# Hung Sheng plants



## Tony (May 30, 2019)

I got my order from Hung Sheng via Let's Talk Plants today. Mixed thoughts on the process, ordering was a pain as the importer initially did not want to honor their posted sale prices until I insisted and provided screenshots of their own emails detailing the offer. The plants are small but seem healthy. Shipping from the importer to me was nothing short of larceny lol, $40 for a small priority box and the plants were still packed in the importer's bundle with no consideration for the hot weather on my end which I made the importer aware of last week. Not a terrible experience overall, but I think I would be more inclined to directly import flasks or plants in the future, import permits are simple enough and I could definitely get more for the money that way.


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## Tony (May 30, 2019)

Sizing is a bit inconsistent, the front row is size A (10 cm) while the rear is size B (11-20 cm).


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## Camellkc (May 30, 2019)

I wish you good luck. I have visited Hung Sheng Orchids and have bought some of their plants in the past years. Most of them cannot thrive healthy. Even some paphio guru in Taiwan faces difficulties in growing their plants good.

The reason is: Their environment and water quality is too good for the plants to adopt another environment, which is inferior in comparison.


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## Ozpaph (May 31, 2019)

Its a bit hard to have consistent sizing with paphs given the parentage varies so much. They look healthy enough.


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## Guldal (Jun 1, 2019)

The plants look fine... let's hope that Camellck's gloomy prophesy isn't fullfilled! We'll know in the the due course of time. Keep us posted - and the best of luck with the growing!

Btw. would it be possible for you to provide us with the names of the individual plants presented?

Kind regards, Jens


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## Tony (Jun 1, 2019)

The plants look healthy, but I think it may be more economical to import them myself rather than using a third party next time. One way or another I'm sure I will end up with more Hung Sheng plants in the future. Here are labeled pics:


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## Djthomp28 (Jun 1, 2019)

Thanks for sharing your experience! They look very heathly.


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## Bob in Albany N.Y. (Jun 1, 2019)

Yea, it seems that Lets Talk Plants also over prices shipping on their E-bay plants as well.


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## Tony (Jun 1, 2019)

Bob in Albany N.Y. said:


> Yea, it seems that Lets Talk Plants also over prices shipping on their E-bay plants as well.



I bought a handful of Phrag seedlings from them on ebay a while back and I don't remember shipping being out of line, but I'm pretty annoyed that $40 got me nothing but a priority box that would have been around $8 to ship. $40 would cover express mail and a cool pack and still leave some change in their pocket.


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## spujr (Jun 1, 2019)

Thanks for sharing Tony! I was curious how the shipping and quality of plants would be when I first heard about this. Wish you all the best luck with them, they appear to be in good shape!


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## Camellkc (Jun 1, 2019)

Tony said:


> The plants look healthy, but I think it may be more economical to import them myself rather than using a third party next time. One way or another I'm sure I will end up with more Hung Sheng plants in the future. Here are labeled pics:


I think small seedlings will be better to adapt new environment. I used to bought NBS or BS plants but usually bought me nightmare on maintaining the strength of the plants.


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## musa (Jun 2, 2019)

Tony, your plants are really looking good!


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## Guldal (Jun 2, 2019)

Thanks for the naming of your loot!

I think, I would have been pretty annoyed (to abstain from the p-word - as in p..... off) myself concerning the postage... From your photos to judge not much effort could have gone into the packaging - so the price really can't be for handling the plants (p&p)... Your description of the whole proces in your first post doesn't exactly leave a pretty impression... maybe the postage ploy was their way of getting the profit, they wanted, out of the deal, after you insisted that they kept to their first advertised prices?!


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## Tony (Jun 2, 2019)

Guldal said:


> maybe the postage ploy was their way of getting the profit, they wanted, out of the deal, after you insisted that they kept to their first advertised prices?!



I had the same thought. In any case Hung Sheng did their part and sent some clean healthy plants that I'm happy to have so I can't be too upset. I made this order a small one just to test the process and see how the plants turned out, when I'm ready for a bigger order I'll just get my own permit and deal directly with HS.


