Bare-root...

[orchidbaby]

So if you purchase an orchid online and it says Bare root. Does this mean its going to be extra hard to get it to flower cuz it has no roots? Kinda on the fence about ordering it just for. The good price if its pretty much a goner....
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[Brutal_Dreamer]

Bare root actually means that the orchid is shipped to you without pot or potting mix. Usually wrapped in damp newspaper. Makes shipping cheaper and since most people pot up new orchids upon arrival anyway, it saves everyone all the way around.

cheers,
BD

[Tigerkitty]

Bare root actually means that the orchid is shipped to you without pot or potting mix. Usually wrapped in damp newspaper. Makes shipping cheaper and since most people pot up new orchids upon arrival anyway, it saves everyone all the way around.

cheers,
BD

I live in Canada and made a large shipment of bare-rooted orchids from the U.S. - they had the appropriate CITES/Phytosanitary certificate attached. However, they were held up at Canadian Customs for over 1 week. The agent, seeing "live plants" put my bare-bottomed 'kids in the fridge. So they have been in transit for 2 weeks. One week in a refrigerator. I "might" receive them tomorrow. The shipment was a combination of Phalaenopsis species, cattelya species . neofinitia - a real mixed bag. Any advice (if they are still alive) would be greatly appreciated!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

I live in Canada and made a large shipment of bare-rooted orchids from the U.S. - they had the appropriate CITES/Phytosanitary certificate attached. However, they were held up at Canadian Customs for over 1 week. The agent, seeing "live plants" put my bare-bottomed 'kids in the fridge. So they have been in transit for 2 weeks. One week in a refrigerator. I "might" receive them tomorrow. The shipment was a combination of Phalaenopsis species, cattelya species . neofinitia - a real mixed bag. Any advice (if they are still alive) would be greatly appreciated!

I hope the fridge wasn't too cold. They would probably be set back a bit from being in a box for a couple weeks, but a refriderator - I just don't know. Hopefully someone else here has experience with this type of thing. Orchids are tropical plants and do not generally appreciate the cold the way cut flowers might.

cheers,
BD

[pavel]

In general, bareroot is nothing to worry about. As Bruce stated, it simply means that the plant will be shipped "nekked" -- no pot, no media. It saves the buyer $ on shipping as it reduces the weight (and often the size) of the package. Personally, I also see bareroot as providing the buyer with another advantage -- it helps to ensure that the buyer will use the media that works best for her/him. Most of the orchids I sell or trade via OrchidBids I ship bareroot. A number of folks on the forum have received plants from me this way and I don't believe I've ever had someone tell me that the plant they received showed any signs of being traumatized as a result of shipping bareroot.

I would caution you if you are looking at a plant via the big online auction site that is bareroot. There are a couple of disreputable vendors whose bareroot plants are incredibly cheap and are also in incredibly bad shape upon reaching their destination. I know Bruce does not like us mentioning names on the forum but -- if it is a vendor from that site and you wish to do so -- you can pm me the link and I'll see if it is one of the ones I recall being best avoided.

[orchidbaby]

Oh thanks for that I had no idea lol
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[stateless]

Bruce and Pavel give excellent advice, I've received potted orchids on death's door, the vendor makes the difference

[Katherine]

Also, being bare-root, you see the condition of the WHOLE plant upon arrival. It's worth the wait for the blooming if you know you have a healthy plant to begin with.

[Chris in Hamilton]

I guess it is going to come down to how cold that refrigerator was but dang! Buying plants in Canada might be a better choice. There are some very reputable growers in Ontario and Quebec who carry all of the plants you mentioned. Should you want some advice on that feel free to contact me through this forums PM's. Hope everything turns out well with your new plants but if things don't look good post pictures and the folks here will be only to happy to give advice.

[raybark]

When I travelled internationally on business, I would buy plants and ship them back home, so they could get the proper clearances. Sometimes, depending upon how remote I was, it would be as long as three weeks before they were delivered. Stuff like phalaenopsis, with no pseudobulbs to store water, were usually quite dehydrated, dare I say "desiccated,", but with some pampering, revived just fine.

Refrigeration is another matter. It might be appropriate for cut flowers, as it slows the decaying process, but for live plants, no way.