skip to main content

Cacti & Succulents

Shipping Aloe Plants - What is the best way?

Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)

13 years ago

I need some help please. All you folks are so great and so knowledgeable. I need to ship some aloe vera plants to my sister who lives a few states away. What is the best way? These aloe plants are huge and growing outdoors in the ground. They are about 1 1/2 - 2 feet across. Can I just lift, wrap them in newspaper and put them in a box and ship?

I assume I can ship them bare-root. Should I rinse or shake all of the soil from the roots, or should I keep some soil with the roots? I know some plants do better if lifted and left to "harden off"(?) before replanting, but these are not cuttings, so I'm not too sure about that.

How long will an aloe vera live once lifted from the ground? Will they live a week or two out of the ground just wrapped in newspaper? How quickly does my sister need to get them planted?

{{gwi:544752}}

{{gwi:544753}}

Featured Answer

pirate_girl

13 years ago

They'll live for some time as long as they're kept DRY, that's the key.

I personally have friends who've stood Aloe plants bare root upright in clay pots & left them in moderate shade for some time (Jades too), they'll be fine.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
13 years ago
That's Aloe maculata, but it doesn't make a difference in shipping.

I would remove the lower (biggest) leaves from each plant - that will disfigure them but they'll grow out of it. Shake it free of soil and wrap in a tube of newspaper.

You could ship them as is if you can find wide, flat boxes, but I think it's better to do some trimming.

They can do fine for months in a dry place, so there's no particular urgency in getting each of those things done.
jojosplants
13 years ago
Check with your local post office for free, flat rate shipping boxes. They have some large ones.

JoJo
Related Discussions
best way to plant amaryllis seeds+best amaryllis book
Q
Comments (17)
If you want to grow alot of these you need to start them in open flats. Get some plastic trays from the five and dime. You are looking for something that would double as the bottom of a cat litter box. With about a 1/2 inch wood drill bit put about 12 holes in it. Six of them on the curve of the bottom to side. This is so if sitting flat it won't fill with water. I use a compost soil with a little sand and mix 50% with miracle grow soil or peters which is sold in our area. Fill about an inch from the top and water thoroughly. Add more soil if needed to keep an inch from the top. Lay out seeds flat with about the same space as the seeds are wide. Cover with 1/4 inch of soil mix. Mist top of soil until real wet. Set in semi bright light or on porch but not full sun. After they have had three or four leaves come out strong you can gradually introduce them to more sun. Don't worry about thinning out after they start sprouting. Leave in the tray and fertilize as required. Donts soak and don't let dry out. Leave them in tray for first year, then plant them out or in pots. You will end up with over 50+ a tray and are great for starting a whole bed with one tray. Hoped that helped you some it has worked for us for years. Warning; cats love to lay in these flats of young Amaryllis. Here is a link that might be useful: Town Square
...See More
BEst Way to Ship A Meyer Lemon Tree? Best Time?
Q
Comments (2)
Hi bonechickchris, I agree with Mike's advice in the thread linked to below (last post). Now is a good time, if you can provide it a good home during the winter. It might be less risky in the spring though - removing the soil and shipping are stressful. It is easier to recover in the spring outside than in the winter inside. Here is a link that might be useful: Mike's advice
...See More
What is the best way to ship geranium cuttings?
Q
Comments (1)
Hi Fleur I am unsure weather you are talking geraniums or pelargoniums. If Pelargoniums, just send in plastic bag with no moisture. If you wrap with wet or moist media the cuttings get blackleg and are unusable. I have used this method and it is very reliable.
...See More
Aloe plant: what is wrong with my aloe plant?
Q
Comments (8)
the one in the first picture is rotting. If you're not quick, the rot will spread to the rest of the plant pretty fast. Its usually from over watering. I would take the whole plant out of the soil, check the roots for rot, cut all the rot out with a sterile knife or scissors and let the wounds callus over for about a week. Then repot in fresh soil. After you do that, refrain from watering for at least a week. When you do start watering, only water when soil is completely dry. Aloes are hardy and as long as the rot is gone and its watered less it'll be fine. I had an aloe I didn't water for 2 years once and it was fine, they just go dormant. Much easier to kill one from overwatering than underwatering. Good luck!
...See More
beachplant
13 years ago
Get the boxes from the PO for express or urgent shipping, tear them apart, turn them wrong side out and tape back together, then you don't have to pay the higher postage rate. You can use any box if you want one you don't have to trim the plant, no liquor boxes and remove upc's off of any other boxes.

Dig them up, shake off as much soil as possible, you can wash off more to decrease weight for shipping, wrap the whole thing in newspaper, fill the box with popcorn/packing peanuts, etc.-don't use newspaper it will increase the weight too much. They'll be fine for a couple of weeks without being potted up.
Your sister will be so happy!
Tally HO!
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the help, everyone. My main concern, which got kind of buried in my own post, was how long the plants would live after being lifted. Sounds like they will be ok for awhile if not planted right away.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
Just as Pirate says...

You can stand these upright in empty (clay) pots and they'll be fine...and probably
begin/continue to root. In the shade, of course.

Josh
avril pringle
3 years ago
Good morning, what is the right way to seal wrap and send aloe leaves from SA to UK. PLEASE HELP ?
avril pringle
3 years ago
Sorry, to answer regarding the right way to seal wrap aloe, my email : avrilpringle3@gmail.com

Thank you, GOD BLESS 🙏🙏
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
3 years ago
You would first need to check with the UK to see what phytosanitary certificate is needed.

tj

Related Stories

COASTAL STYLE Spin That Ship Wheel in a Different Style Direction

By Becky Harris

If overdone nautical kitsch has left you soaked, try these subtler and sophisticated looks for your captain's wheel

RED FOLIAGE Great Design Plant: Red-Leafed Mukdenia

By Annie Thornton

Creamy white blossoms give way to splashes of scarlet with this energetic, dramatic ground cover

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Consider a Plant as Living Sculpture

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

If traditional garden art isn’t really your thing, plant living art instead

GARDENING GUIDES 4 Ways to Break the Rules in Your Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

For a more creative landscape design, take a different approach to planting

GARDENING GUIDES 20 Ways to Create a Chartreuse Splash in the Landscape

By Paintbox Garden

Use this hot garden color for plantings, paint and accessories to create a cool outdoor vibe

GARDENING GUIDES The Beauty of Bare-Root Plants

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant dormant trees and shrubs in fall using the easy, affordable bare-root method and enjoy beautiful results in spring

PLANTING IDEAS Plant Your Hardscape for Unexpected Green

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Nestle greenery among pavers, steps and more for a yard brimming with life and creativity

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Alphonse Karr Bamboo

By Annie Thornton

Bamboo gets a bad rap in the garden, but this clumping variety creates an exotic landscape look with less aggressiveness

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: A Woodsy Home Welcomes Animals and Plants

By Louise Lakier

An open-hearted couple builds a home in the forest that shows a love of the land and (almost) all of its inhabitants

INSPIRING GARDENS Native Plants Bring 10 Southern California Front-Yard Gardens to Life

By Annie Thornton

Rare plants, rain gardens and wildlife habitats are just a few of the features showcased on the 2016 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour

Sponsored

Schlabach Woodworks

16 Reviews

Franklin County's Reclaimed Wood Professionals

More Discussions

I need your help to improve this jade plant. (My first jade!)

31

What's wrong withy my cactus?

0

Can I trim this plant?

1

Easter Cacti in bloom

4

Euphorbia disease advice?

3