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## Hien (Jun 2, 2019)

Tony,

1) I am not sure, but perhaps the shipping reflects (including) the commission for the person who carry the merchandise from Taiwan to the US show (not just the shipping inside the US )
I ordered directly from Hung Sheng before , if I remember correctly, the commission for the carrier was 50.00 (I have to check the record of past communication, but I don't think that number includes the shipping from the show.) Did you confirm with Let's talk plants about the shipping charge? in my case, ordering directly from Hung Sheng, I gladly add the carrier's commission since he carries the flasks personally , this way the only tumbling of plantlets are just the enduring with the internal US shipping.
2) on the issue that the package is still in original chinese news paper wrapping, I remember his add mentioned the plants will be bare root shipping, if you want the option is 5.00 extra per plant to repot by them before sending to you.
Did you order them with repotting or just as bare roots. If you do not request the service with 5.00 addition per plant, then it is beneficial for let's talk plants and you that they did not open the original packet and repacking again. (God knows, they could breaking or damage something, or mix up orders when open things) I am sure they don't want to touch the original plants , I would venture to say that way if something is wrong, when you contact them ,they will be able to go back and make a claim with Hung Sheng that the problem start with the original Hung Sheng package. Frankly, I would prefer receive the plants originally wrapped . We all repot our plants any way.
3) For the saving of order directly, you will have to check the full price of Hungsheng plants with Formosa Orchids (also carrying/growing Hung Sheng plants) or Hung Sheng themselves then compare with the introduction discount price you get with Let's talk Plants , to see if you gain any saving or not.


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## Tony (Jan 26, 2020)

Camellkc said:


> I wish you good luck. I have visited Hung Sheng Orchids and have bought some of their plants in the past years. Most of them cannot thrive healthy. Even some paphio guru in Taiwan faces difficulties in growing their plants good.
> 
> The reason is: Their environment and water quality is too good for the plants to adopt another environment, which is inferior in comparison.



You were right in your prediction, four of the six dropped dead and another is struggling while the rest of the plants around them thrive. I'll definitely go for flasks over seedlings in future dealings with Hung Sheng.


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## Djthomp28 (Jan 27, 2020)

I appreciate you sharing your experience, but I wish things had worked out better. That's extremely disappointing.


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## richgarrison (Jan 27, 2020)

@Tony , can you remind us of the prices you paid for these?


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## NYEric (Jan 27, 2020)

A bunch of STF members put together a large (over 100 plant) order. I ordered a lot of exotic album hybrids. They were too small and none of mine survived. If you go for full sized plans you have a better chance (from experience) but you have to pay more.


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## Don I (Jan 27, 2020)

Thanks and good luck.
Don


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## BrucherT (Jan 27, 2020)

Chiming in: last year, I Hung Sheng was giving an extreme deal on P. wardii seedlings, it was like 3 for $12 or something. I ordered that and also a Dendrochilum wenzelii that I’ve been wanting to try. Ordered 2 compots of 3 plants wardii and the D. wenzelii. For another $10, LTP threw in a compot of P. gratrixianum for $10. Then he communicated to say hey, you like Dendrochilum? How about these for $8 each? So I ended up with 5 different large specimens of different Dendrochilum. Order totaled $60, a big order for me, my only one last year. 

In general, so far I’ve been satisfied. Everything is still alive, though the P. wardii varied a lot in quality as each pot contained one nice seedling and two very tiny, obviously less robust seedlings stuck in. The best seedling had staples through the leaves from the packing process, which means it’s a good thing I opened carefully. Two of the 6 total wardii seedlings are still iffy, one seemed extremely injured and one basically rootless and only about one inch across. Seem still alive though, in sphagnum and getting all First Rays magical potions. The gratrixianum are small but sturdy. All the Dendrochilum, which I have no experience with, are all still looking good. I repotted everything in various media. I use RO water. Did treat everything with peroxide and fungicide and Innocur and KelpMax before potting. 

also got a teeny tiny hangianum from there I guess two years ago now. It seemed to struggle at first but then took hold and is now growing all right, I think.

