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So I got a shipment of plants today...

Chris_Himself

Nep'tard
Was supposed to get comp'ed on a DOA N. Spectibilis. I got this in the mail today...

Just thought I'd share a good laugh. This little contraption consists of a cup taped over a square-potted plant, with easter grass thrown in for some craps and giggles. The N. Maxima or whatever it might be is flipped sideways with it's roots smashed against the clear cup. The little guy looks pretty dehydrated.

Retail price? 14.99. I got it for free. All my other plants came in this condition and I had to repot them. They all survived, and they were really cheap but I just can't do this everytime I order now. It's heartbreaking because I have a genuine love for these please and I squeal like a little kid everytime the UPS truck comes to bring me a new package (I'm 21), and to find this among others is just gut wrenching. And to think this was growing at BE's prestigious nursery at one point in time breaks my heart.

I think it's a Maxima. It's not tagged and I thought I was getting an N. Reinwardtiana in the mail today and told everybody about it. Sigh. I'm not even going to bother. It's been almost two months.

On a side note, on Monday I got my plant from <a href="http://imgur.com/Y9gk0.jpg" title="Andrew ">Andrew</a> and he puts saran wrap over the soil and he placed packing peanuts under all the leaves for me! That balanced out my week so far. Thanks again Andrew for setting the bar.

X31RZ.jpg

nX0B6.jpg


I haven't even tried to take off the cups, I just don't want to look at it for a few hours before I get to nursing it. I am pretty infuriated now with all the problems from this vendor. I've taken it up with the owner and I think I'm just going to move on.

I don't want to post any other pictures because I'm just setting aside everything to take care of later tonight.

I'm not trying to whine or bad-mouth any vendors, I just wanted to express my sincere feelings of regret that these plants may have survived had they not been shipped across the country to me and could have been sold to somebody retail. I think something needs to be done to stop other people around the country from getting stuff like this. This is my 2nd shipment from them and both looked like this, except I suffered some casualties last time.
 
Wow! That is terrible. I can't believe the vendor sold that to you.
It's sad.
 
Yea i must agree with lime, thats ridiculous... i feel bad for you and the plants.
 
People have no respect for life long as they make a quick buck. Or so it seems. I remember hen I ordered from Andrew 2ish years ago.. plants were healthy, packaging was great! I recommend my friends to ya Andy just so ya know! :D
 
Well I removed the cup to find this little gem of a plant. It is indeed an N. Maxima, I had to compare it to the Miranda to see the difference. Maxima has the all red foliage under good lighting.

He might as well have shipped me a bareroot:
iKkRt.jpg


After spending the last 20 minutes getting my hands dirty, which is actually quite unexpected when buying potted plants, I found some larvae of some sort, I think they might be thrip larvae because they have black heads. So I trashed the media and sprayed down the plant and now I have this:

pmGRx.jpg


It's actually VERY pretty for such a common species in cultivation and I know it's easy to grow and I'd consider it not a bad buy for fifteen bucks. The plants themselves were probably nice prior to shipment. I've never seen a Maxima go completely red before. So if you live in the area or attend NECPS meetings, I would recommend them. But if you live on the west coast, I would look somewhere else.

Wish it luck guys, this little guy is probably in for a rough couple weeks while it reroots and acclimates. I watered the media with my miracle Maxsea/Superthrive solution so hopefully it'll perk up within the next couple weeks. I managed to revive dead piece of N. Spectabilis shipped to me that way.

As for the others, I'm seriously just going to try growing them outdoors. I don't really want to look at them.
 
Sorry to hear about your plant. I would understand the cup on a square pot but the easter grass is ridiculous. This looks like a childish game.
 
Jesse whats up dude? We're friends on facebook! Nice running into you man.

Imagine a handful of easter grass, turned over by hand to mix with 50/50 peat/perlite. I will forgive them for the media since N. Maxima has no problem growing in whatever you throw it in, but the media had larvae in it.

The funny thing is, I still want an N. Reinwardtiana. I just settled for the Maxima I guess when I saw it today.
 
I'd keep it in a quarantine until you know for sure those little bugs, whatever they are, are dead and won't spread to your other plants. Maxima is a tough nugget, it should pull through. But yeah, that's a bad job.
 
I found out from Lil Stinkpot (Katie) that they're actually fungus gnat larvae and nothing to be worried about. So all I have is this plant that is going to be down in the dumps for a while...

Sigh.
 
  • #10
I think we all know where that came from. I will never order from them again.
 
