What a great thread and since I've come out of my lurkdom here and have a fair amount of experience in packing seeds to trade/share, and have received seeds in, in a multitude of ways, I'll just add my 2 cents. I see there are certainly multiple ways and some consider one way to be the best, while others consider it to have cons. I don't think any one way is considerably better than another. As far as economical, the ones using pages from catalogs, or printer paper (new or used) are probably by far the most economical to make. What works well for one, might not work for another. What is economical (or considered to be) for one, might not be economical to another. Getting the seeds out of its packaging is yet another part of the equation. Resealing, if need be, is another part of the equation. There is patience (which I have little of) and time as well as convenience to be considered. I have and use the small zip lock baggies. They are found to be what works best for me. They are a little more than 2/3 cent each when I ordered 3000 of the the discounted Blue Line ones Here. Maybe Trudi has an even cheaper source, of ordering in bulk without having to order a million. This winter, I've pondered the problem of static electricity with certain seeds or with particularly tiny seeds like sedums and butterfly bushes. What I opted to do on those two are to wrap the seeds in a 4" square of tissue, folded and labeled, and then inserted in the zip baggie. Nice instructions and pics pitimpinai and monte. Thanks for sharing! I'm sure that many will benefit from them both. Now...you know my preferred way to pack the seeds that I send out and the cost, we'll move on to how I like to receive seeds packed. Like quilt said above, " I promise you if you send me a pack of seeds in a straw, an envelope, a zip lock baggie, a coin envelope, a bubble mailer, or a tin can I will throw them in dirt and water them just the same. " Whatever one chooses to send them in is fine by me. I do kind of like the zip baggies for bigger seeds, and either reuse or recycle them along with other plastic bags...yes I am OCD (or is it CDO?) when it comes to recycling. The brightly colored ones made from recycled catalogs always brighten my day when I see them. If the seeds are properly dried, I think that any kind of packaging is fine and not detrimental. #What is most economical for one person might not be to another person, variables being the purchase of zippies, coin envelopes, straws, printer paper, printer ink, stick on labeling of some sort. #What one prefers to pack in is indubitably not preferred by all, also for numerous reasons. As important as seed packaging is, I think that the labeling is of just as much or more importance, but that is maybe food for thought for another time and thread. Below is a pic of several of the packs of wonderful seeds I received in the 2009 WLOMWL swap. Lots of different packaging, and labeling. Something I had not seen before were glassine baggies and what looked like folded glassine. Both suited me fine/great because of what they contained. Happy gardening, collecting, sharing/trading, and dreaming of your 2010 gardens! Sue...rbb as Terenne said, "This thread is a great example of different strokes for different folks. I so agree. Oh...if you're still with me, my vote for the most economical ones would have to be those made from recycled paper. EEK...have I had too much coffee again? Sue...rbb and loquacious as usual. (kcqrna and monte, it was aliska12000 above that spoke of the rosary pliers in her post showing her potential seed sowing tools.)

I love the blue ribbon plant, that is my taste in plants, I have some little nasty little one that some one gave me, none of which I like at all, send postage and I'll send about 6+ plants. I don't sell plants. I called Living Stones Nursery this morning, and ordered the plant that I want for a friend. I called an old friend he is coming Tuesday to bring one as well, 1+1 = seeds. I have another Tephrocactus that I received from the Huntington Gardens, it works perfect for 6" cactus bowls. This one is really nasty with tiny pads and glocides with many spines. grows very flat to the ground. If no one will adopt these I will bring them to the meeting on his coming Thursday night and give them away there. Norma

Dana, thanks for the info and for the telephone call last night. It was nice to actually talk to someone I have been conversing with via emails. I will check around and see if I can find any vermiculite and/or perlite at the places you suggested. If not, I will let you know. Don't forget to send your mailing address so I will have it on hand when the seeds are ready to send. Great deal on the clematis from Lowes. I am sure your clients will enjoy them next year. I can see why you might not want Piilu seeds but then again who knows what may come out of seeds from it since it is a hybrid. It could also have crossed with who knows what in the garden. If you change your mind about the Piilu seeds just let me know.

Just a few comments here. Tom Wagner was not a part of Dr. Myers lab and had no involvement in the initial cross and subsequent development of the original OSU and P20 versions. But he has used the latter in his own breeding program to develop other varieties by crossing to this and that, and has a website where he sells them and they are quite pricey. There are many other breeders and other interested folks who are are doing crosses with mainly P20 as well. I don't think any of Tom's blue ones are stable but would have to check that to confirm it. At another message site which I won't mention since GW is wont to ban folks who do mention other message sites, or used to, a lady appeared who worked in Dr. Myers lab and offered seeds of the original OSU to anyone who wanted them. At the time I knew that papers had to be signed for breeders who wanted access to OSU that they wouldn't share the seeds, and I asked her if she knew about that. She said no one told her she couldn't do it so she was going to do it, and did. I doubt if she ever even asked. But almost all of the folks at the other site grew it, showed pictures and then dropped it b'c they had no expectations of doing any crosses , etc., to them it was simply a novelty variety as it still is for many. Carolyn