Crazy FreeCycles

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I had taken several cuttings from my Christmas Cactus, rooted them, and potted them into a 6" pot for a friend. She had admired my large blooming plant and said, "Oh, I wish I had one!"

When I offered the now thriving new plant to her, she said she didn't have anywhere to keep it.

I can't hardly bring myself to throw away a plant. I was "stuck" with another large Christmas Cactus that I didn't have room for, plus four smaller pots of rooted cuttings.

I decided to list them on FreeCycle before tossing them.

You would not believe the numbers of frantic responses I received. "Oh yes! I need a Christmas Cactus." I gave the 6" pot full to the first responder; another person received two of the small rootings and a third person received the last two.

I reposted that the Christmas Cactus was taken but I am still receiving "I want the Christmas Cactus!" emails. Geesh! You'd think I was offering bags of gold bullion.

Two people set times to come by, and failed to show up twice.

The strangest response was from one woman who said she needed me to bring the plant to Grand Forks, about 40 miles one-way from my house, and drop it off for her father. She said he didn't have long to live and a Christmas Cactus would make his final days easier.

I answered her and said the plants were all gone. I was sorry for her father's condition and wished her the best. I did not tell her there was no plant in the world that would make dying more easy.

What's up with the high and frantic demand for the cheap, very easy to grow and propagate Christmas Cactus?

Featured Answer

caroline94535
Original Author

9 years ago

When we first moved here I had a small garden area between the mudroom door and the sun porch. It was overgrown with sun-starved, choking, day lilies. I knew they would be lovely, but they had to be dug out, divided and planted in full sun.

I offered them on FreeCycle. I lucked out then; a woman said she wanted them all. I re-emphasized that she would have to dig them out, alone, and put them in her car. I was not able to move them.

I provided a spading fork and shovel, plastic bags, and the plants. She dug every single root/tuber out, carried them to her car, and even swept up the mess on the concrete.

That was a good FreeCycle transaction.

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Comments (15)

sylviatexas2
9 years ago
I've posted there, too, always had a lot of responses.
There's an option to delete the post on your membership or account page;
I do that rather than post a "taken" message which people might not see.

Maybe the people who were so eager are people who like Christmas cactus but are living on tight budgets.
party_music50
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I love xmas cactus and I have them in many colors. Yes, they're easy to grow and propagate -- but only if you have them. lol!

I've had no success with giving away plants on craigslist. I've had too many people fail to commit, some no-shows, and several people who wanted me to dig/pot the plants and deliver them... free, of course. Not worth the hassle -- and I need to keep reminding myself of that. lol!