  • #11
Keep the plant in VERY HIGH humidity for a while, with a humidity tent or plastic bag if you have to. I lost plants from them in the past, but the humidity tent works wonders in helping them make the transition.

Hard part about the company in question, is that they do have a nice website, a real decent variety of plants, some at very good prices (on sale), and it makes it difficult to just avoid them.
I am a big proponent of shipping un-potted plants. It makes it so much easier for everyone. And if someone doesn't know how to pot up a Nepenthes, it is good experience! Yea a novice could kill it, but IF the supplier AND the buyer takes a simple bit of care, it is actually better off on all accounts.
Well, enjoy your bugs...er ah, plants!
They will pull thru...just keep them real moist and happy!

And remember people, in this day and age, you never know who has what! So QUARANTINE your new plants!!!
 
  • #12
The fungus gnat larvae apparently happens to everybody, I found these things in my year old pots from one of my favorite nurseries up in Oregon, so I wouldn't think too harshly of that. I think they're just a part of the microecology found in greenhouse plants.

Anyways, here it is in my collection (and recovering). It's sitting under the 2 23w 6500k CFL's (left side) , I think the plant needs some shelter, so I'm not going to throw it under the 105w 5000k CFL (right side) like my other plants. I'm still offering the Talangensis next to my N. Miranda it's actually working at a leaf pace of 1 leaf every two weeks (I'm still offering it to the first guy who ships me a nice Truncata or Khasiana). Two plants over is Andrew's N. Sanguinea which is just looking awesome! It's already started growing for me.

You know what the sad thing is?

I never got my N. Reinwardtiana. I don't care how badly it would have been shipped to me, but I've become such a fan of that plant based on what I've read on it's cultivation. Some say it's easier than N. Alata! (Mine has already started producing basals after a couple months)

N. Maxima is a nice plant on it's own, and I ended up getting a size medium plant in exchange for the N Reinward which was supposed to be a replacement for the N. Spect. I think the N. Spect is showing signs of life, but It's really hard to tell at that size.

We should really start a fund for the victims of this vendor... get me that darn N. Reinward. The more it eludes me, the more I want it. Right now a Truncata is on my list though.

Anyways thanks for being supportive TF. I emailed the vendor, but I don't think I'll be hearing from him anytime soon.
 
  • #13
The fungus gnat larvae apparently happens to everybody, I found these things in my year old pots from one of my favorite nurseries up in Oregon, so I wouldn't think too harshly of that. I think they're just a part of the microecology found in greenhouse plants.

Actually that is not true. Fungus gnats are not benign and can cause significant damage to plant roots and open up pathways for disease to cause even more damage or kill the plants outright. A proper nursery controls them effectively like any pest. Hobbiests should not stand for pests or disease of any sort on plants they receive from commercial nurseries, REGARDLESS OF THE PRICE PAID. Nor should they stand for plants damaged in transit from improper packing, or plants that are not FULLY reestablished after importing if it originated from an overseas supplier. There are no excuses for not receiving 100% healthy and established plants for your hard earned dollar.
 
  • #14
Actually that is not true. Fungus gnats are not benign and can cause significant damage to plant roots and open up pathways for disease to cause even more damage or kill the plants outright. A proper nursery controls them effectively like any pest.

A point I've made many times. Indeed the Department of Agriculture of nearly every state in the US has classified fungus gnats as a serious pest responsible for many lost dollars in crop damage.

Hobbiests should not stand for pests or disease of any sort on plants they receive from commercial nurseries, REGARDLESS OF THE PRICE PAID.

So much for Phytosanitary certificates. I suppose a complaint can be lodged with the proper authorities.
 
  • #15
I do agree with Tony and others on some points...
Fungus gnats are not a pest I would just tolerate. (Enduring spring tails are bad enough!)
And yes, a proper nursery controls pests effectively, but the nursery in question has already earned the reputation here on the forum, for not being an entirely proper nursery!

It would be nice to hold commercial nurseries more responsible for their "product", but there is only so much a person can do. Look how long they have had the reputation they do, and yet still they are in business doing the same thing repeatedly.
As far as "REGARDLESS OF THE PRICE PAID", I for one have had heavy financial problems over the years, and so if I can get something "on the cheap", I don't expect it to be of the same standard as something I pay more for. It would be nice, but not all of us can afford top prices for top merchandise. (Wish I could however!)
For example, I have a nearby plant grower (non-CP) who offers spindly little plants in questionable condition. However, he has varieties I can not find elsewhere and sells things for a decent price for what they are. While I wish his plants were better, I know he would have to charge a lot more for more mature and healthy/robust plants. As such, I go to him to get what varieties I want, at a price I can afford. (I couldn't even get them otherwise!) So in a way, he is filling a niche.

