[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Ken, I haven't got much live sphagnum that isn't already established in other Nep pots, but I've put a topdressing of Chilean sphagnum on all of the plants. Do you think that will keep them moist enough?
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Ken, I decided to take your suggestion and sacrificed some live LFS from another pot.
Your plants looked very healthy on arrival. Given that, I wouldn't worry too much about the fact that they were left in the cold for a bit.
I don't use the LFS topdressing primarily for moisture retention; rather, I use it to prevent rot problems. I've found that for my conditions, topdressing with LFS is better than having a peat surface, and that live LFS seems better than dead. I've found little difference in quality between good NZ and Chilean LFS.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]A few plants were already starting to look dried out.
Do you have your plants in a very high (80+%) humidity environment? If not, the "drying out" of the leaves is probably due to shock. Small plants, especially those recently out of TC, are prone to this. Misting the plants is virtually useless since the effect is lost once the water evaporates off the leaves, usually in a matter of minutes. This is why I usually put small, non-hardened neps in an enclosed area with 100% humidity and good air circulation (e.g., plastic sandwitch baggie over very small plants). I gradually punch more and bigger holes in the baggie until eventually, it comes off. By that time, the plant is hardened to the ambient humidity of my apartment which is ~60%.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]When you order from Andreas, how long does it take to get your plants?
For US orders, he usually ships multiple orders at once to a distributor who then packages the individual orders and mails them. So, depending on when you place the order, it could be weeks to months before the plants get to you. Your order is processed immediately, however.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]do you just pay with a credit card and they work out the difference?
This is the easiest way. However, credit card companies charge a fee for payments in non-US currency. The fee from my card was ~$30 USD.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]What are their shipping prices like?
Shipping is usually free for orders of a certain size since he ships multiple orders at once. The caveat is having to wait sometimes months for the plants. BUT YOUR PATIENCE WILL PAY OFF. The plants are on the small side but spectacular.
Ken