SlipperKing
Madd Virologist
I can attest to what I've seen coming out of Taiwan through Hawaii has good roots! James of Hilo always has good plants, top and bottoms.
Never again, ORCHID INN!
- Thread starter papheteer
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papheteer
Well-Known Member
I bought 3 plants from the sketchy vendor. 1 magic lantern in bud with 3 new starts for 25. 1 huge bs shun fa golden for 15 and 1 bs micranthums for 15. All with great roots. I was kinda suspicious so i inspected them thoroughly and found nothing. But I asked if they had any insects. The guy was honest and said they may have mealies. I bought them anyways. I sprayed them heavily with end all and isolated them. Now my only regret is not buying more from him. When I came back most of the good plants were gone. I even saw a multi growth very healthy looking malipoense for 20!
ehanes7612
Well-Known Member
i second that
Paphman910
Well-Known Member
I heard the same from a vendor yesterday at the CVIOS orchid show. She said Sam's stuff have been terrible.
Since I am French speaking person and not very good in English, I don't always understand all te time what is written.
What does do you mean by norious green wire roots ?
I think it means roots without the velamen covering them.
I got a few of those with Orchid Inn and others. I also learned my lesson with Orchid Inn. Now I prefer to wait and see what he has on his sales table. I noted that the plants I ordered from him are never as good or as large as those he sells at shows for the same price.
I got a few of those with Orchid Inn and others. I also learned my lesson with Orchid Inn. Now I prefer to wait and see what he has on his sales table. I noted that the plants I ordered from him are never as good or as large as those he sells at shows for the same price.
Green twist ties as roots to hold the plant. I got some of this myself.
I guess I was wrong then. But I got those too.:sob:
papheteer
Well-Known Member
Well I got to return the plants a few minutes ago. And he was upset that i said something on this forum. Apparently he has friends from here that emailed him. He changed his story. He said he asked me to put the plant back in a mix "to save the plant", and not to "put it back on the table and sell it" like he said yesterday.... Lol
So basically he said he would appreciate it if i didnt post my experiences here on this forum!
So basically he said he would appreciate it if i didnt post my experiences here on this forum!
Wendy
Just me!
That's too bad. I have ordered from Sam many times and have only had one with iffy roots. He said that he would exchange it but I told him not to worry as I thought it would be fine.....it was, but I appreciated him making the effort. I still wouldn't hesitate to order again as my experiences have always been positive.
papheteer
Well-Known Member
Wendy. That's good to hear. Sam has nice plants breeding wise. I wish these things didnt happen. I'd still buy plants from his table. Where his best plants are.
H
Hera
Guest
Like I said, it's a small community. However, I don't think you misrepresented the situation or bashed him aggressively. You simply sounded frustrated. Been there and more than once. Nothing wrong with stating the facts or giving an opinion.
SlipperFan
Addicted
Well said -- every commercial grower, as well as us hobbyists, can have plants in their care with poor roots. It is impossible for sellers to know the condition of the roots of every plant they sell. But it is how the matter is settled that reputations are built on.
Hugorchids
Well-Known Member
I've ordered twice from Sam, same story. I got mostly green wired roots when I inspected the plants. It's a good thing I prefer to use my own mix when I get a new shipment. the last order was several flasks from a lab that he uses. A few flasks were simply not yet ready before shipping them out. While I think Sam is a great breeder and grower, I think he spread himself too thin and quality is going downhill. Hopefully things will improve.
atlantis
Well-Known Member
I´m glad to see I´m not the only one who has had bad experiences with such a famous vendor.
I purchased two plants from OI. Both were bought bare root.
- P. chamberlainianum "Last Warrior": this plant looked healthy but the roots were a bit dissapointing (see picture #1). I´ve been trying to get some new roots for more than a year (successfully). Now the plant starts to grow again. I´ll be lucky if I can see it in flower in less than 5 years (it´s an extremely slow grower).