I will say however, that the nursery in question is not so cheap compared to other online nurseries, that he should be putting out diseased, bug infested plants. The only reason I have dealt with them in the past, is because I happened to receive a gift certificate to them from a generous relative. (I was rather upset when I saw it was from them, of all places!)

As far as plants damaged in transit from improper packing, that has always been hard to prove! I just don't understand why they do what they do sometimes as it makes no sense.
One problem is however, that while I would prefer receiving plants that are un-potted and gently packed in a sealed bag, surrounded by a soft bed of wet LFS... I imagine there are people who would prefer their plants handled/packed differently. I have no problem potting up a plant, but some people do. But I do know, that if the person un-potting the plant to ship out is reckless and uncaring, they can severely damage the roots of the plants and do more harm than good.

And shipping out plants that are not FULLY reestablished is uncaring and reckless, but I know a lot of suppliers that do that, if not regularly, then at some point or another. I guess like a lot of businesses, corners are cut.... and some businesses just care less than others.
It seems to me, that anyone who has been on this forum for any reasonable length of time, should know what they are getting into and the risks they are taking when dealing with "certain vendors"! Some risks are worth taking, others are not.
If you know what you are possibly getting into, you really only have yourself to hold accountable. (ie: Screw me once, shame on you....screw me twice, shame on me! Duh!)

There may be no excuses for a vendor not sending out 100% healthy and established plants, but sometimes there are reasons for not expecting 100% healthy and established plants for your hard earned 50 cents! Perhaps I have my standards set too low at times, but I came from a time when the more rare varieties were not even available. So when I have an opportunity to buy something I never thought I could, especially at a price I can afford, I am willing to tolerate a certain degree of substandard conditions. (I am not referring to the nursery in question concerning this, as they certainly are not always the lowest price nursery around!)
I draw the line however, with fungus, diseases, severely damaged plants, and plants that are so immature via premature removal out of TC that they can't possibly be expected to survive. I have dealt with many nurseries considered "reputable", and occasionally have still had problems as I mentioned. It is not so bad when I spend $20 on something, but when I spend $40, $60 or more on one plant, only to have it arrive near dead (and which dies shortly after I get it), THAT is what is aggravating to me.
In a way, I would rather receive a robust plant with some bugs that I can get rid of myself, than receive a plant that is half dead, grossly immature, and has absolutely no hope of surviving. So I do draw the line, but I draw it where I think it counts most.... for me.
:water:
Good luck everyone. This has been an issue for years and years AND YEARS, with CP's and a lot of other living things!
 
  • #16
I would rather pay more for a healthy pest free plant than a battered infested plant. I would rather be set on fire and put out with battery acid than order from someone who treats their plants like that.
 
  • #17
I choose to buy plants from really great nurseries instead of going out to movies or on vacations, or really buying new clothes or furniture for my apartment or having other hobbies or ... :blahblah9xm:

:crazy:
 
  • #18
I choose to buy plants from really great nurseries instead of going out to movies or on vacations, or really buying new clothes or furniture for my apartment or having other hobbies or ... :blahblah9xm:

.... or soap. :lol:
 
  • #19
The fungus gnat laravae already taken care of. They leave really noticeable slime trails on the lFS, and they're all dead now. That bayer stuff has saved me from this shipment and the other shipment as well which is pretty funny.

Last shipment was awful, I had spider mites everywhere. I literally got shivers down my spine from watching them do their damage on the plants. I couldn't get back from OSH fast enough, I'll tell you that.

All my plants are pest and disease free so far. It's just really what they ship with is all . Please don't let this impair anybody's interpretation of my plants. They start out crap, but they end up looking good after about a month of careful preening.

What can I do about this situation? I can't really tolerate the fact that some beginner hobbyist gets shafted and doesn't have the knowledge or supplies that I do to fully reestablish these plants. I mean Jacob Farin and Jeff will literally spend hours with you on the phone if he has to, to help you take care of any plant, regardless of origin. Not only have I received excellent customer service from them, but they're friends to anybody in the community as well.

Why these people are members of NECPS, I have no idea. I just wanted my N. Reinward...
 
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