I think from now on I'm going to stick with buying cuttings rather than established plants. I don't know what others here might think about this issue, but here are the reasons for my decision.
1. Cuttings are far less expensive both to purchase and to ship. I've noticed that shipping rates have skyrocketed recently, and to buy one plant - say via an ebay vendor and to pay $9.00 or more for shipping is crazy. I've done it too much recently, and I'm now quitting.
2. When I've purchased Hoya Plants via mail order or over the Internet I don't feel that I'm all that much further ahead over rooting my own cuttings. I've gone crazy buying Hoyas in the last 6 months, and I have to say that the majority of rooted plants that I have bought have just sat there while my cuttings are sending out new growth. I think that the environmental change on some of these plants is so great that it sets many of them back considerably and recovery is slow.
3. The last reason that immediately comes to mind is shipping damage. It is much harder to damage a cutting in transit than a plant. I just paid way too much for two Hoya plants on ebay, and the box was beat to crap by the time I received it. It was shipped priority mail, and packed ok, not great, but ok. When I recieved it, most of the leaves were broken in half, all of the soil was covering the leaves with almost none left in the pots. The roots were all dried out and it is very questionable whether these plants will survive. I gave the vendor positive feedback, because it was only 20% her fault as I see it.
Until I can go into a local nursery, and pick out my own Hoyas, I guess I will stick with cuttings. I guess part of the reason that I came up with this thread was to vent, but anyway it helped; I feel better now.
Buying Unrooted Cuttings VS. Buying Plants
Yep, I've felt your pain on all accounts. There are a couple of "vendors" I ordered from on eBay and was sorely disappointed in what arrived, including how the plants were packed.
I will add that I will continue to purchase, on eBay, from the three people whose plants all arrived healthy and with nary a grain of soil out of place (all of whom happen to be here on Dave's Garden - Carol, Mel, and Marcy), because they are very, very conscientious about how they pack their plants - since Carol is a vendor I order from her all of the time (I am a pig). I have also received cuttings from all over the world, with nary a wilted leaf.
I think it comes down to finding vendors that you trust, and unfortunately that means spending money on things that turn out to be poor in quality. It also depends on how much instant gratification you need. For me, I really enjoy getting a big, bushy plant in the mail that has been really cared for and within a short time puts on one heck of a blooming show. I also enjoy getting a cutting that I can root and watch it grow into a big, bushy plant. I'm willing to spend the $30-$80 here and there on a big plant, and then get some cuttings for just a few dollars.
I think, at this point, there are enough people/vendors that are associated with this forum (Carol, Awanda, Marcy, David, Mel - sorry if I left anyone off) that sell on eBay, and that you could send a private Dmail to asking if they have things available, that you can buy big plants or small cuttings and feel confident that you will get a good quality plant that will be packed and mailed with care - there is no need to buy from people who want to gouge us for shipping and not care enough to pack the plants properly (which includes making sure the root systems are not going to get dried out).
Your recent experiences certainly suggest to me that we should look "in-house" at our own forum members to support and buy from!
Ann
I have recieved plants in the mail (priority mail) from as far away as California that barely budged in their packaging in the whole trip, so I would have to disagree that the plants being all beat up and in bad shape is only 20% the sellers fault. I have also sent plants, in pots, that arrived in the same condition I sent them out in. It only takes a few minutes to do it right. Alot of people are very sloppy packers, or in some cases, once they get your money, they don't care anymore.
I prefer plants too, but will take cuttings if they are the right kind, and no old or woody growth. I got a few last year that were old growth and it is only now that they are finally showing me some action. A year is a long time to wait, the only thing that made it worth while is that each variety I potted up back then consisted of several cuttings, not just one, so now that they are growing, they are turning into a real plant fast. I also like the whole routine of potting them up, and in my opinion, it's very rewarding to see them respond. But I like getting rooted plants too, and skipping over the several weeks of waiting.
I probably would not buy on ebay unless it was from someone I knew, or someone that I have heard good things about more than once. Why take a chance?
I agree Susancva. The hoya people here are awesome.
and there are more than enough in house to choose from, both with their own sites and now on ebay
Just to throw another name out there, I have had wonderful luck with Jodi from E-Bay (Cowboyflowerman). I have a hard time rooting things for some reason so for me the more roots the better chance of it's survival at my house. I find Jodi quite reasonable as far as price and shipping (better to get 2 or 3 plants...saves on shipping). It's been a while since I have ordered anything but have always been pleased. ONCE in a while Lowe's will surprise me (like recently with the mottled Lacunosa) but for the most part it's mostly Carnosa's etc. so I have HAD to rely on E-Bay but am VERY careful when ordering and read all the fine print *lol*
Kim
I'm in Canada, and I have gone in on two purchases this year from David Liddle and from Ted Green, with others who have import certificates. I ordered only cuttings. I don't bother looking on eBay for hoyas as they're 99.9% of the time in the states and can't ship here anyway. Luckily, I've developed a lot of patience with my hoyas!
My experience and opinion for not ordering whole plants anymore differs a bit from others. The packaging of the plants was superb, and all of the the plants were healthy to begin with. One problem with both suppliers was in the type of potting medium used, and in both cases, it was so wrong that before I figured it out, a few of them died. Another problem was that one supplier provided me with the rooted cuttings in a great big huge, deep pot! So they had to be transplanted anyway (again, lost a couple before I figured out why they weren't thriving).
I guess for me it boils down to the fact that I'd rather start them myself and give them the correct care from day one. Call me a control freak, its okay, I've earned the title. lol
Christine
Ann, or is that Dr. Ann? Great to see you posting! Where have you been?
I must say that I am a big fan of cuttings. There is nothing quite as rewarding as rooting a cutting and nurturing it into a large plant. I have purchaced many plants, rooted cuttings from the new plant; and within a short time, the cuttings exceed the size of the origianl plant. I think it has to do with diverse growing conditions and practices.
Thanks, Melanie.
Ugh .... finishing up a dissertation, flying around the country on interviews, getting a job, graduating, and moving! I barely had time to water my little green children.
Hopefully I'll be able to hang with this cool crowd a little more as things settle down to a dull roar.
:-)
Ann
Congratulations on all the above! That is awesome!
Mel