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ohiojay

Risky business

ohiojay
13 years ago

Someone earlier mentioned an E bay seller "greenthumb3000", from Thailand, and asked if anyone had ordered from him. Well, being ballsy, ignorant, or a little of both...I recently placed an order with him and I couldn't be more pleased. With some creative packaging, things seemed to have gone well thru the red tape processing. I actually received my plants and it was a lot sooner than I imagined. Order was shipped Monday and I received them Friday. Maha chanook mango and 3 grafted durians. All looked wonderful and I was pleased with their sizes. They have every possible chance of surviving. The ONLY thing standing in their way is ME!! But I'll try not to screw it up.

My only criticism concerning the shipment was the box. Very poor. It was crushed all to hell and I feared the worst. I told the guy he should use those two piece boxes where one half functions as the lid to the other. Much stronger then a normal box. Here is his website below. If there is something not listed on his site, just ask.

www.greenthumb3000.com

Comments (95)

  • MangoDoc
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrew

    What is this 600 watt HPS light? Is it a grow light? And if so, where can you get one? Thanks, Joe.

  • Andrew Scott
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Joe,
    600 watt High Pressure sodium light(HPS). It is kind of like a halide but with diffrent spectrums of light. There very easy to find online. Trying to find a good bargain, not always so easy. I got mine from HIDHUT. Be prepared to spend the money though. Mine was almost $300. I will say that for people that have to grow indoors over winter, it makes a HUMUNGOUS diffrence, unless you have a greenhouse!

    Andrew

  • MangoDoc
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrew78

    Thanks for the information on the lamp!

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OhioJay

    Did you utilize the plastic bag greenhouse over the Maha Mango? On the website, it looks like the bag is contacting the plant? I was thinking of constructing a small frame to support the bag away from the plant.. If it makes it to me of course!

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    PJ...just stick some tall bamboo in the container and drape the plastic over them. It's best not to let the plastic contact the plant...if you can help it. This is a good practice for any bare root plant in order for the plant to take in moisture. Most, if not all, of the smaller hair roots so crucial for water intake most likely killed off during the bare root process.

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Tony...what's going on with the plant? I hope there's been no huge misunderstanding on potting and that all is well with the plant.

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the info Jay! I was told he would ship on the 25th of April so I will keep you informed on the progress. I look forward to seeing updates on the progress of the other stuff!!

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    PJ...I can stress enough for anyone who is going to order something from him to ask him to use a 2 part box. In fact, insist upon it. The box get beat all to hell and it is just a matter of time before someone receives busted up plants.

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Alright Jay, here is my EBAY message to him...

    "Please package the tree in a two part box to avoid crushing in transit, my friend that sent me informed me that his box was CRUSHED! I insist on a TWO PART BOX!"

    I'll let you know how this works out! Thanks for the tip!!

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well a fast response from our friend in Thailand!

    "Dear Patrick , Thank you for your inform that you can be sure that we will do my best for packing your plant as your suggest.

    Kind regards."

    Does this mean an extra piece of tape? We'll see!

  • tonyp123
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    jay, i dont know, but plant looks kinna dry up like it's dying , i think i am just going to take it out of the plastic bag and plant it in a 3 gallon container with regular potting soil and set it outside. i am running out of patient......

    tony

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Tony...keep in mind one thing here. I am not trying to pile onto your misery, belittle you, or make you feel worse than you probably already do. I AM trying to understand what you are doing and how we can resolve this. If this turns out to be a "learning" experience for you, it will be for everyone as well.

    This hobby is very addicting and each and every one of us can get gobbled up in the joy and excitement of others receiving a new, cool plant. There are lots of silly crap going on in our brains that somehow cause us to immediately become obsessed on having that plant too. But in reality, just like with any other purchase we make...be it for our home, or whatever, we need to think whether we really "need" it, can afford it, or harder yet, can we handle it? This is not a slam on you. I'm as guilty of this as anyone! Did I really need 3 grafted durians to try and grow in freaking Ohio? Probably not. But I did think I could handle them if all went well with shipping. Even though they look good right now. That doesn't mean the darn things are not slowly dying because of any number of reasons. Risk.

