Suffering Bellina

[Jenn4a]

No surprises here, I got a phal bellina off eBay, but I had them hold the plant for warmer shipping. Last Wednesday, it was around 47°F, so they shipped 2-day priority USPS. Basically the plant was in transit from 2/09-2/13.
The thing is, since he came late, he arrived in 20°F no heat pack.

Anyways, I think saving this plant (if it's even possible) will be difficult. The leaves are all wrinkled, dark green, limp, and almost mushy feeling. The roots are shriveled, but not surprising...

I know this is probably a problem with USPS, and not so much the seller. What would you do in this situation?
(Will add picture in a minute)

[Jenn4a]

Here's a close up of the droopy leaves.

[Mandy2705]

Oh no Jenn4a, I have had this happen to me as well and I was unsuccessful in bringing it back. I wish you the best of luck.

[Leafmite]

That looks very bad. It has that brown, cell-destroyed look about it. I would contact the vendor. They should never have shipped those plants or they should have sent them overnight with a heat pack. The weather forecast here has been predicting that cold weather for a week! Hausermann's, in Chicago, and Al's Orchid Greenhouse in Virginia, are both very careful about not shipping when it is too risky and then they take all sorts of precautions (If it is a warm grower and the temps are in the 40's, I have found a heat pack in my Hausermann's order and Al lines his box with insulation. Both companies wrap the plants very, very well.) Andy's ships but they call you and make certain you will be home or they ship to a fed ex facility for you to pick up. In addition, they send it overnight and pack the plants so well that the plants come in perfect condition. I just received plants from them on Tuesday (27'F) and they are fine.

Unless that package sat outside at your residence, this is the vendors fault. They should have noted the forecast and been more careful. Call them, be really nice and understanding but very firm, offer to send pictures of the plant, and get a refund.

[Jenn4a]

I contacted the seller. Is there anything I can do with USPS? I believe that the package was insured up to $100, (I know that it doesn't guarantee delivery dates) but do you think it would have had a chance if it arrived on the predicted date? It was wrapped in shredded newspaper, foam and newspaper around the foam.

Thanks for taking the time to reply! I had a feeling that this plant was going to be unfortunate with the conditions and such. I braced myself before opening it..

Note: the phal didn't look as wrinkly until I touched the leaves. Here's what it looked like when I opened it up.

Another note, sorry!: I've went to the mailbox everyday since it was supposed to arrive when I heard the mailman. It only sat outside long enough for me to get my coat and slip my shoes on quickly. The tracking updates have been horrible lately. Usually they're right on the dot, but since January, the tracking doesn't always give updates.

[Leafmite]

I would talk to the vendor and work with her on this. I think she has to claim the insurance but she can use that to pay you back. She may need pictures and any other evidence so ask her what she needs. Good luck!
I have found that with cold damage, the leaves might just look darker and, perhaps a little limp, just after the damage occurs. Some very tough plants' leaves (hibiscus) might recover but for most of the leaves, this is just the beginning of their death.

[wintergirl]

I had some catts that got some bad cold damage during shipping. It was below zero and spent an extra day sitting on it's trip so the heat pack wore off. They had black spots on most of the leaves (especially around edges). One bulb had a split and fluid was seeping. I put cinnamon on the bulb until the spot dried up and it was ok. The black spots dried up, sunk in and look brown and dried now. There was new growth that did not get any damage at that time and has since grown more. The plant is doing fine.

[Jenn4a]

I know all about Catts in cold shipping ok, just an exaggeration. My seedling Catts got sick from 25°F shipping in 2day FedEx with a heat pack. They had black spots, the roots rotted, and the rhizomes split in half. I'm managing to save the biggest one. The smaller one is there, but not showing new growth yet.

So when I saw the temp was 21°F.. I almost knew that the phal was doomed. Phals, small ones at that, definitely seem more picky about the temperature.
and I mean, come on... It's Friday the 13th!!!! :rotfl: sorry I had to.. I couldn't help myself on that one. Hopefully no one here is very superstitious. Hey, if I'm too serious about everything, I'll get too stressed out and that wouldn't be good either.

I'll let you know when the seller replies, I sent the first photo that I posted here. Whenever something unfortunate happens on eBay, I always send pics.

[Leafmite]

Most Cattleyas can take cooler temps than a Phal bellina. A speaker who grew Cattleyas once told us that he only heated his greenhouse to 45'F in the winter (of course he didn't grow Cattleya dowiana in those temps). I don't think that is recommended for most Phals.

[Jenn4a]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Most Cattleyas can take cooler temps than a Phal bellina. A speaker who grew Cattleyas once told us that he only heated his greenhouse to 45'F in the winter (of course he didn't grow Cattleya dowiana in those temps). I don't think that is recommended for most Phals.

Exactly! That's what I meant, I just have trouble with wording sometimes. I knew that if my seedling cattleyas got sick from 25°F temps, with a heat pack, in two days, that a phal species nonetheless would not have much hope if it arrived in cooler temps, without a heat pack especially...

Just to see if the plant would respond, I'm giving it a cleary's soak. The some of the roots don't show a change (shriveled, dehydrated), some are green now. When I poured it through the pot, the roots didn't instantly change colors. The ones further in the pot are now green though. Here's how it looks...