Ebay Purchases - Wins and Losses

[DweamGoiL]

This season, I purchased several plants from Ebay. I targeted 2 vendors. The first vendor sold me really nice plants a couple of weeks ago for a great price. They even added a freebie plant. They had a Paph collection starter packet type of thing. I received 5 disease free mature plants. Yes, the roots weren't spectacular, but they just needed to be given a bit of TLC. They are doing great.

Over the holiday weekend, I received the last 2 plants from another vendor. I ordered Phals this time; a Stuartiana and a Hyerogliphica. The Stuartiana was not a whole plant, but a bunch of single leaf clusters placed together to look like 1 plant. The roots weren't too bad on this one, but they do not look like Phal roots at all. Then again, I don't have experience with seedlings.

The second plant, the Hyerogliphica, was infested with Mealy bugs. I could see them right through the plastic they had wrapped it in. I fought the urge to just toss it directly in the trash bin. I immediately began soaking new media is 3 in 1 and rinsed both plants off well. Once both plants were rehydrated, they immediately went into the 3 in 1 soaked media on a windowsill far away from any other plants. I am going to keep them there for the next month. I learned from last time to not trust mealy bugs. It took me months to get rid of them last time, but since I caught them immediately and isolated them and treated them quickly, I am hoping it will be enough.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me