Plant project- reviving the flask/seedling project idea

[Rowangreen]

Well, no-ones really answering, but since folks seem to be suggesting sources I guess right now people definitely want to do flasks and are open to the hassles of ordering internationally *G*

So is there anyone up to the hassles of being reciever and redistributer for their region?

---------- Post added at 10:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 AM ----------

Greengarden, I was just looking at the Bali Orchid Garden site: they say they do large flasks (30-50 plants) and smaller ones (10-20). Have you any idea which your price is for? If the 10-20 ones are cheaper that could be another one that would possibly be cheap enough not to have to split flasks for re-distribution.

[orchidsarefun]

I sent Bali Gardens an e-mail asking them the total cost to send to UK/Europe, USA/Canada and Australia - for the small flask. Let see what they say.
I think USA may be a problem because the nursery I bought from receives its consignments from Malaysia and then mails from within the USA. I have received plants direct from China without any problems though.

and this is what they said:

Hello Tony
Thank you for your email.
At present we can not post flasks from Indonesia because of worries about gel in the containers!!
I will be bringing flasks to Australia each visit I make about every two months so could bring what you want to here and then post on for you. My next trip will be in about two weeks.
Are you actually wanting them to go to three countries?
My office in Bali will let you know what is available and cost of flasks. Postage from Australia would be separate.
Kind regards

David Dowd
Managing Director
Bali Orchid Garden

[greengarden]

Oh bum! They were posting everywhere but I think they were having issues with twit customs officers who didn't understand that the black in the agar was just charcoal and not mould! When I brought mine back I had to hassle until i found one that actually knew their stuff enough to realise it was fine.

[Rowangreen]

Found something I was drooling over...

1 FLASK OF DPTS. KENNET SCHUBERT X PHALAENOPSIS CORNU-CERVI RED, ORCHID PLANT | eBay

But looked just now and they are saying they ship without phytosanitary!!!! Sure it didn't say that yesterday! Oh well, I can't really afford it anyway!

---------- Post added at 08:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 AM ----------

PS: I've not heard back from Roelke, but it took a while to get a reply to my last email too.

It is looking to me that realistically, unless something really good comes up, we are looking at choosing a large category so that people can buy cheaply within their region. Eg 'Phaleanopsis' and let people get a species or hybrid.

Unless we have people in each region willing to take on the hassle and risk of getting a large flask from someone like Ecuagenera and splitting it. Anyone? My feeling it that that would mean receiving the flask and when they de-flask imediately bagging and sending on some of the seedlings that day. Payment could be a hassle.

[Rowangreen]

Really want to see this happen, so... right now, unless something comes up it seems to me we have two solutions on the table:

A) Have a general category such as tolumnia, phals, paphs or cats and let people get what they want from that. Definitely the simplest option!
B) Get what we want from a seller who goes to all 3 regions, such as Ecuagenera. In this case I don't think it has to be flasks/seedlings? This might depend on having someone willing to pick up and send on stuff (though some sellers will send from a show within a region)

I basically think A is the better option for a flask/seedling project. However, to get the ball rolling if people prefer B then I'd be willing to pick up and send on flasks to the EU from London Orchid show. However I don't think I could take on splitting and individually packing parts of a flask, or sending plants.

Anyone else willing to be an 'agent'?

Would people be happy with alternative plans A and B?

[greengarden]

Personally I think A would be much simpler. It doesn't matter where you are and also gives people the option of choosing something that takes their fancy within the broader category. Personally I'd prefer not paphs as they are prohibitively expensive here and a flask would cost me an arm and a leg but any other easily accessible genus would be fine with me.

How about something very diverse so we can show off some really interesting and different specimens at the end, Bulbophyllum might be a good option...

[camille1585]

Still, just picking a genera is really general... Maybe for now we go back to a previous idea of selecting 3-4 similar plants as being equal to one candidate plant. I had already researched some and I'm going to start again now. That way I have lots of time to search for things and when the project starts there will already be a list of verified options. Or go back to a C/I/W project.

And then we do a flask seedling thing as a side project.

[greengarden]

I guess I was just thinking that for those of us who live a bit further afield obtaining flasks can be a pretty challenging prospect. I don't know of anyone near me other than myself who does flasking and the larger growers that do sell flasks operate within a pretty small range of species so I may be pretty limited in being able to access the sort of species you guys can get. I have no trouble at all getting my hands on flasks of Aussie natives but you guys would have a challenge getting them I would guess

---------- Post added at 12:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 AM ----------

Maybe if you start a list I could try and see whether any of them are available over here and if not I could propose another similiar one to add to the list.

[camille1585]

Unfotunately no matter what the project, australians (and others) are always limited by what they can get in their country. The usual project policy is to only insure that plants are available in US, Canada and Europe, since 99% of the participants are from there. And it's alerady difficult enough like that...

[greengarden]

Had you started a list somewhere in the thread? I tried to find it but couldn't so wasn't sure if there was one and I missed it or if it wasn't there... Thought I'd have a look and see what the suggestions were, you never know, one that I can get might be on there. No sense worrying about it if it's available! Regardless if I can't get the planned one I'll just find something similiar and do my own in house project and follow the progress of others.