    I don't know how long you have been growing rare fruit trees or what your experience level is. Ordering a bare rooted plant from out of country involves a lot of risk and requires either a higher level of experience or a lot of luck. Losing patience at this stage of the game is NOT the answer. All that will do is quicken the death of your plant.

    Looking back at all of your previous posts, I am still very confused as to what you actually did with your plant once it was out of the box. I honestly do not know whether you potted the plant up like you should have, left it bare rooted with moss around the roots, or what?

    I'm even more confused this morning. You just now mentioned that you are going to pot it up in a 3 gallon container and put it outside. What is the plant in now???? And if potted up correctly, the last thing you should do is to repot the plant this soon.

    If those roots dried up, and you are not pumping high humidity around that plant, it is surely a goner. If you didn't pot up the plant properly, your chances get slimmer as well. Take it out of the plastic? Well...unless your area is getting hammered with 100% humidity, the chances go down some more. Even doing everything correct from the get-go does not guarantee success.

    Did you pot up the plant in peat moss, the hairy strands stuff like the plant came wrapped in? Or did you pot it up in spaghnum peat like what you see in potting soils? You "may" be okay either way but cranking that humidity is the main priority...and should be for about 2 weeks.

    I really am pulling for you here and hope you get the plant going in a positive direction. Nobody on the forum wants you to lose this plant for any reason. We are all here to help.

    Here is some very good info on bare rooting from a reliable source:

    "Whether bare root roses or bare root fruit trees, from tiny to 15' tall 3" caliper trees, the key is to address the shock of the bare root process. The root hairs are mostly blown off or dead from exposure to the air and they are how water and nutrients enter, primarily. The only way to minimize the chance that the non-functioning roots start to rot (besides fungicide) is to control soil moisture and you can not do that in a oversized container. The smaller container is a temporary one to have better control over soil moisture until new roots and root hairs have flushed out. Can you go straight into the larger container? Of course, but then how it is watered is more critical and if it is a cool time of the year or the days are short or the humidity is not reliably high, then you have made your life a bit harder. Well drained soilless mixes to get a plant established enable you to take advantage of better oxygenation in the beginning and then move it after reestablished into its final mix. Raising humidity helps to then maintain soil moisture at a lower level to again reduce the chance that a bacterial/fungal/viral infection will opportunistically appear due to favorable conditions (for the pathogen). Dead air in a plastic bag will accelerate the chance of rot, must be ventilated to a degree to allow for fresh air entry."

  • murahilin
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Tony, let me summarize Jay's post.

    DID YOU PLANT YOUR MANGO TREE IN A CONTAINER AND THEN COVER IT WITH A PLASTIC BAG WHEN YOU GOT IT OR DID YOU JUST LEAVE IT BARE ROOTED AND STICK IT IN A BAG????

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So if Im reading this correctly, transfer the moss from the roots to the foliage, fasten the wad of moss to the foliage with a rubberband, shove the whole thing in a plastic bag and seal it, then place in it the sun for a couple weeks, right?

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    PJ...yanking my change right? Cause now I'm not sure of anything anymore! If not yanking my chain...I'm going to send someone very muscular to your house to open up a big can of whup-ass!

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No whupass please! Actually I really appreciate all the information you have provided. You definitely have helped give me the best possible chance of success!! Thanks Jay..

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A lot of you have jumped on the Thailand Express bandwagon recently. Please...if you have any questions, concerns, doubts, confusion...ask. Give details of what you are unsure of. Don't wait for the plant to arrive and then start asking questions.

  • tropicaliste
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "then place in it the sun for a couple weeks, right?"

