Natalie, I can tell you how I pack them to ship. Email me with your 'have' list and also your 'wish' list - I need some bulbs! To ship bulbs: Dig bulbs and wash all the soil off the bulb/roots, then let dry over night. Get some newspaper and wrap each bulb individually. LABEL the bulbs, using masking tape, which will also help hold the newspaper on. Place them in the box and use wadded up newspaper to fill in the spaces, so the bulbs don't roll around and get bruised. Secure the bulbs and newspaper with masking tape for further secure travel. Make labels for your box, use strapping tape to secure the box, take it to the post office and GET A GUARANTEE of delivery, so you don't get stiffed! EMAIL the recipient and let them know when you mail them, so they can be looking for the box. Ask THEM to email you when they get the box.

Janice!! thank you sooo much.I am just like a kid at Christmas..I love everything you sent.You really fit alot of things into that box! I received at least half a dozen different varieties of named leaves and a bunch of different varieties of named plantlets too and also a cutting of columnia malissa...which reminds me I need to go back and make a list of them all before I forget..I should have done that before I posted... but I am so excited I just wanted to make sure I let you know they arrived and thanked you right away... I never had even one of anything you sent....lol..Looking forward to seeing them grow and bloom.I am off now to pot up my new babies and get my leaves struck.If all of these leaves make babies I will be up to my ears in blooms in no time!Thanks so much again for the lovely box Janice!! Nancy ...and Thank you Deb for organizing this swap : ))

Sharing cuttings is a wonderful way to economically try new roses. This can be done at any time of the year, but shipping is not recommended when temperatures are above 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Take cuttings that are no longer than the width of a gallon baggie. It is courteous to make a slanted cut on the bottom and a straight cut at the top, to ensure that the recipient knows which end to root. If possible, try to make the bottom cut between leaf nodes, so the recipient can make a fresh cut if necessary. Remove a few of the lower sets of leaves. Bundle the cuttings up, and wrap the bottoms in damp paper towels. When shipping hardwood (dormant) cuttings, the "jellyroll method" can ensure fresher cuttings. Lay the damp paper towel flat, arrange the cuttings on the paper towel about an inch apart, then starting at one end, roll the paper towel up. Put your bundle of cuttings in bottom of a gallon sized plastic baggie. Roll the baggie up, pressing out any extra air. Zip up the baggie. Make sure to label the cuttings. Use a waterproof marker to write the name on the baggie. Place the baggies in a cardboard box. Use as small a box as is possible to keep the shipping cost down, but make sure the cuttings can fit in the box without bending or smashing them. Use crumbled newspaper to fill in any extra space, this will keep the cuttings from being battered on their journey. The USPS will provide Priority shipping boxes free of charge, these can be ordered online, or sometimes they are available at your local post office. Priority shipping generally takes between 2-4 days to deliver, but this is not guaranteed. The insurance the USPS offers won't cover live plants, but delivery confirmation is only a few cents more, and is a good way to ensure prompt shipping. Submitted by Jeanne

First,,,is it possible for you to post a few pix of your set up or your plants??? I would also like to see an up close pix of the powdery mildew. I am a believer that there is no problem using what you have available! You just find a way to make it work! Ok, here is my view. I have never used pumice. I don't know what it adds or if it is beneficial or even necessary. Maybe someone can answer that for me. I don't even know if it is available in my area! lol As far as perlite and vermiculite only, the perlite does not hold water and has no nutritive value. Vermiculite does hold water but also no nutritive value. SO,,,,,,,if you have a mix of these two things you must always use water in your reservoir that has fertilizer in it. Peat moss is not a favorite thing in my world. I don't like it at all therefore will not use it for anything. You mention African Violet Soil...I don't use that, I use MiracleGro Potting soil for everything. It is my base for all of my plants whether African violets or regular house plants. I have a lot of both so I buy that HUGE bag (4cu ft I think) from Lowe's or Walmart. My mix for AVs and Gesneriads is around 2 parts perlite and one part MG soil. NO vermiculite. I am a little heavy on the perlite because I want the wicked soil mix to not hold too much water. I want a constant flow of uptake, evaporation of water and good movement of the perlite to keep the growing mix moving. Gosh I hope that makes sense. lol If you feel you have a good "flow" with the pumice, perlite, and vermiculite then keep on using it! Just remember the fertilizer. AND remember to occasionally flush water from top to bottom to take care of any unwanted mineral deposits that will sit on top of the soil from constant bottom (reservoir) watering. Your bookshelf idea (again,,,,I understand you have to use what you have) will create "stale" air from being closed in but the fan should take care of that. Glad to hear the fan is improving things!!! Your spacing seems to be good also. Just a thought, I had a bookcase once, not expensive. The back of it was just a piece of something that was just barely tacked on. I spent a lot of time keeping that back on it because it only held books. Now if your bookcase is like mine, your back should pop off easily leaving a great flow of air!!!!! But if it is a better made bookcase then that would not be an option. Just giving another idea! lol Whew,,,,,guess I got a little long winded again. Let us know how things are going and please post pix!!!! Rosie