using the SEED SWAPS TOOL
The tool is pretty intuitive, so you can just jump in! Or read this first.
I know this looks like a long explanation, but it's not difficult, I just wanted to try to cover everything. If you have questions, ask on this thread. :-)
You'll find the ATP
"Seed Swaps" tool is on the menu to the left, above "Goodies." Click on it!
From the main page of the tool,
start by clicking on "View and Manage your Primary Swap List."
Make a list of your available plants. When you start typing, you'll get a pull-down list of possible choices from the database -- that makes it go faster.
You can also import plants from your ATP Plant List, if you use that tool.
Once you
enroll in the swap, you'll be able to
check off which ones and how many you'll bring to the swap. You have to click the check mark on the left of each plant (it turns green!) to put it into the current swap.
Here's how we're
adapting the tool for plants rather than seeds. Number of Packets = Number of plants available. Use the "quantity per packet" field to indicate whether your plant is bare root, rooted cutting, seedling, trade gallon pot, division, etc. Ignore fields like "deadline to send seeds" and "cost to participate," even though that says 1 cent.
Each day of
trading, you will get "tickets" to use to put "dibs" on plants from the swap list. Here's how the multiplier (set to 2) works to spread out requests: on the first day of trading, everybody will get 2 "dibs" to use to make requests from another participant. On the second day, everybody gets 4 more dibs, on the third day, 6 more, and so on. If you don't use your dibs every day, they roll over. By the day before the swap, you'll have more dibs than you can use. :-)
The "Seed Swaps" tool
automatically keeps track of what you have promised to whom. It also keeps track of plants you've requested. If you change your mind about a plant, you can remove your dibs on it, and it will become available again.
Plus, as you look through other people's lists, you can put items in a
"Wish List" while you wait to get "dibs" or while you figure out whether or not you have a spot in your garden for a peanut butter shrub or whatnot. Putting it on your wish list does not equal dibs on the plant, no matter how many stars you give it.
