR is in the same time zone as you.................?
I think it's their mailing zones. Kim, can you clarify this?
PR is a US holding, so that may be why the same shipping costs apply.
For heavy boxes (anything over 4 or 5 lbs), I ship by Fed X Ground. For a 15 lb package going to Washington State from Arkansas, I save $15 by using Fed X. And they have a better tracking system. They may be a little slower, but if you package your plants right, they should be able to live ina box for at least a week. And Priority mail is not always dependable. I had one priority mail box headed to a city about 8 hrs from me. It arrived 9 days later!
I have found that using Delivery Confirmation (an extra 45 cents) makes the post office a little more careful with my packages. I've never lost a package sent with DC. And in most cases they arrive in two or three days.
I've also found that shipping on Fri or Sat is one of the best times. In most cases, the recipient gets their package on Mon. Despite popular belief, postal workers work 7 days a week, including holidays, to route and sort our mail. So the packages don't just "sit idle over the weekend", as some folks believe. They are in transit or they are being sorted.
I got a little off subject, but I hope the information helps.
NancyAnn
It helps - thanks, NancyAnn
Yes, the United States is broken down into different mailing zones. Thus, the further a mailing zone is from your zone the more expensive it will be. You can see clearly on the USPS site the different zone (there is a rate chart there which shows you how much it is to send a box of a certain weight to each zone). I have printed out this chart and it really is quite useful when mailing your boxes. Just look at what the destined zip code is (the first 3 numbers) correspond it to the chart and it will tell you how much it is from your zone to their zone. I keep this handy at all times. There is one for Parcel Post, First Class and Priorirty. First Class is cheapest and the best service if something weighs less than 13 ounces. It is USUALLY there within a week of mailing. I would not recommend Parcel Post in most circumstances (unless it's tubers, bulbs, rhizomes) as it takes the longest and in my opinion the boxes don't get handled quite as "carefully" as Priority. Also, like Nancy Ann pointed out above, I believe the DC is worth the $.45 cents because I know my Priority Box has to be scanned (held in a PO workers hand) in and then scanned (once again in someone's hands) delivered. They do seem to arrive quicker and in better shape. Also you never have to worry about someone saying "I didn't receive my package". I like to send the DC # to my trader so they can see I've mailed it and they can check on it to see where it is enroute to kind of plan it's arrival around their schedule.
Hope this helps.
Kim
It does help, Kim, and thanks for sharing it.
Hmm, I haven't been using DC. Guess I should do so from now on. Thanks, Kim.
Remeber please that this is just my opinion. There are many people out there that swear the DC is nothing but a rip off and not worth the $.45 and they are certainly entitled to their opinions also. It has just been my experience (as an E-Bay Seller, past Postal Worker, and an avid plant trader) that to ME it's worth the $.45.
Kim
Geez, thanks y'all. This has been a real education for me!
We have been shipping live birds and eggs (for hatching) for years and I finally have that figured out, but you have all given such good info on plant shipping - it should make my 2005 plant shipping season a lot easier, faster and cheaper.