|
Post by sykosarah on Apr 2, 2014 13:41:18 GMT
So, I got my first nepenthes in the mail yesterday, this little thing with just the faintest start of pitchers. I know those little pitcher buds aren't going to probably continue to develop, so should I just cut them off now, or wait for them to become completely brown?
|
|
|
Post by hcarlton on Apr 2, 2014 13:57:04 GMT
Unless they turn brown, no real reason to cut them off.
|
|
|
Post by sykosarah on Apr 2, 2014 14:39:06 GMT
Ok, just making sure. Was concerned of disease risk if I let them stay attached. Can't wait until it develops some nice pitchers so I can post some pictures!
|
|
|
Post by sykosarah on Apr 12, 2014 23:01:14 GMT
Ok, so I got both my nepenthes ventricosa and my nepenthes glabrata x talangensis now, and I have had the ventricosa for a little bit. The difference in the quality of shipping and handling was staggering. The ventricosa, purchased from petflytrap.com , was absolutely pristine, and doesn't appear to have even gone into shock and stopped growing as a result of the process. The one developed pitcher on this little plant of perhaps 2 inch diameter maximum is still green, and it has continued to develop its leaves at a normal rate without any leaf death. It came in a little box, a heating pad thrown in without me even asking for one or paying for it, and had a plastic dome around it which kept the plant moist and cushioned really well and out of contact with the shredded paper which kept it immobile. The hybrid on the other hand, which was purchased on eBay from a vender with pristine reputation working for Cook's Carnivorous Plants, was packaged terribly. The box was more than twice as big as it needed to be, there was insufficient newspaper and other cushion. It was wrapped in a plastic bag, which is fine, but it provided 0 protection as when I got the plant it was inverted in a corner, the leaves exposed to the abuse the the bottom of a cardboard box can receive. Half the leaves, the whole leaves, were broken or damaged significantly enough that I had to remove them, the second grow point that the plant had according to its description either not present or it had fallen off, the other growth point potentially compromised. Since I have only had it for a couple days I am not sure if it will recover from the damage or not, but I am watching it carefully.
The crazy part is that the shipping costs weren't significantly different between the two. I think that in the future, I will check and see if petflytrap.com has a plant available before I risk eBay again.
I really hope that plant recovers, because the few pictures online I have found of that cross show really lovely pitchers.
|
|
|
Post by hcarlton on Apr 13, 2014 6:13:52 GMT
Odd, I have never had issues with Cook's, but there have been plenty of complaints about Petflytrap before. Certainly if you contact the seller on eBay about the plant condition, something can be arranged about the mistreatment.
|
|
|
Post by sykosarah on Apr 13, 2014 9:46:55 GMT
Ha, that is weird. It isn't like I am confused about which plant I got from which supplier, I mean, the plants don't even resemble each other and I got them about a week apart. They said they would talk to the person who had packaged it up about it, but "they aren't responsible for mistreatment by the shipping people" so I don't know of they would do anything if the plant ends up dying because of this. Maybe I got an interesting combination of lucky and unlucky with my plants? Where the normally bad supplier actually pulled through and the normally good supplier failed. Huh. What sad is though I was looking more forward to that hybrid than the ventricosa. It isn't as if I could easily find a replacement if it dies because it was in awful condition.
|
|
|
Post by flytraps on Apr 13, 2014 23:09:03 GMT
This hybrid has shown exceptional vigor for us. We had one freeze back and has returned with many new growths. I would suggest trimming any browned leaves back to green. This hybrid also shoots basal growths really readily, so even if the main growing tip doesn't grow quickly, don't lose hope with the plant. I did speak with my wife on the packaging of this plant. The combination of news print and packing peanuts may have contributed to the looseness. We went out of our way to hold this plant due to cold conditions for you, and put in at no charge a heat pack to assure live arrival. It is I understand frustrating for a plant to come in damaged from anyone,unfortunately the postal service isn't the easiest on the packages. I do however find venting on a forum rather than allowing us or anyone else to help rather disappointing.
|
|
|
Post by sykosarah on Apr 14, 2014 15:06:23 GMT
I am sorry, my intent wasn't to make you look bad, I know the plant is likely to live, and I don't really blame you for it. I am glad you were willing to hold the plant for me, and I appreciate it a lot.
Sadly it lost another leaf though, and the second growth point it had according to the description is absent (I can't find it or it was damaged in the shipping). I guess I just kinda lost it because I had waited so long for that plant only to receive it looking like one side had been crushed. It is now down to only 3 leaves, and I am not entirely sure if it can recover from that.
