Shipping Dahlias

Krista · 2023-04-25T01:23:44+00:00

Cuttings: is there an ideal stage when shipping cuttings is most successful? I have a cutting to share that I took 8 days ago. I just found roots poking out...

KitCMC

Krista I know someone in Wisconsin 😉

Krista

KitCMC I’m headed your way via PMs!

Krista

SteveM Ah yes, I see now a great reason to use oasis cubes - I can invest in some for shipping purposes in the future. And I can definitely ween my cuttings gently out of their happy, humid holes. Now that you say, it does make sense that the wilting would be more likely caused by moisture level than temperature, thank you! It’s great to hear that the pros are all shipping unrooted cuttings - this wouldn’t have crossed my mind. I’m going to start practicing, this does seem like a much better option! Thank you, thank you!

SteveM

Krista a great reason to use oasis cubes

@AKWindWatcher prefers Rapid Rooter cubes over oasis cubes and they would also ship well. Lots of options...

Krista

Has anyone tried shipping [edit: unrooted ... ] leaf node cuttings? Is there even a possibility that could work?

SteveM

Krista I haven't tried it but they should ship fine. I don't have great luck rooting leaf node cuttings but many of the growers here do.

Teddahlia

The best plants that we have had shipped to us were shipped in cardboard tubes like toilet paper or paper towel tubes but bigger. The roots were wrapped in plastic wrap and the 8-12 inch tall plants stuffed into the tube and about 6 or 8 tubes in the box. Plants were in excellent condition on arrival. This would be overkill for dahlias.

MIDahlias

I'm using ShipStation and just realized starting in 2025 they have been charging $1.09 on USPS priority shipped packaged insured $100.00 and less. It's a Sunday so I can only speak to the computer. I did send a message to Ship Station and googled. I don't see anything stating USPS isn't insuring up to $100.00 on priority shipped packages anymore. Does anyone know of a change?

Juliarugula

MIDahlias I think USPS only has $50 worth of insurance on Priority. My memory tells me it’s always been that way (or at least for the past ten years or so) but sometimes my memory makes things up…

Krista

MIDahlias I’m not sure if things have changed since, but I shipped USPS priority in the beginning of April with the standard $100 insurance they’ve provided for the last few years.

Juliarugula

Krista well. Like I said about my memory…. 🤣🤣

Krista

Juliarugula Aw sorry, I just read your comment — didn’t mean to charge in like this. Of course, really important, life information — in one ear and out the other for me. 😆

Juliarugula

Krista no worries - I laughed when I saw your photo receipt! 🤪

MIDahlias

ShipStation replied and they said one no longer needs to put in an insured amount if under $100 for USPS priority mail.

They are now using Parcel Guard for insurance. Under 100.00 is $1.09 for domestic insurance. I wrote back and stated I never received an email about the change and requested a refund for Parcel Guard Insurance charges. They refunded the charges within 24 hours.

$1.09 x the number of customers that don't know this x the number of packages sent is quite a profit.

bloomhjelm

I'm not aware of a shipping provider which provides an insurance option which covers live material and plants. I would appreciate hearing if anyone has successfully filed a claim for lost or damaged plants. The USPS Priority Mail insurance information online does not mention plants specifically, but states it does not cover: "Perishable contents frozen, melted, spoiled, or deteriorated." My Shippo insurance likewise doesn't cover organic material of any kind.

There was a big discussion today among dahlia friends about cuttings they are receiving from different sellers. We have a consensus that USPS is too laggardly to use for cuttings. Especially as the weather gets warmer in certain states. We also like corrugated paper rolls or cardstock/cardboard boxes and tubes versus plastic clamshells, or even macaron boxes.

Teddahlia

Insurance is a phantom product and an employee who was a friend worked for a large shipper said to me: We never pay the claims. That was over 10 years ago and whether or not it is still true, the goal is getting the live plants delivered. Overnight by Fed Ex may be a good option. Any opinions?

janell

Teddahlia I use FedEx only if in desperate haste. Its commercial rates are typically twice as expensive as UPS unless I am looking at next day shipping. Next day shipping is universally pricy.

For destinations within a long day’s drive of me in Ohio, UPS Ground delivers within two days. USPS Priority was taking 4 days (yet estimating just 3) for the same destinations and was similarly priced this spring. I suspect USPS Priority and Ground Advantage work out to be about the same delivery time. Priority Mail became at least a day slower two years ago when the postal service stopped using contractors for trucking. Instead of packages leaving my local PO each night for sorting in Columbus, they now go out the following day and may lag another day in the Columbus sorting queue.

For cross-country travel, UPS 2nd Day Air is pretty reasonable. River’s sent my cuttings 2nd Day Air and they arrived in perfect condition.

Juliarugula

Teddahlia Insurance is a phantom product and an employee who was a friend worked for a large shipper said to me: We never pay the claims

Do you mean for plants? Or generally? I collect ceramics (and sometimes will resell to thin my collection) and have filed a couple of claims for broken items with USPS that were paid quickly and easily.

I’ve never had a reason to file a claim regarding organic material though - I don’t know how that would go.

Teddahlia

The person did not work at the USPS. The remark was long ago too and I bet the company has improved but in those days they blamed it all on the shipper not doing a secure enough package. Neither the shipping company or the sender wants a failure. I wonder if a really fool proof method of shipping rooted cuttings would be to grow them to have big enough roots(miniature tubers) to be a small pot tuber and have the ability to re-sprout if there is disaster.

bloomhjelm

I feel like diameter of the stem is another pretty good indicator of whether the cutting will survive shipping and transplanting. I see a lot of cuttings going out from sellers this year with height and leaves but no ... girth. They have roots coming through the cube, but they rot if you look at them. The leaves also have not been subjected to any real wind or cool temperatures and are crepe paper, mottled with fungus.

blown_dry

bloomhjelm This is my experience also. I am not the best cutting nurturer and don't keep snails off of them as successfully as could be and resprouting is the norm if the cutting is not spindly.