Transporting asparagus plants

[Demeter]

Hello all

I've got some young asparagus plants that I sowed in April, growing away in rootrainers. I have promised my father that I will take him some to Spain when I go next week (having established that this is actually legal!!)

The question is - what is going to be the best way to transport them? Please bear in mind that I also have to lug all my own stuff and a three year old and all her stuff all the way to the train station then on and off trains and buses and planes!! I can prepare it for travel in the late morning, and we will be arriving mid-evening, at which time it can be planted more or less immediately, so it only has to survive for about 8 or 10 hours or thereabouts.

I assume they will have to go in hand luggage? I imagine it must get too cold for them in the hold of the plane.
Should I leave them in the pots?
Could I decant them, and take them bare rooted, wrapped in a wet cloth inside a plastic box?
Would it be advisable to leave the foliage on or cut some or all of it off?

Help!

[shirlthegirl43]

How tall is the foliage and is it still green or has it died off? If it is yellowing then cut it off, if green I would try to package it too. I would go with taking out of pots, wrapping in damp newspaper then plastic and a shoebox or similar for protection. If they are small enough or the foliage can be removed, a plastic sandwich container would probably do the trick. Remember to put it in your bag last and remove it first. Not sure how you will stand with hand luggage though - I guess that may depend on the airline - maybe check with them first so you don't lose your plants.

It might actually be easier to post them. I got baby oak trees through the post from TonyF in France a year ago in spring - they are growing away nicely now and took nearly a week to arrive if I remember right.

[Demeter]

The foliage is still green but on the turn slightly.
Probably best to leave it on?

Have already checked flight info and hand luggage will be permissible. (Having said that, I was thinking to pack it in a plastic lunchbox and stick it the coolbag, in with the picnic so they might not spot it anyway lol)

[Two_Sheds]

Depending on the size, I would wrap them in clingfilm to keep them moist, then pack into empty pop/milk bottles - tough but light.

[Demeter]

Depending on the size, I would wrap them in clingfilm to keep them moist, then pack into empty pop/milk bottles - tough but light.

Do you mean complete with soil, or bare-rooted - well, bare-ish, I'm not going to wash the lot off! was only thinking of gently shaking out any loose compost just to keep the weight down a little.

They are currently in the deep rootrainers so the rootball isn't all that big anyway. I have some shallow plastic boxes, was thinking of laying them out several to a box, enough that they won't jiggle around but not so they are squashed!