The prices he gave me were insanely low so I feel like if I get at least one good wardii/gratrixianum out of it, I can’t complain. The Dendrochilum are all big clumps that either were blooming then or are setting buds now (wenzelii). I will do business with him again someday!


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## Tony (Jan 27, 2020)

richgarrison said:


> @Tony , can you remind us of the prices you paid for these?



The sand × adductum is doing well, the gigantifolium × anitum is struggling but I think will turn around, the rest all died.


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## Tony (Jan 27, 2020)

BrucherT said:


> I use RO water. Did treat everything with peroxide and fungicide and Innocur and KelpMax before potting.



I didn't treat with a fungicide but I do use RO water and Ray's products. For whatever reason they just didn't acclimate well, the anitum for example was right next to another imported from Germany that is thriving. Lesson learned, next time I'll get flasks and establish them in my conditions.


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## BigBaby (Jan 28, 2020)

Well this is slightly discouraging lol! I just received 2 Anitum seedlings from Hung Sheng through Ten Shin at the NJOS show and they’re looking really nice...

Hopefully they’re able to acclimate and establish.


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## Tony (Jan 28, 2020)

I hope you have better luck, we need more anitum (and adductum) out there.


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## richgarrison (Jan 29, 2020)

Tony said:


> The sand × adductum is doing well, the gigantifolium × anitum is struggling but I think will turn around, the rest all died.



Yikes...


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## Happypaphy7 (Jan 30, 2020)

I think some plants, especially weak and young plants suffer from having to go bareroot and dry for a while. They may take some time to recover from this shock, or never recover.
I have been lucky to not have had any plants dying on me, although I have this one complex hybrid bought in bloom in Jan 2017 which is still recovering! I'm only keeping it because I really liked the flower.
Most other complex and novelty hybrids from Taiwan bought in bloom and bareroot, they are doing fine for me, growing, blooming and some are clumping up.

I agree that it's best to go for flasks and larger plants. Even that, it's likely to be hit or miss on certain occasions, but much better chance of success than smaller seedlings.

I bought about five flasks from HS in the last two years. I'm happy with them all except one. That happens to be one of the two most expensive flasks of the bunch, too. The issue with that flask was that the seedlings were somehow leggy.
They had a lot of roots but with their length, it was difficult to pot them up. I have been growing them bagged up to encourage root growth from higher up on the lower exposed part of the plant so I could bury them deeper later on.
After about ten months passed now, the upper growth look much stronger and I think they are about ready for transplant. 
My two recent flasks have tiny seedlings for some reason, but much higher number of them! so it's good and bad! haha I normally had about 35 seedlings per flask with a few extra small ones that I usually discard, but this one particular flask looks (haven't opened yet, I'm being lazy and I really hate breaking open the glass flask) to have well over 40-50. or more, even!


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## NYEric (Feb 3, 2020)

Do you mean Matt/Ten Shin Orchids?


BrucherT said:


> Chiming in: last year, I Hung Sheng was giving an extreme deal on P. wardii seedlings, it was like 3 for $12 or something. I ordered that and also a Dendrochilum wenzelii that I’ve been wanting to try. Ordered 2 compots of 3 plants wardii and the D. wenzelii. For another $10, LTP threw in a compot of P. gratrixianum for $10. Then he communicated to say hey, you like Dendrochilum? How about these for $8 each? So I ended up with 5 different large specimens of different Dendrochilum. Order totaled $60, a big order for me, my only one last year.
> 
> 
> The prices he gave me were insanely low so I feel like if I get at least one good wardii/gratrixianum out of it, I can’t complain. The Dendrochilum are all big clumps that either were blooming then or are setting buds now (wenzelii). I will do business with him again someday!


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## BrucherT (Feb 4, 2020)

No it’s Tony at Let’s Talk Plants. Am I completely confused? Sorry.


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