Giving away plants

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Giving away plants

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Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 05 7:31 pm Post subject: Giving away plants

I know lots of people do it, and obviously there's a fair bit of swapping going on (oo er how very Home Counties) but I just thought I'd bring that up as a tips gathering exercise....

For example this year I have been collecting a few large yoghurt pots with the intention of using them to rehome the large toms/chillis/cucurbits that we often give away. As we are slightly evangelistic (wrong word? wrong use?) about people growing food, we often give plants to non-gardeners, who don't have the space or equipment to shelter and grow on tender plants.

For transporting them to work etc, we keep large cereal boxes, and you can usually get a couple of plants in to those for the people who will transplant in to a grow bag or something. The height of the box protects leaves. But this year I'm eating less cereal...

I have wondered about sending plants by post - like the seed companies use those little blister packs. Any ideas on how to make something similar at home? I often bring a few spare plants to family and friends at a distance but of course, it would be silly to make a special journey to do so, and we often wind up nurturing things too long or giving them away before they are ready. I don't think I would trust the post office with my carefully nurtured plants but I'd love to hear if anyone's had much success!

moggins

Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 942
Location: Gloucester

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 05 8:53 am Post subject:
You could always try sealing a plastic bag up, taping a straw into the bag, inflating it, removing the straw and sealing up the hole?

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 05 9:23 am Post subject:
what about planting in the bottom half of plastic milk carton, and then taping the top back on? You could leave the lid off for ventilation, or post it as it is, and then the idots could see it was a plant, and it might arrive in one piece! f you could pack several into a box so they didn't fall over it might work too.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 05 9:49 am Post subject:
Cardboard tubes also work quite well to protect plants in transit. I think the previously mentioned milk carton idea is a really good one too. Might be worth wrapping the part with the plant in a scrap of plastic to stop the compost going everywhere leaving the leaves poking through before taping the top on too.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 05 1:28 pm Post subject:
One nursery I buy from on e-bay re-uses plastic water bottles with just the tops cut off - the plants are slipped down inside them, and survive very well all the way from Ireland to here.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45723
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 05 1:31 pm Post subject:
You mean they use them over pots?

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