    I wouldn't suggest direct sun as the sun could fry your seedling too, give it a good amount of shade and keep it warm and humid...

    Jay, your thoughts? (did you recommend that?)

    :)

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think that goes for any new plant out of a box. We are assuming some level of experience at this and maybe that is wrong. No knock on anyone's part here. I fried my very first mail order plant many years ago. I did not ask and did not follow the instructions that came with the box/plant.

    This guy does include good instructions with his plants. He does state that the plant should be kept under plastic and in the shade for 7-14 days. Anyone who has had plants indoors for any length of time and then brought them outdoors has made the mistake of allowing it to be in the sun sooner and longer than we should have. Most, while looking like crap, will recover. A bare root plant? Doubtful.

    Ask the questions folks. I'm learning too. For every person who asks a question, there are probably a dozen others wondering the same damn thing. It sucks to lose a plant. Nothing sucks worse than losing a plant by doing something preventable.

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yeah, to be honest I was wondering about the whole sunlight thing, so shade is best? Like inside the house, or outside in the shade? With a vented clear plastic tent of course over the top.

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Outside for sure. Even in the shade...it's going to get good light. The warmer the better but try not to allow the inside to get over 90 if you can help it. You should be fine in the shade. Just make sure you pot the thing up in some well draining soil mix first!

  • Andrew Scott
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yep...once again Jay, your dead on. I did this with my Maha Chinook. Good draining soil, high humidity(clear plastic bag over entire tree), and shade. That tree after one month was doing very well. After that month, I pugged it. I cut it back by 9 inches or so, and within another month's time, it grew 6 or 7 branches.

    PJ,
    Don't let all this info freak you out. It really isn't that hard to pot it up, put a clear bag around it, and to keep it shaded. I actually didn't keep mine in total shade and it did very well. I have now had it 8 months and it has gone thru 3 growth flushes. I emailed Harry and he told me himself that my 'Maha Chinook' was on par with his. Harry's Mahas had gone thru 3 growth flushes also.

    IMO, these trees are pretty tough. I have recieved 3 bare root mango trees, and I have never lost one during the transition from being bare root to growing in a pot.

    Just remember each of these stages are equally important. You cannot comprimise any of them and expect a good result.

    Keep us posted and were all hoping the best for you!

    Andrew

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Andrew!

  • tropicaliste
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "then place in it the sun for a couple weeks, right?"

    I wouldn't suggest direct sun as the sun could fry your seedling too, give it a good amount of shade and keep it warm and humid...

    Jay, your thoughts? (did you recommend that?)

    :)

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Trop...no...I would never advise sitting a new plant in direct sun right away. Shade, warm, humid.

  • tropicaliste
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ignore... didn't mean to repost(was a previous post here) hit the back button too many times on my "gardenweb" tab.

    :)

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrew
    You mention good draining soil when you potted up the Maha. I notice that the seller mentions using Peat, doesnt peat retain water like a sponge? Also, in the above discussion Jay mentions the types of peat and doesnt differentiate which is better? I have Canadian peat that is like sawdust? Or sphaghum peat that is like stringy spanish moss? Which is better??

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My package is tracking at SUVARNABHUMI MAIL CENTRE (container received April 25, 2011 23:52:47). I'll let you know how it goes!

  • fruit_guy
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    pj1881, Korlan is a subtropical fruit that is grown in northern Thailand (Chang Mai area). I was fortunate to find some being sold by a sidewalk vendor in Bangkok in 2008. I brought some seeds back and they grew well until the winter when I failed to keep them sufficiently moist.

  • MangoDoc
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    pj1881

    We got the last three that he had. Iy order is in Suvarnabhumi also. I have a order coming from Frankies also this week, Can't wait!!
    Going to plant some new varieties in the grove for the first time in awhile.

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    PJ...use the Canadian peat. The other is what nurseries use to wrap around the roots when bare rooting. Use your tracking number and now go to the USPS web site and track from there.

