What you may be missing is that nothing should be followed to the letter. In WS or life for that matter IMHO. The purpose of following the instructions you posted was to see how you method worked. Following them "to the letter", is what anyone else would have done to give it a try the first time. After trying the method the first time following the instructions you posted, would be the time to make any changes that would improve the method as a whole or for an individual person. In this particular method of packing up seeds, there is nothing to improve on as it isn't one that is going to work, IMHO and experience. "You changed the conditions by using tape. Would that be an absolute? Was it even mentioned? Would some other kind of tape be a better choice? (if it were needed at all)" Yes, I added the tape that was not mentioned. and yes it is an absolute to need the tape. For bubble envelopes to go through the post office at the large envelope rate, there are certain requirements to meet. One of them is for them to be uniform in thickness and slightly bendable. The straws, once placed in the bubble envelope moved around. If there where more than 3 in the envelope, they moved around when the envelope was moved into different positions, bunched up at one end and the bubble envelope was no longer uniform in thickness. Mailing it this way, without the tape would end up having the bubble envelope cost more, go as parcel rate and if you tried to send it as first class, there wouldn't be enough postage on the envelope. The tape used, scotch magic tape, was and is the best tape to use to hold down anything and the easiest to remove from anything. "You said the seeds stuck in the straws. Were they 100% dry going in? Were the straws 100% dry? Any moisture in the seed would cause problems no matter what method you use to package them." Oh yes, my seeds are as dry as you can get and have been stored in paper coin envelopes made from scrap paper for months. Tiny seeds couldn't be any dryer either and they are stored in plastic prescription medicine bottles from the local pharmacy. None of the seeds stick to the inside of the bottles. The seeds are stored inside a house with forced hot air heat, can't get any dryer than that, and heat that has been running since mid October daily. The straws couldn't have been any dryer either. In newly purchased boxes that where never opened till Sunday and been in the house, in the dry heat for almost 3 months. The issue of the seeds stuck in the straws is not an issue of how dry the seeds are or not, or how dry the straws are or not. The issue with the straws is the same as with the ziplock baggies, static electricity that holds onto and all but cements the small and tiny seeds to them. The don't come out without shredding the baggie or flushing he seeds out of the straws. OR, you just give up and toss some of the seeds out. "Constant, steady, heavy pressure on the packets for extended periods of time? "I dont believe that this is, in any way, an accurate recreation of real world conditions trades may encounter as they traveled thru the postal system." This was a perfect recreation of the abuse that our mail gets going through the postal system. From what my letter carrier has described to me at various points in time, our flat mail, first class mail, bubble envelopes get tossed around as if they where balls, have heavy packages placed on top of them and get tortured through the postal system before being given to the local letter carrier for delivery. This is one of the many reasons that bubble envelopes need to be used to ensure the safest way of transporting seeds from one location to another. If I had young children in my home which I don't, my children are all grown adults in their mid twenties an early thirties, I would have had them playing catch with the bubble envelopes for an hour to simulate the abuse they would receive going through the postal system. "As far as time, cutting, and folding, and taping and writing and sealing seems it would be a little more time consuming than using a stapler." Though I don't find it time consuming, it is much easier than using the pressure of staples and worrying about the seeds getting stuck in the straws, caused by static electricity, which is the same thing that happens when using the ziplock baggies, especially when putting small and tiny seeds in them. I do my best to reduce my plastic consumption as well. The gallon ziploc bags I use to cover my containers for WS, all get dried in the sun, packed up and reused till they can't be reused again. Usually at least 2 WS seasons and sometimes more. The same with the glad press and seal that I use for WS as well. Printer paper is a non issue in my house as well, the printer is well used and going at least 3 times a week for various things and hubby's work. I print out at least 800 packets in less than 2 hours during the summer months and know what my gardens will produce in seeds, so the cutting, folding, labeling is done long before the seeds are collected. And yes, if the printer is not used once a week, you damage the printer heads, clog them up and need new ones. May as well be printing out seed packets to keep the printer heads running. Fran

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.)

Hi kathy, sorry for my delay in my response, I have been so over whelmed with excitement with all the stuff I've received I told my wife I don't know where to start or finish. She told me just start at one corner and go around the yard. Lol.. I am really excited tho I've gone to H/D to get soil,.perlite and now I can start filling pots and making more cacti & succulent projects :) Kathy so this greyish colored plant, is it easily propagated by cuttings the and what are the watering trixs? & does it like full sun or bright light? And thank you for your experience too, its much appreciated. Rosemarie, thanks again as always, your help with the plants names is invaluable. This last picture is a nice wheel barrel pot carrier that also was part of the load, of can't wait to get all settled in there is just so many pots and other goodies I haven't even posted half of um. Greg

Hi all, we got our secret santa box today. Thank You Dorothy. We love it. Below are some pic's. The first is of the mug and the coco that came in it. Yummy! Good with a candy cane. From secret santa gift The next is the box it's self and some of the wonderful stuff in it. A two year dayplaner, some bug magnets, some post-it notes, a box of chocolate rocks (more yummy), a musical angel bear, and.... From secret santa gift Santa salt and pepper shakers, fishing pole filled with candy, mini pen and highlighter, two mugs with a stocking in each, a can of chocolate wafers, one Amaryllis bulb, metal name tags, 5 brug cuttings - Dora, strawberry and cream, texas pink, serandipity, and double white, and many packets of seeds - Zinnia, Baby's Breath, Cosmos, Dianthus, Marigold, Forget me not, Daisy, Lettuce, Aster, Bachelor's Button, and Pumpkin Peppers. Plus a cutting of Black eye susan vine and morning glory vine. From secret santa gift Thank You very much Dorothy. Boy were we suprised. You are a sweet santa. Merry Christmas. Hugs Lonny and Kim