Seattle Orchid virus issues? - Orchid Board

MJG · #1 04-20-2020, 11:17 AM

Hi. I am new to the forum and happy to be here! I have been raising orchids for about 20 years as a hobbyist.

About 2 weeks ago I placed my first ever order with Seattle Orchids. I ordered 5 orchids. A week later they advertised a Hawaiian orchid special sale to help out a grower in Hawaii who is experiencing business woes due to the COVID 19 restrictions. I ordered 7 more orchids.

When I received the Hawaiian orchid shipment, one orchid had some suspicious looking black spots on the underside of the leaves. I had seen that once before. I use test kits from Agdia. I tested the orchid, and it was positive for both the Cymv and OSRV viruses. I emailed Seattle Orchids to let them know about the diseased orchid (as well as not having the heat pack I had ordered and paid for included in the package, also distressing).

The next day, having purchased from this grower for the first time and now a bit nervous, I decided to test the other 11 orchids from Seattle Orchids. 3 more of them had either CyMV or OSRV or both. That's 4 orchids out of a shipment of 12 with viruses!

This is unacceptable to me. I've had 2 orchids in 20 years of growing that had cymv and it's ugly and not something I'd want to expose my other orchids to. I've emailed Seattle Orchid and am awaiting a reply. I'll report back with their response.

Here's my question to the members of the forum. Are viruses so rampant among orchids these days that one should expect to receive virused orchids? And, Is it commonly accepted that a viruses orchid should be destroyed?

I would appreciate any advice! Thanks.

Ray · #2 04-20-2020, 12:06 PM

I am of the opinion that plants - just like people - carry every virus to which they have ever been exposed, and that likely means they all are infected. As long as they are grown well, they may not every display any symptoms. Do something that results in stress on the plant and the symptoms may appear.

Immunoassay tests do not tell you if a virus is present or not, they tell you whether it is in sufficient concentration to trigger the indicator.

All that said, I do not appreciate getting virused plants. Back when I resold plants, I got one shipment in from a Hawaii grower that was strongly contaminated. I got my money back and never ordered from them again.

ghuylar · #3 04-20-2020, 02:24 PM

Hmm, I recently received an order from Seattle Orchids as well and noticed that there was some dark spotting on the older growths of the Miltoniopsis. I attributed it to a fungus or regular Onc. spotting, and trimmed away the affected leaves, but now you have got me curious. I don't have any virus tests, so I will just have to see how this plant does.

DirtyCoconuts · #4 04-20-2020, 02:42 PM

there is a treasure trove of bad reviews and bad experiences with them on the vendor section...I was lucky...they botched the handling of my only accidental order that they cancelled it before any plants were even mailed...

tell them you want a full refund but you might have to get the method of payment involved.

AnonYMouse · #5 04-20-2020, 05:14 PM

I think like Ray. All orchids are infected until proven otherwise. And I don't test.

Unless you test every plant in your collection, you don't know. And testing is only available to us for some viruses, not all.

PlumCrazy · #6 04-24-2020, 10:09 PM

Read your post not long after I received my shipment of "Hawaiian specials " yesterday. I had asked for advice under the Pests & Diseases section here as I had similar issues. Very sad - I feel your frustration!!

SouthPark · #7 04-25-2020, 09:26 AM

It certainly is disappointing to see and hear about particular companies that don't appear to respect the plants and the customers.

I can see some reviews from customers ----- 4 years ago. Click Here

JScott · #8 04-26-2020, 11:11 PM

I would try to get a refund, but good luck with that. Their customer service is as horrible as the plants they send. I've never had any success trying to resolve issues with them. I don't order from them anymore. One time when I called about a plant in poor health that had no live roots, they told me that I am wrong, the plant is fine, and if I knew more about orchids, I would be able to see that. I've been growing orchids for upwards of 30 years, and they talked to me like I was new. I found that very off putting. I think sometimes they take small plants out of 2 inch pots and put them in 4 inch pots so they can charge more. I got a couple of tiny plants that were not rooted in the pots, and had clearly just been repotted in a pot that was too big.

SouthPark · #9 04-27-2020, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JScott

I would be able to see that. I've been growing orchids for upwards of 30 years, and they talked to me like I was new.

Know just what you mean JS. That's very disrespectful - their behaviour that is. Underhanded practices won't be good for business.

JScott · #10 04-27-2020, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Know just what you mean JS. That's very disrespectful - their behaviour that is. Underhanded practices won't be good for business.

They've been in business for years, and I guess business must be relatively good or they wouldn't still be around, which I don't get. Maybe they have a lot of in person traffic coming through their greenhouse. I know they have some nice plants, because a couple I got from them were very nice. If I was near their greenhouse, I might stop in and take a look because then I could inspect the plants myself and select healthy ones, because I can't trust them to send me good plants when I order online and I can't see the plant before I buy (but even that is unlikely, because of the way they have treated me, I probably woulnd't set foot in their greenhouse). Maybe the people who come to the greenhouse buy up all the good plants, and they ship out the crap to their online customers.

But their approach to customer service perplexes me. They have a lot of dissatisfied online customers all saying the same things, and when you issue a concern or complaint, they get defensive and belligerent and disrespectful and downright rude. If instead of doing that, they would listen to what their dissatisfied customers say and and take those complaints as suggestions and make some positive changes to their business practices, they would probably be doing a whole lot better. But they are stubborn. They think they are right about everything, and their dissatisfied customers are just stupid and don't know what they are doing. That's no way to run a business. If you keep getting the same complaint over and over again, MAKE SOME CHANGES, don't just blow it all off.