Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Harv,

Thanks for explaining that. Someone had told me that there was no 'by weight' priority mail any more; that it was all flat rate, but when I went on the USPS web site, I found that this wasn't true.

I didn't realize that they used the same boxes for Priority, and Express. It only stands to reason that what really counts, is what the bar-code on the label reads.

When I have had to send larger plants, I have constructed my own boxes by putting two 30 dozen egg cartons (the kind stores and diners get their eggs in) together, making sure I stay in the size limits, so I don't get charged for, "Oversize".

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Harvey, sorry I missed this till now.... great post, thanks.
Patty...thanks.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Yes, and it still took an hour or so more than I wanted it to.
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Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Thanks for posting this Harvey. Its really helps.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

In general, in California, if you sell a plant you are required to have a nursery license ($$). In many states, any plant shipped in, regardless of whether it is a gift ($0) or a purchase (for $), must have at a minimum, a Nursery Stock Certificate (which comes with the nursery license), and often a phtyo or snail insp certificate (almost any state south of the Mason-Dixon line, plus Oregon and Washington, and a few others - $$). If the truth were told, the overwhelming majority of all plants sold on Ebay are illegal (maybe 90% or more), if they are shipped out of state, and often if shipped in state.

Quarantine here is SD only pertains to 2 things, no movement of fruit from the quarantine area, and no movement of any plant which was in a location where the soil may have been become a host to larvae from the fruit fly. Plants that I had under my banana and cherimoya trees are fine to ship, but one which were under citrus trees, etc., to provide shade and/or conserve water, are stuck till the quarantine is over. Other option is very expensive treatment/fumigation, which must be done by licensed person and supervised by State Ag person ($$$$). I would be money ahead to trash all my affected plants, than pay for the treatment. So, they wait till quarantine is over.

Additionally, I have to be inspected for Sudden Oak Death host plants. I mistakenly told them I didn't sell grass when they told me I needed a SOD inspection. There is an ongoing monitoring for Glassy-wing sharpshooters (Pierce's Disease carriers) and the traps are changed twice a month as long as I am a nursery.

There are new snail-free-quarantine-area regs coming this fall ($$). Also coming are monitoring requirements for run off into streams, watersheds, etc. ($$) These will check not only for pesticides and fertilizer, but nitrogen originating from mulch, compost, etc. (Now that they have everyone doing using them, it has become a sin.) Essentially nothing is allowed to leave your property. A neighbor without a nursery license is not subject to any of these requirements, and in my case, is probably a bigger generator of such things than I will ever be. If rainwater carries any of those things off my property, I will have to do something about it. Every other house on the block gets a pass.

I have annual inspections for the Nursery License ($$), for my Producers certificate so I can sell at Farmer's Markets ($$), for every shipment to a state requiring ag or snail certificate ($$). You get to meet a lot of government people.

Plants going to many counties in Northern California require special labeling and a faxed notice of the shipment to the Ag person in that county so that they may inspect the package, at their discretion, because of Pierce's disease. Fig trees are theoretical carriers, so that is one more thing to deal with.

And you never know when an Ag guy/gal will show up with a new concern, program, quarantine, inspection, etc.

And don't even get me started on importing things from overseas, or even Canada and Mexico ($$ and a whole lot more).

So at some point I either have to get out of the business, or figure out how to make it a full time, paying job.

Consider that a peek behind the veil of the agriculture/nursery industry.

They'll be coming for you Harvey. ;-))


YES, if the leaves are longer than the box, i bend or fold them so they fit in the box. If you are gentile enough, it will not kill the leaf, and the plant retains more leaf surface, thus more energy for recovery. Just as I would not remove any leaf on a plant in the orchard that wasn't yellow or brown. It doesn't matter if it is folded, bent, chewed on, shredded, or whatever - green is good. Period.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Pitangdiego:
Thank you for clarifying.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

I mailed a banana out today by USPS priority mail. Not only did they weight it but they also took measurements. There was 2 charges on the reciept. I guess there is the weight price along with the size...

