Paph rothschildianum (TC-5 x TN-Tiger)

[Justin]

That is tough...I can only imagine the stress.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

It is frustrating. It also means that there is very little available to purchase. There aren't many nurseries here. I certainly can't go and purchase a FS roth or sanderianum if I wanted to. There are just no plants around. As a result what plants do turn up from time to time can sell for incredible prices.

It is possible to import large plants in from overseas. In fact, this roth was imported from Taiwan as a near flowering seedling. The problem is the plants have to sit in quarantine for three months where they are invariably fumigated with methyl bromide (even though they are exempt from because of their sensitivity). This spray does so much damage. A lot of plants won't survive and even if they do, they just sit their for years sulking. This particular roth I got in 2013 and it did nothing for many years, but all of a sudden took off. Most of the other roths I got at the same time either died or are still struggling. My experience is that it is not just worth importing in from overseas. It is expensive (the quarantine costs are exorbitant) and most plants will never survive to flowering. In the end it is cheaper and quicker to grow from flask or buy small seedlings that have been deflasked.

A few years ago, Sam Tsui shipped a whole lot of large Paphs into Australia. We were told they would not be spraying with methyl bromide. Alas one or two insects were found and they fumigated the whole collection at way over the recommended dosage. It was a complete disaster. Just about every plant was killed. I had ordered 10 plants (at a cost of about $1100) and I ended up with just one. It is just starting to come good. There were people who ordered a lot more than me. I would estimate that maybe $80,000 worth of plants were lost. Sam was incredibly generous and offered discounts for future flask orders for those affected. He didn't need to do that. Until they stop spraying with methyl bromide, I'm done with imported plants.

I'm so disturbed by that story of that genocidal destruction of good plants. Such a tragedy.

 

[emydura]

I'm so disturbed by that story of that genocidal destruction of good plants. Such a tragedy.

A tragedy indeed. Many years of growing gone to waste. This is what I ordered. They were all large NFS or FS plants. All that survived was one roth from the last item. It ended up being a seedling of Paph. rothschildianum x sib (Miles x Perfection FCC/AOS, G/JOGA). It was in terrible condition when I got it and went backwards for a while, but it is starting to grow nicely. Still many years from flowering though. Below is just a tiny fraction of the plants that were killed. Some were divisions of his select plants.

* Paph. Wossner Black Wings (rothschildianum 'Red Sea' x adductum var. anitum 'Ace' AM/AOS)
* Paph. Ching Hua Dancer 'Muscle Man' x sanderianum 'Sam Tsui' NBS $65.0 AM/AQ/AOS
* Paph Stonei NFS
* Paph. Michael Koopowtiz (philippinense 'Super Long Twister' x sanderianum '90+')
* Paph. philippinense x sib ('Super Wings' x 'New Twist')
* Paph. Prince Edward of York (sanderianum 'Lady in Red' x rothschildianum 'Leo' SM/JOGA)
* Paph. rothschildianum - Collector Package #2 PACKAGE $300.00 Four NBS rothschildianum x sib seedlings - all Japanese strain breeding (Both parents) of our choice Plants expect to bloom in 1-2 years.

 

[Ozpaph]

I ordered a very large number of plants. All dead. An extremely expensive exercise due to incompetence (NOT Sams)

 

[DrLeslieEe]

My heart goes out to you guys for the loss. I empathize that feeling when I lose plants to cold and human foibles. We all cry inside, a mourning no one outside the orchid collector/grower world could ever understand. We bear that pain alone.

 

[Ozpaph]

We bear that pain alone.

......because I dare not tell my wife how much it cost!!

 

[emydura]

......because I dare not tell my wife how much it cost!!

LOL. Mine is blissfully unaware about the whole debacle.

 

[emydura]

LOL. Mine is blissfully unaware about the whole debacle.

 

[Duck Slipper]

A tragedy indeed. Many years of growing gone to waste. This is what I ordered. They were all large NFS or FS plants. All that survived was one roth from the last item. It ended up being a seedling of Paph. rothschildianum x sib (Miles x Perfection FCC/AOS, G/JOGA). It was in terrible condition when I got it and went backwards for a while, but it is starting to grow nicely. Still many years from flowering though. Below is just a tiny fraction of the plants that were killed. Some were divisions of his select plants.

* Paph. Wossner Black Wings (rothschildianum 'Red Sea' x adductum var. anitum 'Ace' AM/AOS)
* Paph. Ching Hua Dancer 'Muscle Man' x sanderianum 'Sam Tsui' NBS $65.0 AM/AQ/AOS
* Paph Stonei NFS
* Paph. Michael Koopowtiz (philippinense 'Super Long Twister' x sanderianum '90+')
* Paph. philippinense x sib ('Super Wings' x 'New Twist')
* Paph. Prince Edward of York (sanderianum 'Lady in Red' x rothschildianum 'Leo' SM/JOGA)
* Paph. rothschildianum - Collector Package #2 PACKAGE $300.00 Four NBS rothschildianum x sib seedlings - all Japanese strain breeding (Both parents) of our choice Plants expect to bloom in 1-2 years.

Awful. I can’t imagine.
Excellent Roth now!

 

[Guldal]

Your tales are thoroughly horrible! My most heartfelt commiserations! Why on earth they don't ask for advice, when handling such valuable plants, I can't phatom? I guess, they wouldn't tear out or cut free the canvas of a valuable Carravagio painting to be able to inspect the frame more closely... or would they? The barbaric treatment of your plants is in my eyes even worse - as my mentor in all things orchidiadic, Hans Christiansen once said with vehemence, when the postal services had treated some plants abhorable, "but they are living beings"!

 

[musa]

Even to think about it gives me a shiver!