Disappointing Paphs from eBay, Help Needed!

[Nepenthesis]

EDIT: Resolved. This topic can be removed.

[naoki]

I looked at the ebay ad archive, and it didn't seem to say that they were NBS, and their description seems to match with what you got. Sorry that they didn't meet your expectation, but you got them for a decent/good price, though. If you want to get blooming size roths and sandy, you'll need to pay 3-5 times of what you paid.

[Nepenthesis]

Originally Posted by naoki

I looked at the ebay ad archive, and it didn't seem to say that they were NBS, and their description seems to match with what you got. Sorry that they didn't meet your expectation, but you got them for a decent/good price, though. If you want to get blooming size roths and sandy, you'll need to pay 3-5 times of what you paid.

One said BS and two said NBS. The seller told me two that were sent had bloomed before. I guess it just isn't worth the hassle of sending them back.

I wasn't expecting BS, but I was expecting larger plants. Some of the tags had dates on them, which didn't seem like repotting dates since they were in 2" pots and some dated back to 2010. What bugged me was that some of the ones listed as "near blooming size" were 8-12 months old. Still yet, that makes no sense, as they seem too large to be 8 month old seedlings.

Regardless, I've learned my lesson to only order "what you see is what you get" plants from eBay. The reason I don't want to wait 2 years is because I'll be in college, possibly even out of the country, and won't be able to enjoy their blooms. Not being impatient -- it's just that I actually don't have the time to grow a small slow-growing plant to flowering size.

I'll post some pictures eventually and try to figure out what to expect.

[Bulbofett]

Originally Posted by Nepenthesis

Regardless, I've learned my lesson to only order "what you see is what you get" plants from eBay. The reason I don't want to wait 2 years is because I'll be in college, possibly even out of the country, and won't be able to enjoy their blooms. Not being impatient -- it's just that I actually don't have the time to grow a small slow-growing plant to flowering size.

I'll post some pictures eventually and try to figure out what to expect.

So, what do you plan on doing with all of your plants when you leave? Seems like you have a pretty decent collection of plants. I'm not in any way trying to sound snarky, but I'm just curious why you even bought the orchids if you don't plan on keeping them for more than 3 years?

What's that Miley Cyrus song? Something about a mountain....anyways orchid growing is about the "climb" not what's waiting on the other side or how fast you get there. Something, something yeah.

[Nepenthesis]

Originally Posted by Bulbofett

So, what do you plan on doing with all of your plants when you leave? Seems like you have a pretty decent collection of plants. I'm not in any way trying to sound snarky, but I'm just curious why you even bought the orchids if you don't plan on keeping them for more than 3 years?

What's that Miley Cyrus song? Something about a mountain....anyways orchid growing is about the "climb" not what's waiting on the other side or how fast you get there. Something, something yeah.

My family wants to put succulents, plant clippings, temperate plants and other illogical things in the greenhouse when I leave. I'll probably thin down my collection of Nepenthes a lot and keep a select few. It really depends though. If I go somewhere local, I may just stop by on a regular basis and water the plants. If I go to Europe, I would likely sell all of my plants.

I want to enjoy the greenhouse while I have it. 2 years is a long time, might as well make the most of it instead of giving up. I enjoy Paphs a lot, figured I'd give them a go now. I just wasn't expecting such small plants. I was expecting something at the size described, but more robust -- not just 4, .75"-wide leaves.

Regardless, I potted up the plants today. One thought did cross my mind...

If some of these Paphs were divisions of a larger plant, would that make them more likely to flower sooner?

[jeremyinsf]

It would probably make this conversation much easier if we had pictures, rather than working with abstracts.