- P. lowii "New Horizon" x "Mem. Agnes Helbling" AM/AOS: it was my first multi so I wrote to OI in order to be sure he has some multigrowth plant before ordering (NBS plant, of course...).
I picked up a nice plan with two growths (one of them had a good size and the other one was smaller but quite acceptable).
When I took off the paper from the roots, I realised they were two separated plants that were put together in the same package (Have I mentioned that I payed for a NBS multigrowth lowii?) (see picture #2, half and a year after I bought them).
I felt I had been ripped off because this kind of mistakes can´t happen by accident. I can understand that someone sells a planted plant with bad roots without knowing it (I have had "healthy plants" with no roots too) but my plants were bought bare root. And what about the lowii? There´s no excuse for this.
I purchased two plants from OI. Both were bought bare root.
- P. chamberlainianum "Last Warrior": this plant looked healthy but the roots were a bit dissapointing (see picture #1). I´ve been trying to get some new roots for more than a year (successfully). Now the plant starts to grow again. I´ll be lucky if I can see it in flower in less than 5 years (it´s an extremely slow grower).
- P. lowii "New Horizon" x "Mem. Agnes Helbling" AM/AOS: it was my first multi so I wrote to OI in order to be sure he has some multigrowth plant before ordering (NBS plant, of course...).
I picked up a nice plan with two growths (one of them had a good size and the other one was smaller but quite acceptable).
When I took off the paper from the roots, I realised they were two separated plants that were put together in the same package (Have I mentioned that I payed for a NBS multigrowth lowii?) (see picture #2, half and a year after I bought them).
I felt I had been ripped off because this kind of mistakes can´t happen by accident. I can understand that someone sells a planted plant with bad roots without knowing it (I have had "healthy plants" with no roots too) but my plants were bought bare root. And what about the lowii? There´s no excuse for this.
though it is possible for an older plant to split when it's taken out of a pot (and end up with two plants instead of one), a quick inspection should be able to tell if that did happen. also sometimes if you have a large place and the owner is traveling a lot, you are at the mercy of your shippers.
I know at former work there were many times when I saw shipping help picking up stuff that wasn't saleable to fill up a last cart or two, and had the team leaders encouraging them to do so.
like someone said about spreading thin, if you do so you are at the mercy of your help and need a trusted last resort to check on things before they go out the door (so the owner may not be the one looking at the plants before they are picked for shipping). .. and to top that off, if an owner is going to a show, likely it will be him/her picking out the best plants to represent the business (since they will be standing next to the plants). sometimes this is just poor training of help who will be picking out shipping plants, all of this is very important because it seems like i've heard this for a number of years on the forum here. too bad that being a good breeder doesn't also mean you are a great grower or trainer/hirer of good help :/
I know at former work there were many times when I saw shipping help picking up stuff that wasn't saleable to fill up a last cart or two, and had the team leaders encouraging them to do so.
like someone said about spreading thin, if you do so you are at the mercy of your help and need a trusted last resort to check on things before they go out the door (so the owner may not be the one looking at the plants before they are picked for shipping). .. and to top that off, if an owner is going to a show, likely it will be him/her picking out the best plants to represent the business (since they will be standing next to the plants). sometimes this is just poor training of help who will be picking out shipping plants, all of this is very important because it seems like i've heard this for a number of years on the forum here. too bad that being a good breeder doesn't also mean you are a great grower or trainer/hirer of good help :/
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Green twist ties as roots to hold the plant. I got some of this myself.
OK!!! I now understand!!! I get a few with small seedlings!
:rollhappy::rollhappy:
This thread really surprises me. I've ordered Paphs. from OI on and off for
years and the plants have always been very nice with good to excellent
roots. All of them have thrived for me. Sam's plants have also been shipped on time and in very good condition on arrival.
years and the plants have always been very nice with good to excellent
roots. All of them have thrived for me. Sam's plants have also been shipped on time and in very good condition on arrival.