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

If you go past a certain size they measure height x length x width.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Do you know what those sizes are so I can stay under it next time?

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

The pre-made flat-rate priority boxes are FREE from the post office. You can order them online and they will deliver them no charge. The remaining pre-printed priority mail boxes are also FREE. Shipment in those (e.g., triangle tube) is by weight only.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

This is straight from the website USPS - Priority Mail Prices

Priority Mail Flat Rate Options
Price Size
Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope $4.95 12-1/2" x 9-1/2"
Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box $4.95 8-5/8" x 5-3/8" x 1-5/8"
Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box (FRB1) $10.35 11" x 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"
Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box (FRB2) $10.35 13-5/8" x 11-7/8" x 3-3/8"
Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box (Domestic Addresses) $13.95 12" x 12" x 5-1/2"
Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box (APO/FPO Destinations) $11.95 12" x 12" x 5-1/2"


For Parcel Post, the maximum
length + girth is 130".

For other services, the maximum
1 length + girth is 108".
Oversized prices may apply.

The website is very informative. I hope this helps.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Yes, that's true for the fruit fly quarantine. Then there is the asian citrus psyllid quarantine ...

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

This is another good reference
http://http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/intro.htm

On this page click on the A Customer's Guide to Mailing PDF Version.
This 28 page pdf has lots of great information. I ship plants and other items (ebay sales) and it has helped out.

Good luck!

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Mitchel, sorry, but I missed your post earlier somehow. I don't see a quarantine for Mediterranean Fruit Fly anywhere in the state other than two areas around San Diego. There are other quarantines, but I'm not familiar with them enough to know if any cover West LA. You can read about various quarantines in California at CDFA > PHPPS > Quarantine Information and Maps.

There is LBAM about 10 miles from an orchard I rent an hour away from my place. There are mostly large farms of alfalfa and grain around with not a lot of residents, so the risk of pest introduction around me is somewhat low (at least I like to think so).

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Patty:
I am just talking from my experience. When I ordered my ladyfinger I received it with soil in a pot and the leaves were conveniently wrapped up nice so none of the leaves and roots were damaged. Also they added wet sphagnum moss on top of the pot to keep the soil moist. So I am so happy with its look so when I received it it looked as if the plant was never mailed and or just bought from the store. So I am 100% satisfied and thought that that should be my favorite store. I also bought some pup from Florida with all soil missing and the roots were haphazardly packed and the leaves and roots were torn and half dried up when I received it. So I have double thought weather I would buy from her again.
And that's why I thought I was telling you my thought that it was a bad thing to send the bananas without soil or at least add some wet paper or moss to keep the roots moist.
The banana with dry roots that I received had a tough time recovering whereas the ladyfinger that I got was as pretty and robust as in day 1.
And that's how how I want them to feel if I send a banana to someone. Satisfied and worth every penny they paid.
Benny

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

I receive bareroot Citrus shipments on a regular basis from Four Winds Growers and have sent bareroot Citrus to customers across the country with no problem. It does require extra preparation and treatment.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

To add: bananas should be mailed preferably on Mondays so there is no time lost in transit. If you mail it on Friday the post office may keep it on weekends losing a day or two.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

If you are going to ship plants with soil, then please first treat the soil with something like Cyfluthrin and Iron Phosphate to kill larvae of harmful pests and slugs/snails. Cyfluthrin is available over-the-counter as "Bayer Powerforce", and Iron Phosphate is available as "Sluggo". Both are otherwise eco-friendly.

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

Thank you Richard. That is an eye opener. I learned something very important today. I will keep that in my folder with 5 star to do it for sure. In big letters.

This forum is some awesome forum in my book.

Benny

Re: How Harvey packs banana plants for shipping
 

A word of caution, I had some of this power force product and decided to spray some in the kitchen trash that had some maggots in it. We've had a huge fly problem the last month or so and one day of not taking out the trash resulted in maggots which freaked my wife out. Any way I took the inside part of the trash container outside and sprayed them them with the power force, the fumes came back up at me and I instantly began vomiting. I'd suggest wearing a chemical respirator before working with it.