# Shipping plants in winter?



## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

My timeline is looking like late October for setting up/planting my tank. Buying plants locally will empty my bank account! Do the vendors here ship in winter, or am I going to have to wait until the weather warms up to ship plants?


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## Axelrodi202 (Jul 29, 2008)

Most vendors sell during the winter, but you may have to pay a few dollars extra for heat packs.


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

Oh, that's great news! Better than paying $5 apiece for plants! Our LFS wants $20 for java ferns :icon_surp


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## jmowbray (Dec 20, 2009)

May I ask why you are purchasing from a vendor? Many members on here ship all year with heat packs as well and you will most likely get more for your money.

Just a thought.


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## In2wishin (Aug 10, 2011)

One suggestion though: check your local 10 day forecast before ordering and if there is really cold weather coming (colder than the average for that time of the year) hold off on ordering. If it is off Aquabid or the Swap n' Shop here where you need to buy now: contact the seller before buying and make sure they will be willing to wait a few days to ship so they can avoid the worst of the temps. Sellers, especially here, are very accomodating and really care about the plants they sell you.


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

jmowbray said:


> May I ask why you are purchasing from a vendor? Many members on here ship all year with heat packs as well and you will most likely get more for your money.
> 
> Just a thought.


Oh no- I meant the SNS and the power sellers here. Definitely.


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## gordonrichards (Jun 20, 2009)

I ship year round, and my java ferns are only $5.00 each :^)
Let me know what plants you're looking for!

Heatpacks add about $1.50 to the shipping price, Priority with heat ends up around $8.50
California is more expensive, around $10.00 to ship.

Heatpacks weigh a bunch but they keep stuff alive.

-Gordon


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## HypnoticAquatic (Feb 17, 2010)

they also make some nice insulated pieces to incert into the flat rate boxes so there shouldnt be any reason to really worry as long as its packaged correctly


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

Yeah Gordon- I was looking at you :icon_lol: plus you're not too far away!


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

I ship plants all the time in the winter without heat packs (have never used them, I feel that with the way that I pack my plants for shipping I would be more likely to fry them with a heat pack then to have them freeze in cold weather). 

If ANY plants are frozen or are DOA its because the person receiving them did not plan properly to get them from the mail man. When plants are in transit in the mail truck there is no way that they could freeze or when they are at a PO during the shipment. The only place they can freeze is sitting in the purchasers mail box/at their front door waiting for them to get home from wherever (work/school/etc). 

If the purchaser plans properly there should be no need for heat packs or worries of dead plants IMO.


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## aman74 (Feb 19, 2007)

bsmith said:


> I ship plants all the time in the winter without heat packs (have never used them, I feel that with the way that I pack my plants for shipping I would be more likely to fry them with a heat pack then to have them freeze in cold weather).
> 
> If ANY plants are frozen or are DOA its because the person receiving them did not plan properly to get them from the mail man. When plants are in transit in the mail truck there is no way that they could freeze or when they are at a PO during the shipment. The only place they can freeze is sitting in the purchasers mail box/at their front door waiting for them to get home from wherever (work/school/etc).
> 
> If the purchaser plans properly there should be no need for heat packs or worries of dead plants IMO.


I haven't dealt much with shipping live items, but this is what I was thinking as well. I used to work in a mailroom and from all the destruction I've seen I'm very careful with packing and I'd continue that with fish/plants. So I have the same concerns as you about the heat packs. 

If you're insulating the package properly and sealing the box with tape wouldn't there be too much heat with a heat pack? I'm also concerned about oxygen exchange? 

I'm wondering about techniques to allow for a heat pack and oxygen exchange especially with animals. Sorry, if I'm derailing I will start another thread.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

aman74 said:


> I haven't dealt much with shipping live items, but this is what I was thinking as well. I used to work in a mailroom and from all the destruction I've seen I'm very careful with packing and I'd continue that with fish/plants. So I have the same concerns as you about the heat packs.
> 
> If you're insulating the package properly and sealing the box with tape wouldn't there be too much heat with a heat pack? I'm also concerned about oxygen exchange?
> 
> I'm wondering about techniques to allow for a heat pack and oxygen exchange especially with animals. Sorry, if I'm derailing I will start another thread.


