# Shipping plants - Vacuum sealing?



## jetajockey (Aug 23, 2010)

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with vacuum sealing plants for shipping them. I've done this once and the receiver said that the plants were in better shape than the ones I sent previously in a damp newspaper.

This also opens up the ability to use bubble mailers for smaller plant packages which saves on shipping also. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Interesting concept. 
Bag up a variety and toss them toss them around the house for several days including a trip to the local store for a heat change. Let us know how it goes please.


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## Geminiluna (Jul 24, 2007)

I have received plants in this manner only once, and it was within this past week. All the other countless plants I've received have been in the traditional most paper towel (if even), and loosely bagged in a "zip-loc" style bag.

I was very concerned when I received the "vacuum" packed plants because I was worried that the plant tissue may have experienced compression, crimping and other damage. In fact, some of the leaves did show signs of crimping and creasing, with the associated discoloration. But, that said... all are in my tank now and look just as well-off as any other recently received/trimmed/transplanted plants.

Will be interesting to see what others say...


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## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

Would vacuum packaging suffocate live plants? Would it stop them from taking in gases or transpiring? Don't they need moisture to keep their tissues hydrated?


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## CLASSIC (Feb 25, 2009)

The first thing that i thought about when reading this thread wasnt if the plants would be damaged due to compression, it was the lack of co2/o2 being that they are in a vaccum. Aquatic plants are so easy to propagate that the damage to individual stems/leaves doesnt seem like it would be a problem. Sending and receiving plants in a smaller cheaper bubble envelope sounds great!


EDIT-- Crap Ramos, did you grow the plant in your avatar picture? If so, mega congrats on that beautiful beast! I posted then noticed it and had to edit, haha.


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## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

Where can I buy a vacuum sealer? How much does it cost? Is it easy to vacuum seal plants? Is there a video link, an instructional video on vacuum sealing?

PS - I killed those fussy L. pantanal, I would like to try it again if my planted tank has a chiller. I think the warm/sizzling hot Phoenix weather is to blame.


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## deleted_user_7 (Jul 7, 2003)

Someone sucked the air out of a baggie I got once, crushed plants. I wqasnt happy. Had they not done they it wouldn't have been a problem.

You can buy a vacuume sealer at walmart. Don't know how much they cost. Probably about a hundred bucks or so.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

I would be super pissed if someone vacuum sealed plants and put them in a bubble mailer. Plants are fragile enough without crimping them. Especially the ones with alternating petioles. The PO doesnt refrain from bending bubble mailers. And I would question gas exchange, or, for that matter temperature exchange as well. If you decide to do it I recommend letting people know how you plan to package them before accepting $$ and shipping them. Might be a plausible idea in a box, if gas and temp arent an issue. Even then, only certain ones would work.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

I have bought a plants package vacuum sealed. I do not like it. The plants came out okay, but some of the leaves were bruised or fell off.


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## nemosreef (Oct 19, 2007)

If someone sent me plants packaged like that I would be mad. Seems like to many issues not to mention why fix what is not broke.


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## NYREPS (Aug 31, 2010)

hey just to let you guys know i had been buying plants from ebay they come in sealed bags and new paper over it, it took about 10 days or so to get here but when i open them today they were perfect green as hell ,i got it from aquamagic in ebay


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

NYREPS said:


> hey just to let you guys know i had been buying plants from ebay they come in sealed bags and new paper over it, it took about 10 days or so to get here but when i open them today they were perfect green as hell ,i got it from aquamagic in ebay


Were these actual stem or rosette plants, or just moss? Moss is easily shipped in a bubble mailer.
This may or may not be relevant, but theres a cheaper item called a seal-a-meal that seals plastic bags. You can press most of the air out of the bag. That seems like alot better idea than sucking ALL of the air out of the bag. When shipping any plants you shouldnt have enough air in the bag that allows the plants to roll around. They tend to show up in a ball if you do.


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## jetajockey (Aug 23, 2010)

I was just wondering. I've heard of the shipping method being used so I tried it once so far. Vacuum sealing doesn't suck the moisture out completely, once it forms the seal it actually locks everything left in there. 

I don't know how plants are affected when placed in a vacuum. 

With the heat here it's hard to get a package in that doesn't smell like a pot of collard greens.


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## JoraaÑ (Jun 29, 2009)

I think snail_chen(Member here in the Forum) uses that method.....Never bought from him before so can't add any detail....


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## Dempsey (Oct 27, 2009)

chad320 said:


> I would be super pissed if someone vacuum sealed plants and put them in a bubble mailer. Plants are fragile enough without crimping them. Especially the ones with alternating petioles. The PO doesnt refrain from bending bubble mailers. And I would question gas exchange, or, for that matter temperature exchange as well. If you decide to do it I recommend letting people know how you plan to package them before accepting $$ and shipping them. Might be a plausible idea in a box, if gas and temp arent an issue. Even then, only certain ones would work.


I would be mad also. Sometimes even when shipped "normally" in paper towels and such, depending on the packing, the plants get "deformed" and or bent. Not that that matters since once they are in your tank and under your lights they straighten out but vacuuming??? I would think that that could even break some stems. You know... like when some are bent to much they break after a week in the tank. 

If I knew that the seller sent them like that then I would ask him/her not to. If they won't, then I won't buy.


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## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

I happen to have one of those vac things. I will give this a try next weekend with various stems and see how they look after a few days.


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