oops -- I see you meant FreeCycle! but when it comes to plants, my experience is the same there as at craigslist. Freecycle seems to work great for me as long as it ISN'T about plants.
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OH MY G O O D N E S S ~ G R A C I O U S !!!!!!!!!!!!! That is just soooooooooooooooooo F U N N Y !!!!!!!!!! Oh me.... AKUP that is so sweet of you to tell us that.... I was thinking while I was reading... I should tell you my cell phone number.. then you could call me when you are "LOST" and I could look up the "MAP QUEST" map and give you the ~~~~~~~~~~~~ D I R E C T I O N S ~~~~~~~ but.. as I was reading... I was think'n of me and my FREECYCLE>>> ADVENTURES>>> and My DH finally got me a New Van with the NAVIGATION SYSTEM... so I would quit getting ******* LOST ********** and getting home late to fix DINNER !!!!!!!!!!!!! But this.... TEXAS ~~~~~~~~~~~~ To CANADA story really Takes the C*A*K*E !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HEY............. I'm closer... up here in Illinois... maybe... if she still has the trays.// I could Dog Sled on up the rest of the way... pick up the Metal Trays.. for you... Then I Could tell DH I am D E L I V E R I N G the trays.. to You and ..... You & Ms SusieYellowRose of TEXAS and I could have our TEA PARTY.... Invite... MsDaisyDal down... across the Border..and everyone else... that wanted... ** Maybe Cait could catch a BIG BOAT and come on over ....(TeeHee) and have our selves... A *BIG* SHENDIG* at The SusieRose Wants.... Company PARTY !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha Ha won't Hubs.. just croak on that one..... Well... AKaup thank sooooooo much for sharing... It is a REALLY GOOD Story... and make the WORLD NEWS>>. not seem sooooooooooo Important! Ok I'm gonna stop.... cause.... I would want Kirkus.. & Carol... & Purple Moon... and Use2BCapeCodder... and Jeannespines & Bright &tooooomuchglass and GoldenPond & Luvs2Click and other LUVS Tennessetrash & counterprimrose and NM GIRL debby_md a n d lunaLenaFeliz & sunnycal & smickerdoodle & nanagramma and Kudzukween & princess Mimi & rmurry and katishooked & mzclaassic calamityj & desertrat.... leeveta & .............................................. ___________________________________________________________ * A * L * L ~ ~ ~ ~ Y A 'll come on over to SUSIEWANTSCOMPANY 's house !!! she and hubs are having a B I G ~~~~~~~~~~ HUGE ! ! ! Texas Hoedown !!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA W !!!!!!!! rid'em little doggies !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! alert the T E X A S ~ ~ ~ RANGERS ! ! ! ! ! B ON THE L@@K OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! G A R D E N ~ ~ ~ JUNKERS might L@@K RUSTY>>.... but... we still got it go'N ~~~ ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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That has happened to me too and for Christmas, I asked my kids for some stepping stones from Plow&Hearth..under $15 each. I bought 2 for myself but that wasn't enough. Somebody posted a message that they were giving away free stepping stones on our Garden Club website and I was the first person to respond and was able to pick them up the next day and I got 10 (12 in. round)brick stepping stones and you better believe they will be put to good use. The flowerbeds were already laid out by previous owner and the one by our garage is 5 ft. wide and it is hard to get to the back of the border without risking stepping on plants and of course, tramping down the mulch. Maybe you'll be as lucky as I was and somebody offer you free stepping stones. Check Free Cycle or Craig's list.
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Maybe I have been extraordinary lucky, but so far the people that have come to my house have been the nicest you would ever meet. I hope my luck continues. I had to deal with the flakes only on the phone. katclaws_mo - I haven't heard of a "Curb Alert". I have seen people list Free Items at such and such address on CL. The problem with that is people taking everything that was outside, like patio table & chairs and plants - anything not nailed down. Afterwards people post asking for those items back. I always wonder if they ever get them back. I wouldn't post my address on CL for everyone to see. I feel uncomfortable enough giving it out to strangers in emails and on the phone. No answered my question, 'Why not donate to a charity free items instead of having people come to your house and take them away?' Clare
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Alisande
9 years ago
That was funny, Caroline!
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9 years ago
Too many want a blooming plant like they see at the florist but actually waiting for one to bloom and taking care of it in the meanwhile are too much trouble. I, too, have far too many Christmas and Easter cacti dropping spent flowers all over but they can live here as easily as die somewhere else. I'll just keep moving the pots over enough to fit in one more.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
9 years ago
I need some because unfortunately all of mine died and I failed to do cuttings. I love them. I had a huge one for years that never bloomed, a friend came over and said try moving it to over here, I had moved it all over the house, but I did it and it started blooming almost immediately. Amazing. It was so pretty but once it moved here to Houston it didn't like it here.
PKponder TX Z7B
9 years ago
I had a huge number of guppies that I needed to find homes for and placed an ad on Freecycle...they were gone in one day!
Jasdip
9 years ago
I love Freecycle! I give and get items, regularly.

One of my most popular offers, is my worm-poop. LOL That is exactly what my subject line says Offer; Worm poop!

I have regular members that want it.
FlamingO in AR
9 years ago
Can't you delete the post once the items are gone? Seems like that would stop all the requests/demands.
terilyn
9 years ago
I have to admit, I am not a plant person, kill everything I touch. Had a long term houseguest that left her plants here. Her Christmas Catus was beautiful. What do I do now?
cynic
9 years ago
Around here most people post another saying "TAKEN" then the headline used. Often things go quickly so it makes it difficult to keep up with them.
wantoretire_did
9 years ago
I had the same Freecycle experience as Caroline but with a large area of Lily of the Valley. A man came and dug up every plant and runner and cleaned up afterwards. I was free of them, finally :-)
arkansas girl
9 years ago
Our Freecycle has pretty much dried up around here. I don't know what happened but all of a sudden I just stopped getting any sort of notifications but there was never anything there anyway. If you asked for something, you would never get anyone that had what you wanted. We used to have a place that would open on Saturdays and you could take things and they would either be taken by people or the college would use them in their art projects. I loved that place, but when times got bad, they closed it down.
ruthieg__tx
9 years ago
Ours is very active and I have actually gotten and given a couple of things. I needed a good heavy table for one of my machines and someone was offering a "sturdy" heavy duty computer desk and I thought perfect and it was...The last thing I gave away was sourdough starter...potent stuff...
nicole___
9 years ago
That reminds me I have a "ton" of spotted quill bulbs and hindu rope hoya that needs a trim. :0) I'll just put it at the foot of my driveway with a free sign for the neighbors...if any is left I'll put it on CL.

I got rid of my Nordic track in seconds that way! :0)

Crazy FreeCycles

caroline94535
Original Author

Comments (15)

sylviatexas2

party_music50

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Crazy FreeCycles

caroline94535Original Author

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caroline94535
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