by Dianne
(Mill Vallye, CA)
I am thinking of starting a succulents business as I have been propagating them for years. How do you ship them? Do you ever ship arrangements in pots? Please let me know. Thank you so much for your advice!
Deena
Hi Deena, as I no longer sell the plants, I don’t need to worry about packing them. While I was selling them, I learned a lot about how to get the plants from my nursery to the customer without damage.
In the pictures above I’ve outlined a bit on how I shipped the plants in flats, which for wedding succulents need to get to their destination in perfect condition.
Careful drying of the plants to slow their growth rate is crucial. This can take up to two weeks, or even longer.
Then the flats are carefully inserted into those perfect boxes – from the liquor store. Because they’re made to ship heavy items (bottles of wine) they are sturdy and well made, making them a great choice.
Each layer of the flats is covered with several layers of newspaper, then the next layer is slotted in. Generally, you can fit three layers this way. Additional plants can be left in strips of the cell flats, cut with scissors, placed on a piece of newspaper and rolled to keep the rosettes facing each other, then slid into the final row.
For plants that will be planted immediately in a garden situation, getting the plants there in good shape isn’t as important; drying these out is again, most important. This stops the plants from growing in transit, which makes them really leggy and pale if it’s more than a day or so. It also prevents mold from starting.
I have also shipped lots of Sempervivum and Sedum; these are placed into plain old paper bags like the ones for children’s lunches.
Some of your methods will depend on the types of plants and their growth stages and you’ll most likely develop your own system to suit.
This will give you a bit of background.
Best of luck with your succulent selling venture.
Jacki
