transporting/ travelling with seedlings

[jdlondon]

My parents are visiting and are mucho impressed by my growing efforts

Anyway, they want some of my seedlings - which is great since I have too many, and I was wondering how to pack it safely for them. They'll be going via train home to Cheshire, and taking a wheelie cabin suitcase, but have room to carry something more suitable for plants if necessary.

I was thinking of just lying down the seedlings in tupperware, nicely cushioned by kitchen roll, or getting some tall tupperware and keeping them upright. Or maybe put each into a loo roll and then pack them in tightly into a tall tupperware and keep it upright too.

Ideas?

[Matt94]

i was just about to suggest loo roll's (the stronger the better!), and i would keep them upright too, id put a damp piece of kitchen roll on the bottom of the box too!

[Two_Sheds]

When I take seedlings from home to the lotty (by bike, 5 miles), I wrap them in newspaper, chip-shop stylee

[scarey55]

How about a plastic milk container or similar.

[Two_Sheds]

^ when I post seedlings in the mail, I wrap them in damp kitchen roll, then pop in a plastic bag, then put them inside a (cut off) plastic pop/squash bottle to prevent crushing

[hamamelis]

I successfully brought my mum back a pot grown orchid from holiday in a cut up empty coke bottle- chop the top few inches off, turn upside-down, jam the pot into the hole, duct tape it in place- then cut a strip out of the middle of the bottle, and tape the original base back on to the bit with the pot, leaving just enough room for the leaves. Survived undamaged in my backpack (taken out for a bit if an airing when I remembered) for a week

That's a little elaborate for seedlings though- specially for each individual one- dampening 'em a bit and wrapping them in tissue or newspaper, and maybe a tupperware box to stop accidental squishing should be fine. You can buy them through the post like that after all.

[jdlondon]

Ta The bottles and paper sound good, and how didn't I think of it myself?? That happens so often on this site! As for the milk carton, I'm not quite sure how to do that - unless you mean cutting it and putting it together again like with the bottle. And as I drink milk and not anything else that comes in a big plastic bottle, that's actually more handy for me.

[Two_Sheds]

2 litre milk/pop bottle:

- use one or two, as required
- cut in half (halfish)
- put your plant inside one half
- slot over the other so they overlap and grip each other
- tape if you feel it's necessary

[jdlondon]

Thanks - did as instructed and reports back from the wilds of Cheshire say the milk container worked perfectly.