Never thought about o2 exchange. I guess if you were using kordon bags and the box was completely sealed you could have starvation bit I think that the temp would cook any flora/fauna long before o2 deprivation would become an issue.


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## In2wishin (Aug 10, 2011)

bsmith said:


> I ship plants all the time in the winter without heat packs (have never used them, I feel that with the way that I pack my plants for shipping I would be more likely to fry them with a heat pack then to have them freeze in cold weather).
> 
> If ANY plants are frozen or are DOA its because the person receiving them did not plan properly to get them from the mail man. When plants are in transit in the mail truck there is no way that they could freeze or when they are at a PO during the shipment. The only place they can freeze is sitting in the purchasers mail box/at their front door waiting for them to get home from wherever (work/school/etc).
> 
> If the purchaser plans properly there should be no need for heat packs or worries of dead plants IMO.


I beg to differ. These were well insulated AND had a heat pack. I took them straight from the hands of the mail carrier and when I opened the package they were frozen. The roots of the ones in pots were solid ice.


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

I was worried about heat packs cooking them, but ew, wishin- that really sucks!

I have to say as long as they get to my PO okay then I am confident they will arrive safely- I love my mail carrier and he has even made special trips to deliver boxes of crickets (but I suspect they didn't want to chance them escaping into the building, LOL).


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## In2wishin (Aug 10, 2011)

junko said:


> I was worried about heat packs cooking them, but ew, wishin- that really sucks!
> 
> I have to say as long as they get to my PO okay then I am confident they will arrive safely- I love my mail carrier and he has even made special trips to deliver boxes of crickets (but I suspect they didn't want to chance them escaping into the building, LOL).


For the fun of it I planted the roots of the crypt Wendtii anyway and some regrew. It took a little longer than when a crypt melts but I did get a plant.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

In2wishin said:


> I beg to differ. These were well insulated AND had a heat pack. I took them straight from the hands of the mail carrier and when I opened the package they were frozen. The roots of the ones in pots were solid ice.


That sucks but you are certainly the exception there and not the rule. I wonder how the box of plants was exposed to such low temps for the prolonged amount of time that destruction like that would have required.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

bsmith said:


> I ship plants all the time in the winter without heat packs (have never used them, I feel that with the way that I pack my plants for shipping I would be more likely to fry them with a heat pack then to have them freeze in cold weather).
> 
> If ANY plants are frozen or are DOA its because the person receiving them did not plan properly to get them from the mail man. When plants are in transit in the mail truck there is no way that they could freeze or when they are at a PO during the shipment. The only place they can freeze is sitting in the purchasers mail box/at their front door waiting for them to get home from wherever (work/school/etc).
> 
> If the purchaser plans properly there should be no need for heat packs or worries of dead plants IMO.



In winter I keep a "dog heat pad" designed for kennels on my front step, inside of a wooden box. It stays in the 50's inside the box, even when it is 3 degrees outside. 

This is warm enough to prevent plants from freezing. I've even had fish sit in it for a few hours prior to me getting there.


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## In2wishin (Aug 10, 2011)

bsmith said:


> That sucks but you are certainly the exception there and not the rule. I wonder how the box of plants was exposed to such low temps for the prolonged amount of time that destruction like that would have required.


I have wondered that too, especially since they were only 2 days in transit. My point is that the shipper and receiver can each control the conditions on their end but have no control over what happens in between. A well insulated box isn't always going to be enough, but it usually is.


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## aman74 (Feb 19, 2007)

In2wishin said:


> I have wondered that too, especially since they were only 2 days in transit. My point is that the shipper and receiver can each control the conditions on their end but have no control over what happens in between. A well insulated box isn't always going to be enough, but it usually is.


It probably sat on a mail truck overnight is my guess.


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