Hello Everyone! I'm not re-posting the rules because we've finally reached the point where we should be digging, sorting, and mailing.
Please total up your lists of what you are sending out, and post your final list here.
Please review what everyone is posting, and if you've been missed on a list, speak up. This is your last chance at all those wonderful plants we've all seen!
I will be e-mailing everyone on Sunday with my address and shipping instructions. I am hoping that all the boxes will be sent out on Monday, Tuesday at the latest. Once the boxes are here, I will make sure the plants are kept cool and moist, and get them all back on their journeys as soon as possible.
When you ship your plants to me, it would be INCREDIBLY helpful if you would label what you are sending for each person. For example, instead of sending 3 plants of Butterfly Bush Medium Dusty Purple in one bundle, Denise would send 3 individually wrapped plants, labelled for Flowersareforme, Kerai, and Gardonmom2. And, if she was able, Denise could wrap up Gardenmom2s Limelight Artemesia with the butterfly bush, using 1 one label for both.
As for HOW to ship/wrap the plants, I'm going to repost Tammy's guidelines here since I thought she did a great job at explaining it all...
SHIPPING PLANTS...
OK I see a couple people worried about the plants. I have hosted a couple large plant swaps and been in a ton of others and I can tell you it has a LOT to do with the way you ship the plants. I have seen them shipped a lot of ways and I can tell you the BEST plants always arrive like this
BEST WAY:
1- Make all your lables in the comfort of the airconditioner(optional but just though I would throw that in there)
2 - Dig your plant (Have a bucket with a little water in the bottom and place all plants as you dig in the bucket)
3 - Find a spot to work and have:
Newspapers or old magazines.
Spray water bottle OR a little water in a pan
plastic -baggies/cerane wrap/grocery bags
dirt or peat (optional)
rubber bands
lables you made in step 1 :-)
4 - Shake off as much dirt as possible - take a clump of peat moss or other sterile dirt and add a little to the roots - Spray slightly with water (NOT WET - just slightly moist)
5- Wrap the roots and dirt with newspaper - (When you squeeze gently it should not drip)
6 -wrap that newspaper with your plastic then rubberband the plastic and add your label under the band
**** be sure NOT to let any plastic touch the plant this will cause the plant to rot in the heat of the box. DO NOT PUT YOUR PLANTS IN PLASTIC BAGS they will most likely not make it in the heat and will rot.
7 - Sort them in a pile for each person
8 - Take a large sheet of newspaper and wrap the whole bundle of plants in and lable with the persons name. The newspaper on the last part is important it keeps the plants protected and also seems to keep them in much better shape (they don't seem to lose as much moisture for some reason)
9 - Write on your box "Keep out of sun" and "Live Plants" This may help somewhat. I know My mail lady always walks mine to the backyard and sits it under the deck where it is coolest. She is the best!
Tip: Make friends with your mailman/woman:-)
It is actually very easy if you have everything laid out before hand (I just use old newspapers DH don't want anymore. or old gardening magazines.) And grocery bags. I hope this helps any of the newbies. I would say this is the best success rate for swapping plants. Remember any time you dig a plant it stresses it so when you get your plants plant them as soon as possible and keep watered for the first week or two. (I have 'plant ICU'. Any I think will not make it goes in a pot and all together so I can water them all at once everyday)
**Remember keep your plants out of the sun onces dug and try to get everything done the day you are shipping or as close as possible to ship date. After it is boxed up I keep mine in air conditioner until shipped. ALSO remember that if the tops of the plant are dead Most plants if planted and kept water will send new shoots from the roots. In the last 100 swap All my echinacheas looked deader than dead but I planted them and watered the dead plants. LOL. and now I have green popping up through the dead stuff.
Okay, I know that's a lot. Anyone have any questions?
-Dan
dan_the_mailmanOriginal Author
zinaray
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gardenmom2
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dan_the_mailmanOriginal Author
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dan_the_mailmanOriginal Author
kamiljablo
cjcjmass
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flowersareforme
dan_the_mailmanOriginal Author
gardenmom2
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dan_the_mailmanOriginal Author
flowersareforme
purpleclover
lindaruzicka
antiqueorchid
gardenmom2
flowersareforme
gardenmom2
kerai
dan_the_mailmanOriginal Author
lindaruzicka
cjcjmass
flowersareforme
colcol
gardenmom2
gmom2-6boys
purpleclover
greenthumbgrow
dan_the_mailmanOriginal Author
kerai
ncgardengirl
kamiljablo
zinaray
greenthumbgrow