New order from C&H in what looks like potting soil

[jeremyinsf]

Originally Posted by SHag42

I have to say I might agree with you. I had two orders come this week. This one and one from Oak hill, the seedlings I received from Oak hill all came packaged well and planted in bark. The plants all look healthy, just small. Which I think is going to be great fun watching them grow. The ones I got from C&H were not is that good of shape. In fact the one that was bare root has most of the center roots rotted out and the rest don't look so hot. The rest I will know more about when I pull the out of the mess they are in. I will take picks and post them when I repot.
Who do you order from now? I have looked around and it is hard to find a place to order orchids that does not have outrageous prices. I know some orchids are expensive but some of these places are charging top dollar for common orchids. I don't mind paying good money for quality plants but I don't want to be ripped off either. I would greatly appreciate any advise on this.

Thanks

Well, I've tried several places this year, including both of those, and what I've come to realize is that I'm probably not going to be happy ordering online off a website where I can't look at the actual plant or talk to the owner about them before buying. Every time it's just from a site, it's been a major let-down. Mind you, I'm from Northern California where I'm able to visit some large nurseries, and I'm mostly only into paph's, phrags, and masdevallias. So for me, there are only so many choices in plants, at all. I have some really large specimen plants I've acquired locally, as well as a couple I got by a nursery sending me a photo of the plant, and me paying good money for it, along with shipping.

I've had some plants off ebay, with mixed results. Having said that, considering my list is getting short of what I want and don't have, it's more than likely one of the only remaining places to 'look'. At least then, I know what I'm getting (I only will bid on an actual plant) and know what I will pay to have it shipped. All the same, I could get a plant with bad roots etc, but as I've said in other posts before, I've never gone to a nursery and uprooted every plant I was considering to inspect roots. I have, however, asked that to be done with more expensive plants and was happily obliged.

I think my paramount thought is that I have had the best plants and best experiences buying them from people (i.e. actual individuals) that care about what they are doing and take pride in their work. Sometimes that's talking to an owner on the phone, and sometimes it's face-to-face.

I'm a relationship-based person, and people that meet me figure that out very quickly, and know I care about this stuff and want quality. I respect their work and will pay fairly for what I'm getting. I've always, with one exception, been treated very fairly in return. The other was a orchid hoarder who spends too much time with her plants and not enough time with human beings ;-) I still learned a few things from that experience, however. In the mean time, I was advised recently by someone I trust a lot... reminded, shall we say - to wait for a 'good plant' rather than getting 'one' now, just so I can cross it off my list. It was great advice. I have enough other plants for now - I'd rather have a great new one, than just a tag next to a weak plant that might not last or be worth keeping around.
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