rockm

"Pootsie, I think to get a reliable answer the size and type of tree and pot should be known."

Exactly. Big trees are shipped differently than smaller ones--by the way, I would NEVER wrap a tree's top in plastic. The wrapping acts like a blanket and pressure on one side of the wrap can break branches on the other. Left unwrapped, branches are isolated from such damage.

For BIG trees, Vito Megna shipped the pots wired to a large piece of plywood for stability, put into a large appliance box (washing machine, or water heater box) with wooden cross supports on the sides that hold up support wiring for the tree. You can pad ceramic pots with foam blocks, but big pots should be shipped separately and the plants put in plastic nursery containers for the trip. Yeah, it's more expensive, but it save having to buy another big pot because of brutal shipping clerks.

I've shipped smaller trees by wrapping the pot and roots with shrinkwrap after watering well, then bubble wrap, then placing the plant in a large box, backfilling with plastic peanuts--packing them in tight and working them into voids. Of course it helps if the tree is still dormant and there are no leaves. The styrofoam won't hurt for a couple of days. SHIP NEXT DAY AIR. If the buyer refuses to pay the extra cost, have them sign an agreement or officially notify them in writing or an email that their plant may arrive dead or damaged if they refuse...This protects you from having to replace a tree that's shipped three or four day ground and winds up on the buyer's front porch in a hard April freeze.

Ship plants in early spring. Don't ship anything beyond mid-May. You can also ship in early fall, but not past Thankgiving...