    So PJ and MD...what all did you order? Wish you both the best of luck!

    Update on my Thai order... maha chanook putting out lots of buds and should flush nicely. So tempting to pug this bad boy!!! Still might! Two of the three grafted durians are doing great. I ended up losing the Chanee durian. This one did not respond well from early on and steadily went down hill. Bummer. Just goes to show how rough this bare rooting crap really is.

    Tony...should I even ask how your maha chanook is doing? We haven't heard a peep out of you for two weeks. Did you get the plant and the confusion straightened out? I hope so.

  • jsvand5
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good to hear that most are doing well Jay. How tall is the Maha? I'd definitely be too scared to pug it this soon. Are you going to be putting it in the ground eventually?

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jay,

    I just purchased the Maha Chanok, I did alot of research on the origin of the name of the mango since ordering, It was named after a figure in Thai Buddhism, the story is available at this link http://www.scene4.com/archivesqv6/jul-2006/html/yasovantjul06.html

    If you scroll down to the bottom of the story line it speaks about the mango part..

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    John...the plant is 3'+. I'll wait till it flushes and see how the growth pattern will be. I will probably not plant this anytime soon. Did you get my last couple emails??

  • jsvand5
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I guess 3 ft is a little taller than for branching to start than what would be the best. I'd still be too scared to do it though with it having such a small root system. Sent you an email.

  • amrkhalido
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I cant find the maha chanok mango on his website anymore ,,

    wat about the nam doc ,, he have 2 varieties to it it seems ,,

    i think i might try this lychee variety he offers ,,

    Amr

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    He sold the 5 Maha's he had, Im sure he will have more. The two Nam Doc's are most likely Early and Late Season Varieties.

  • tonyp123
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    dead dead dead...."sigh" oh well, there's always next time, thanks for the advices though...

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry to hear that. Hopefully the next time around you will be more prepared for it. Don't wait for the plant to arrive before getting clairification.

    I did things by the book and still lost one of the durians. I'm too embarrassed to list the number of plants I lost because I "thought" I knew what I was doing and didn't need to reach out and ask. Chalk it up to lessons learned and make it right the next time.

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jay,

    How long was it from the airport in Thailand till you started tracking again in the US?

    Patrick

    Tony,

    Sorry to hear of your loss... You should go out and purchase a bunch of stuff to make up for it!

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    amrkhalido, he posted five more Maha's

    Mine has yet to reach customs in the US, package left Thailand Monday..

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I started checking USPS the day after it was mailed in Thailand.

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jay,

    I have been tracking right from the beginning too! I was staring to think I would draw attention to Customs with all my requests for tracking information! From the time it left Thailand, how long did it take to arrive on USPS as in the States?

  • ohiojay
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If he shipped it Monday, you should receive it Friday. USPS didn't really update anything until it said it was on it's way to Customs. Don't be too surprised if it doesn't get updated either. Just have pots, soil, and plastic ready. Remember to only use a pot large enough to contain the roots...don't go bigger than that for now. And watch your watering. If the humidity is way up like it should be inside the plastic, you should not have to water many times. Too many waterings can cause problems that will be hard to reverse. Just pay close attention.

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Jay!

  • MangoDoc
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    pj1881

    My order is in Miami customs Now. So your order shouldn't be to far behind!
    My Order from Frankies got here in Florida in 38 hours.All 10 trees were fine, and are now potted. Just amazing!!!!

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MangoDoc,

    Mine arrived in customs this morning at 8:05am... Let me know if you hear anything!

  • MangoDoc
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    pj1881,

    Did yours go to Miami also? Are you in Florida? I'm here in Brevard.

    Joe.

  • pj1881
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yeah, mine went to Miami too.. I live near West Palm Beach.. Still no update from customs..

  • invar69
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks OhioJay for the link - I just placed an order through greenthumb3000's ebay store for a Maha Chanook.

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