I got some new plants!

[swords]

I received quite possibly the worst plants I've ever received today. Opening each plant was like a bad surprise party where each gift is worse than the next.

Here's the worst two:

N. ampullaria 'Harlequin' (assorted clones)

I always wanted a red ampullaria but what is wrong with this one I received? Is it virus ridden or been kept in the wrong temps or what makes the growth tip look like this? It was healthy at one point as the old leaves are decently shaped/sized for a plant this size but it looks as if there's something amiss at the growing tip. If you can't see it 4 of the latest leaves it's made are only about 1/2" long and curled.

Begonia bipinnatifida

You wouldn't know it by the picture but it's called a "fern leaf Begonia" which makes small red ferny sort of leaves. There are NO actual leaves on the plant I received, just two sticks poking out of the soil and a very tiny leaf start (circle #1) a couple leaf fragments on the soil surface. As I took the picture a piece of the perlite woke up and started crawling around (circle #2) it's some sort of pill bug looking thing. I put this plant in a ziplock so the bug doesn't escape to my other plants. The amp will be misted with rubbing alcohol and then moved to LFS and out of the peat/perlite it's in.

I'm not naming the vendor but I will be in touch with them, I don't expect replacement plants or even a refund but I at least wish to air my displeasure. I have ordered plenty of terrarium specimens from them in the past without any complaints but this is simply ridiculous.

 

[mark.ca]

You don't have to name them ...we know who they are. The problem is they sell the plants right after they import them, no recovery period or at least not enough ...this is why they look like somebody step on them.
Don't worry ...they will recover if you keep them warm and give them light...don't repot them now, just leave them alone for now.

 

[SirKristoff]

Yep i tried them again finally to see if they got better, got an amp harlequin from them as well. doesnt look much different than yours.

 

[swords]

Not the amp though, that guy needs LFS - I'm generally "peataphobic"! lol

I just don't understand what happened with these guys. They used to sell pretty good plants... granted it's been a number of years since I last ordered from them (due to not having any plants for a few years) but "downhill" is an understatement.

How mad would you be if you bought a hamata for $200 that looked like that amp I got!
Additionally,WHY is a hamata $200? I paid $50 for mine like 8-10 years ago, weren't they "rarer" in cultivation back then?

 

[Capensis]

Y'ouch.

Edit:

I paid $50 for mine like 8-10 years ago, weren't they "rarer" in cultivation back then?

Perhaps they weren't as much in demand like now?

 

[SirKristoff]

Well the ones they have on there are the 2 seedgrown ones, which were 120$ from BE....gotta make a profit somehow i guess, but damn.

 

[swords]

A big price is fine for a well grown specimen plant but it better not look like what we got with our harlequin amps for that sort of money. The prices at the local orchid shop are not pretty but the plants are stunning and rare specimens, you're wowed into buying.
Whereas I might leave empty handed from a greenhouse displaying plants that look like this.

 

[SirKristoff]

Yep i 100% agree Swords.
It is rather ridiculous as these were also the guys who gave me spider mites last year. i vowed to never buy from them again
but i had to try with an amp again, and even though its not the true original harlequin, i thought id give it a shot.
i think these are brunei red x harlequin

 

[swords]

Are spidermites what made all the deep red pits on the old leaf you see at the 9 o'clock position?

 

[nesler]

I know it's a policy to not allow the mention of other sellers on this site, but shouldn't an exception be made in this case, in order to protect future would-be buyers? (I don't know who this seller is that everyone has had such nasty experiences with). It seems like it'd be safe to mention this seller, since mentioning the site wouldn't be pushing buyers away from flytrapshop.com, but towards it, if anything.

 

[Celtics2008]

swords, Im sorry to see your new plants in rough shape. I got a heliamphora from the same vendor last year. It was growing horizontally not vertically like normal growing plants, and each pitcher was cracked, filled with growing medium (although I would expect something like that to happen due to shipping). Not sure why they keep selling plants in the same condition...swore I wouldn't order from them again after receiving a plant growing sideways. At a CP show back in september they had smaller, but somewhat decent looking plants for sale...but the things they send out to customers as of late look like they've been drop kicked/ infected with pests. They weren't very friendly either when I asked them about a Nepenthes that was in the sale area, but was apparently not for sale.....Good luck with your plant rehab.

 

[swords]

There is always the PM feature if you are burning with desire to know (and really can't figure it out) but as I said this was the first poor shipment after buying from them a number of times in years gone by. Sorry to hear others have gotten bad shipments as well, I wonder what changed in their operation?

 

[adnedarn]

I think I know who it is and got my spotted amp and a couple other things a few years ago. Also had spider mites and top growth looked bad... I lost the others withing a couple weeks thinking they'd pull though bud didn't. Unfortunately I didn't check for mites till it was too late and my whole collection was infested. My amp now looks great and I love it- but it took quite a while to get where it is today

I know it's a policy to not allow the mention of other sellers on this site, but shouldn't an exception be made in this case, in order to protect future would-be buyers? (I don't know who this seller is that everyone has had such nasty experiences with). It seems like it'd be safe to mention this seller, since mentioning the site wouldn't be pushing buyers away from flytrapshop.com, but towards it, if anything.

This is the policy because we have decided that if you cannot praise a company for a job well done, you also cannot pick apart a company. I wouldn't feel right about having a section where you could complain about plants you get, but not allow you to boast about great plants you got (from the same place or elsewhere).

Andrew

 

[mark.ca]

I don't think it's mites in this case....just lack of recovery period. At least your plants come potted, right?...not the plant in one corner of the box and the pot in the other.
I'm a seller too and maybe i should not complain about how others are doing their business but they really do a horrible packing job...prices are very good. Lucky for me that i know how to bring back a plant from the dead...because that's exactly what i need to do now!
I will check for mites later

 

[swords]

I have sold many cuttings of plants on ebay in the past to pay for new R/O filters and replacement bulbs and things but I'd be embarrassed to ship out plants like these two. With ebay people had better ship out good stuff cos the buyer gets to review it! lol

I'm not a hard customer to please, I understand how things move through the mail system and am forgiving with that aspect of plant shipments. I work in mailing and have to go to the airport annex on occasion you'd be appalled if you saw how "fragile" packages are tossed from one end of a room to the other and dropped in mail sorting carts but the plant has to be in good shape before it goes in the well packaged box. Ironically the packaging was the best part of the package I got today! lol

 

[mark.ca]

"Ironically the packaging was the best part of the package I got today! lol "
I wish i was that lucky! In my case, ironically, the one that got pulled out of its pot and break most of its roots is the one that's doing the best now after a month. I'm sure your amp is going to be fine...not sure about that second thing you got....are you sure you ordered a potted plant and not a soil mix and a pot?

 

[SirKristoff]

this arrived yesterday, same plant as yours from the same place

 

[mark.ca]

Please edit the partial name out of this picture, then feel free to resubmit it. We don't allow you to give part of the vendor's name with text, so you certainly cannot by picture. Thank you.

--Est

Mine was missing the tip

 

[ieat100s]

Yours actually looks quite eccept for the missing tip.

 

[SirKristoff]

damn man. and it was actually a decent plant too other than the tip. i think they need to stop selling plants this way, seriously. the packing job was crap too