How to mail tomato plants?

Granny · May 2, 2008

Hi Folks -

One of our fellow Tomatovillians lost her crop of Kasachstan. Mine germinated almost too well, so I want to share mine with her. How does one mail tomato plants? Thanks!

Sherry_AK · May 2, 2008

I can tell you how I'm planning to do it ...

I've got 4 tomato plants from a cell pack. I've wrapped a moist paper towel around the roots (including soil, not bare root). I put each plant into its own zip lock bag and zipped it around the stem, leaving the top of the plant outside the baggie.

I'm using a flat rate mailing box from the post office. I cut a piece of cardboard the size of the bottom of the box and I've stapled the baggies to that piece. I hot glued that piece into the bottom of the box to keep it in place.

Since I will be leaving for the post office in a few minutes to mail this, I don't have any idea how it will work, but it looks safe to me.

Good luck!

Sherry

feldon30 · May 2, 2008

Darrel seems to have some of the best plans for mailing tomato plants I've seen, and he documents it fully on his website.

http://www.selectedplants.com/ordering.htm

robin303 · May 2, 2008

That needs to put on a sticky for sure.

Granny · May 3, 2008

Thanks folks! I guess I'll spend the day hunting up materials, LOL.

pbud · May 5, 2008

Darrel's got probably the most reliable method of mailing plants. I've mailed a bunch in the past and my method is much simpler, though I'm sure it's also less reliable. I lightlyl crumple newspaper into the bottom of a box. Take plants out of their container and shake off dirt (bare root tomatoes), place them horizontally in the box, lightly crumple newspaper on top so that the plants are firmly ensconced in it, close top, tape shut, and mail from local post office. I've done this three seasons in a row with extra plants and mailed them from California to Missouri (probably 24 plants in all) and so far none lost.

May 2, 2008	#1
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	How to mail tomato plants? Hi Folks - One of our fellow Tomatovillians lost her crop of Kasachstan. Mine germinated almost too well, so I want to share mine with her. How does one mail tomato plants? Thanks!

May 2, 2008	#3
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Darrel seems to have some of the best plans for mailing tomato plants I've seen, and he documents it fully on his website. http://www.selectedplants.com/ordering.htm __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

May 2, 2008	#2
Sherry_AK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Alaska Zone 3/4 Posts: 1,857	I can tell you how I'm planning to do it ... I've got 4 tomato plants from a cell pack. I've wrapped a moist paper towel around the roots (including soil, not bare root). I put each plant into its own zip lock bag and zipped it around the stem, leaving the top of the plant outside the baggie. I'm using a flat rate mailing box from the post office. I cut a piece of cardboard the size of the bottom of the box and I've stapled the baggies to that piece. I hot glued that piece into the bottom of the box to keep it in place. Since I will be leaving for the post office in a few minutes to mail this, I don't have any idea how it will work, but it looks safe to me. Good luck! Sherry

May 2, 2008	#4
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	That needs to put on a sticky for sure.

May 3, 2008	#5
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	Thanks folks! I guess I'll spend the day hunting up materials, LOL.

May 5, 2008	#6
pbud Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area Posts: 173	Darrel's got probably the most reliable method of mailing plants. I've mailed a bunch in the past and my method is much simpler, though I'm sure it's also less reliable. I lightlyl crumple newspaper into the bottom of a box. Take plants out of their container and shake off dirt (bare root tomatoes), place them horizontally in the box, lightly crumple newspaper on top so that the plants are firmly ensconced in it, close top, tape shut, and mail from local post office. I've done this three seasons in a row with extra plants and mailed them from California to Missouri (probably 24 plants in all) and so far none lost.