Extremely discouraged.
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 7:58 pm
I've been growing Venus Flytraps for almost 8 years now. It's always been a fun and enjoyable hobby for me. But I have to say that I'm beginning to become more and more discouraged with the hobby.
It seems like there are so many hobbyists and vendors selling plants that are misidentified. I recently had a plant that I bought online a few years ago as a Big Mouth start to grow very large and straight upwards. I posted some photos on this forum and the general consensus was that in no way was this plant a Big Mouth Venus flytrap. So I feel that I wasted a lot of time growing the plant. And I've given out several divisions of the plant to friends. Now I guess they think they have a Big Mouth Venus Flytrap too.
Also I discovered a few months ago that there are apparently two different Low Giant cultivars. So if I do buy a Low Giant, how do I have any idea what plant it is ?
Ebay is loaded with shady vendors selling plants that are misidentified. One vendor who does a lot of sales on Ebay regularly sells seed grown plants as various cultivars. I think most of us know who the guy is but in the meantime how many people has this guy ripped off ? And who knows how many people have passed these phony plants onto other unsuspecting hobbyists. ( Thanks Ebay seller Fingers001 )
The latest Ebay scam is apparently people posting photoshopped pictures of the plants that they are selling. I bought a couple of brilliantly colored Big Mouth Flytraps from a seller on Ebay a few weeks ago. And the plants look nothing like the photo on the auction. Even though the photo was the actual plants that I was bidding on. The plants arrived potted so they can't even use the transplant excuse.
I've got a nice collection of plants in various cultivars that seem to be the real deal. I think I'll focus on growing them and the divisions that come from the plants. From time to time I sell a plant on Ebay, not to make money, but to fund my purchase of other cultivars that I don't have in my collection. I don't embelish my auctions, as a matter of fact I try to downplay the quality of the plant. I sell my flytraps at a reasonable "Buy it now" price. And I've never had a disappointed customer. My feedback on Ebay is 100% positive. When I sell a plant the response from the buyer is usually that they had no idea that the plant would be that big. I wish I could say the same for the pitiful specimens that I've been purchasing lately. ( Thank's for the microscopic Big mouth you sent me last week, Cook's carnivores. )
I do want to give a shout out to Joels Carnivourous Plants. I've bought several B52's from Joel in the last year. And every one of them has grown into a monster. There are other good vendors and growers out there too. But far too many people selling junk plants at high prices. Just read the various posts in this section of the forum. It's very discouraging.
It seems like there are so many hobbyists and vendors selling plants that are misidentified. I recently had a plant that I bought online a few years ago as a Big Mouth start to grow very large and straight upwards. I posted some photos on this forum and the general consensus was that in no way was this plant a Big Mouth Venus flytrap. So I feel that I wasted a lot of time growing the plant. And I've given out several divisions of the plant to friends. Now I guess they think they have a Big Mouth Venus Flytrap too.
Also I discovered a few months ago that there are apparently two different Low Giant cultivars. So if I do buy a Low Giant, how do I have any idea what plant it is ?
Ebay is loaded with shady vendors selling plants that are misidentified. One vendor who does a lot of sales on Ebay regularly sells seed grown plants as various cultivars. I think most of us know who the guy is but in the meantime how many people has this guy ripped off ? And who knows how many people have passed these phony plants onto other unsuspecting hobbyists. ( Thanks Ebay seller Fingers001 )
The latest Ebay scam is apparently people posting photoshopped pictures of the plants that they are selling. I bought a couple of brilliantly colored Big Mouth Flytraps from a seller on Ebay a few weeks ago. And the plants look nothing like the photo on the auction. Even though the photo was the actual plants that I was bidding on. The plants arrived potted so they can't even use the transplant excuse.
I've got a nice collection of plants in various cultivars that seem to be the real deal. I think I'll focus on growing them and the divisions that come from the plants. From time to time I sell a plant on Ebay, not to make money, but to fund my purchase of other cultivars that I don't have in my collection. I don't embelish my auctions, as a matter of fact I try to downplay the quality of the plant. I sell my flytraps at a reasonable "Buy it now" price. And I've never had a disappointed customer. My feedback on Ebay is 100% positive. When I sell a plant the response from the buyer is usually that they had no idea that the plant would be that big. I wish I could say the same for the pitiful specimens that I've been purchasing lately. ( Thank's for the microscopic Big mouth you sent me last week, Cook's carnivores. )
I do want to give a shout out to Joels Carnivourous Plants. I've bought several B52's from Joel in the last year. And every one of them has grown into a monster. There are other good vendors and growers out there too. But far too many people selling junk plants at high prices. Just read the various posts in this section of the forum. It's very discouraging.