The proper way to do a SASBE

If someone is requiring a SASBE that's a specific request, but FWIW, here's how I typically ship seeds safely and at a low cost.

I cut a piece of printer paper and a piece of thin bubble wrap to the size of the envelope - in the picture below, I recycled bubble paper from a Baker Creek seed-shipping envelope. I staple the seed baggies to the printer paper, spaced evenly in 2 - 3 rows depending on envelope size and number of packets. This keeps the seed baggies from clumping up, so the envelope stays thinner. Then I sandwich them between the printer paper and the bubble paper.

Once the envelop is sealed, I place it under a massive dictionary I've had forever with some additional weight on top. After leaving it that way for a little while for the materials to compress, it's time to ship. I use only basic postage (a USPS domestic ($0.63) or global ($1.45) forever stamp) and drop them in the box. I've never had an envelope returned/flagged for additional postage when I've dropped it into a mailbox, though once when I handed one to the employee at the post office counter they put it through the measuring tool and made me pay extra.

I've sent over 10 packs in a 6.75" envelope and over 20 in a full-size letter envelope, but how many seems reasonable depends on the number of seeds in the packets. Generally, I try not to push it quite that far as I don't want to risk an issue.

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Way to go @CaneDog 👌 I have received crushed/powdered seeds in the past and it pissed me off. I mostly use bubble mailer; I'd rather pay the little extra up front to ship once and sleep well than have to ship again! And a piece of scott towel is the bare minimum when shipping to Canada!
 
Bou said:
Way to go @CaneDog 👌 I have received crushed/powdered seeds in the past and it pissed me off. I mostly use bubble mailer; I'd rather pay the little extra up front to ship once and sleep well than have to ship again! And a piece of scott towel is the bare minimum when shipping to Canada!
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Agreed. When you want to feel 100% certain, a bubble mailer is the way to go - plus they usually come with tracking too, at least when I've done it.

The worst I've seen with the rollers crushing seeds is when they're overly dry - and worse still when they're big and overly dry. I got a shipment of rocoto seeds of several varieties once with insufficient packing and they were almost all destroyed by the rollers. Thankfully, only almost all.
 
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CaneDog said:
I got a shipment of rocoto seeds of several varieties once with insufficient packing and they were almost all destroyed by the rollers. Thankfully, only almost all.
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Same here and I got lucky too with the single whole seed😅
 
CaneDog said:
Agreed. When you want to feel 100% certain, a bubble mailer is the way to go - plus they usually come with tracking too, at least when I've done it.

The worst I've seen with the rollers crushing seeds is when they're overly dry - and worse still when they're big and overly dry. I got a shipment of rocoto seeds of several varieties once with insufficient packing and they were almost all destroyed by the rollers. Thankfully, only almost all.
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do you think seeds, even though not visibly crushed, if sent in an envelope without padding will be damaged. Point being ive had terrible germ rates with seeds sent this way 1 out of 40 so far.

Or maybe the gnats had an underground feast!
 
Danny waters said:
do you think seeds, even though not visibly crushed, if sent in an envelope without padding will be damaged. Point being ive had terrible germ rates with seeds sent this way 1 out of 40 so far.

Or maybe the gnats had an underground feast!
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My best guess would be that other factors affected your germination rates more significantly. I wouldn't expect roller damage to seeds in an unpadded envelope to have that much of an effect, unless the seeds were overly dry and brittle. You'll typically see potential roller damage because the seed bags will be dimpled from the pressure of being pinched between the rollers, especially with the little plastic baggies, but, even when I've received these dimpled baggies the seeds have usually germinated well enough - unless they were so brittle as to chip and shatter.
 
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CaneDog said:
My best guess would be that other factors affected your germination rates more significantly. I wouldn't expect roller damage to seeds in an unpadded envelope to have that much of an effect, unless the seeds were overly dry and brittle. You'll typically see potential roller damage because the seed bags will be dimpled from the pressure of being pinched between the rollers, especially with the little plastic baggies, but, even when I've received these dimpled baggies the seeds have usually germinated well enough - unless they were so brittle as to chip and shatter.
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It's probably my growing techniques, as the seeds looked fine and not dimpled like you said.
 
Danny waters said:
It's probably my growing techniques, as the seeds looked fine and not dimpled like you said.
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Even with solid seed starting techniques, there's no shortage of reasons germination can go wonky. Sometimes it's seemingly inexplicable how a certain batch of seeds won't germinate despite the others around them doing fine, then when you try them again later they sprout just fine.
 
CaneDog said:
Even with solid seed starting techniques, there's no shortage of reasons germination can go wonky. Sometimes it's seemingly inexplicable how a certain batch of seeds won't germinate despite the others around them doing fine, then when you try them again later they sprout just fine.
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They are 7 pots jonah and need the extra heat, the airing cupboard although it gets warm, it doesn't keep the medium consistently warm
 
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