(no subject)

[jadegirl]

I'm trying to figure out how to send a plant cutting through the post, and google isn't turning up any help. Should I make a cutting now, and send it once roots form, or can I send it as soon as I cut it? I'm thinking of wrapping it in wet paper towels and putting it in a ziploc bag, but I'm also afraid it'd get crushed, even in a padded envelope. Hmm. I know people do this, I just don't know how.

I'm developing quite the little tea garden for myself. I grow quite a few culinary herbs for Sir, but for myself I've started a mint collection (he hates mint, so it's all mine:)). I have 2 chocolate mints, spearmint, mountain mint (think peppermint, but even stronger) apple mint, and pineapple mint. Mmm. I've already made myself a pitcher of apple/spearmint iced tea.

The tomato plant, a Brandywine Black, has begun to flower, and is a little over two feet tall. I really need to get it into a bigger plant, and get some long stakes. I did a lot of repotting on Friday, but I need more potting soil before I continue. I'm going to need some more pots, too, and some saucers. We're probably going to pick up at least a couple more tomato plants, so we have enough to can for the winter, especially since the farmer's market sells heirlooms. I'd also like to get some more greens, I'm already growing a couple small pots of mesculun and spinach, but we could always use more.

Space is a bit of a consideration - remember, I'm doing all this in a fourth floor apartment. However, in an old issue of Victoria magazine I came upon an idea. The dining area has two windows, and a fairly deep-set sill. I'm going to get sheets of acrylic cut to order, and set them up on brackets, creating clear shelving, room for about four to five six inch pots per shelf. In the living room I have plants on the sill (the living room windows are quite long), and at the flower show I picked up brackets to line the sides of the windows with pots as well. While the large pots will be a little fiddly, the smaller ones will have plenty of room, although it'll be a struggle not to give the place completely over to them.

My citrus trees aren't here yet...I have to do some research about them anyway. I know they won't fruit for a couple of years, but they still need to be fertilized. If I had a porch I could set them out and let the bees do their thing, but I don't, so I have to fertilize them myself. How on earth do I convince an orange tree I'm a bee?

Oh, and the strawberries are budding - little yellow strawberry babies. :) The container blueberry should be here soon, too. It's going to be quite a harvest.

Comments

[lynnshaze.livejournal.com]

Two thoughts.

1. Mail a few cuttings to yourself in various different wrappings. See how they do.

2. Order from someplace inexpensive like Michigan Bulb, and see what they ship.

[luis-mw.livejournal.com]

A clear plastic tube/bottle, some loose wet paper or cotton balls to stop it rattling around. I'm thinking of the sort of plastic that bottled water comes in, but smaller - dunno if candies or small toys might come in tubes made of that...

Check postal regulations too, I'm sure some states have restrictions on stuff like that.

[veilofire.livejournal.com]

Pack it well -- as you have described -- then go the post office and get one of those square express mail boxes.
Pack it securely within that.
Cushion it well.
Express mail will get it there in about 3 days.
That should work.

v

[simmiejoy.livejournal.com]

I'd suggest putting it in a mailing tube and packing it in plastic to help keep the freshness, then newspaper or whatever to keep it from banging around in the mailing tube. I use the huge Priority Mail tubes for mailing the toys we sell, and there's so much extra room in them that it's ridiculous; the post office sells smaller tubes that are round that sound like they'd be perfect for that.

[firinel.livejournal.com]

I have a small tube that I received art in, I could mail that to you so you can use it. If the clipping is small enough, could you put it inside a papertowel tube, and then put that inside a small box, to help cushion it some?
I've never tried mailing a cutting through the mail..

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

Aww! Your post reminds me that I really ought to start up a garden.

(Jason-boyfriend has lots of plants in his apartment - they live under their own little plant light and are very cute.)

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Your mint garden brings back memories of my childhood, when we had wild mint growing in our backyard. Mmmm, was that nice.

[iswari.livejournal.com]

That is so exciting! When I went to Barnard, a dear friend of mine worked in the greenhouse there, and they had all kinds of scented mints. I always loved smelling them! And berries! Is all of this done inside your apartment?!?

[jadegirl.livejournal.com]

Yep, all inside. The strawberries are Alpines, which are well suited to containers and hanging baskets, and the blueberry is another container type. The fruit trees (pomegranete, key lime, and venous orange) are all dwarves, so they'll only be about 2-3 feet tall.