And while it is good that you will prevent something like that from happening to someone else, it doesn't do me much good if the plant ends up dying anyways, finding that cross is hard, it might take me years to find another. Any help you could provide at this point would pretty much be advice, I already know you are without accountability as far as whatever damage comes from shipping, so I end up losing my money and possibly the plant that I waited months for. Seeing as I doubt your reputation is going to be ruined by one person complaining online, I think that me venting shouldn't be an issue. What do you want me to do, I already have it in a well draining pot, recognizing that one if its parents prefers slightly drier environments than other nepenthes, giving it the proper temperature drops at night, partial sunlight/artificial light so the leaves don't burn, trimming yellowing/browning leaves properly, reasonable humidity. I am amazed the one leaf that had started to grow in is still progressing just fine, although the pitcher at the end is questionable.
To be frank, they are a lot like growing orchids, and so far the apparently undamaged leaves are doing fine, and if it lives I will pay you back for my irate venting with a couple cuttings if you want in the future free of charge, but if it does die I am going to be mad and sad about it.
Besides basic growing advice, there isn't anything you or anyone else can do for me. Don't patronize me with your disappointment, you have no obligation to replace the plant should it perish, you have long since been paid, and I vented on here so I wouldn't be rude to you, but I guess that didn't work out so great.
|
|
|
Post by paulbarden on Apr 14, 2014 21:51:00 GMT
I am sorry, my intent wasn't to make you look bad, I know the plant is likely to live, and I don't really blame you for it. And while it is good that you will prevent something like that from happening to someone else, it doesn't do me much good if the plant ends up dying anyways, finding that cross is hard, it might take me years to find another. Any help you could provide at this point would pretty much be advice, I already know you are without accountability as far as whatever damage comes from shipping, so I end up losing my money and possibly the plant that I waited months for. Besides basic growing advice, there isn't anything you or anyone else can do for me. Don't patronize me with your disappointment, you have no obligation to replace the plant should it perish, you have long since been paid, and I vented on here so I wouldn't be rude to you, but I guess that didn't work out so great. Please read the Cooks Carnivores guarantee FAQ: www.flytraps.com/scripts/openPolicy.asp?policy=2Please, PLEASE -- always contact the merchant to let them know you've had a problem with their product or service before ranting on the forums about the problem. Just as the nurseries have a responsibility to us to provide the best possible service and to fix problems when they happen, we, as customers have a responsibility to respond appropriately in seeking resolution. Its considered bad form to simply get online and complain before relaying your concerns to the merchant. I have no doubt whatsoever that Cooks will honor their guarantee and do the right thing to make sure you have a good experience with their service. That is -- IF you give them the chance to do so. Every nursery I have ever dealt with has eventually made a mistake or provided sub-par service, and its not the incident itself that counts, its how the nursery responds to remedy the issue that really matters.
|
|
|
Post by sykosarah on Apr 14, 2014 23:06:07 GMT
I did alert them first, they said they would talk to the person who packed it up about it, and never said anything else after for a couple days.
|
|
|
Post by paulbarden on Apr 15, 2014 0:01:21 GMT
And yet you've implied that they won't honor their guarantee if the plant dies, which I very much doubt would be the case. Many of us have had excellent service from Cooks and it appears you just had bad luck on your first try. That doesn't warrant insinuations that the nursery isn't going to be responsive to damage issues and fix problems that occur.
|
|
|
Post by paulbarden on Apr 15, 2014 0:04:05 GMT
Don't patronize me with your disappointment, you have no obligation to replace the plant should it perish, you have long since been paid, and I vented on here so I wouldn't be rude to you, but I guess that didn't work out so great. That is completely inappropriate and counterproductive.
|
|
|
Post by sykosarah on Apr 15, 2014 4:20:58 GMT
There is no guarantee, it stated at the bottom they won't replace plants and they aren't responsible for what happens to them
|
|
|
Post by paulbarden on Apr 15, 2014 4:44:22 GMT
"6. Replacements - All replacements are shipped at our discretion and for only the plant that was damaged. If an item was missing you must report this within 24 hours of receiving your shipment We will credit your payment method or ship out the missing item."
From the Cooks Carnivores web site. That sounds like a guarantee to me.
|
|
|
Post by sykosarah on Apr 15, 2014 5:02:47 GMT
|
|