Let's talk about buying houseplants in the winter months. I will tell you about the main principles to be followed when buying houseplants in winter.
Heatpack / Sildelements ☀️
Heatpack, or heating element in Latvian, is a heating pack that contains iron sand, which starts to heat up when it comes into contact with air. These heating elements are available in different sizes and their lifespan also depends on it. The longer it works, the longer your bag of plants will be warm. Therefore, when purchasing plants, we must check whether the online store from which you plan to send the plants sends them with a heating element, otherwise your plants may freeze during the journey.
I myself use XL size heating elements in my online store, which work for 72 hours.
Foreign stores 🌍
If you want to order plants from abroad, be sure to find out how long the delivery to Latvia is expected to take. If the delivery is longer than the duration of the heating element, you have a big risk that the plants will be frozen by the time they reach you.
For example, the store uses the services of a standard courier company that provides delivery within 2 weeks to Latvia, and the heating element they use only works for 72 hours, so the plants will be cold for the other 11 days. It is clear that certain plants will arrive frozen to you during this time.
Indoor parcel lockers or post offices 🏠
When buying plants in Latvia in winter, we definitely choose to receive them in indoor parcels (Latvijas Pasts or Smartpost Itella) or in Latvijas Post branches, because even if you do not get to pick up the package right away or if the delivery is delayed due to the courier company's busyness, the plant will be warm indoors. But let's remember that you can't receive a plant without a heating element in winter, even in indoor packages, because courier companies transport packages in cargo boxes where there is no heating!
In-store pickup 🪴
This is definitely one of the best options for buying plants in winter if you have a car. Because then the plant is exposed to cold for a very short time. However, remember that it is best to wrap the plant in paper before taking it out of the store so that the flowers or leaves are not frozen. If you don't have a car, then you have to pack the plants very well and I would recommend preparing a warmer bag.
