Orchid Seedlings and flasks needed. Where to buy?

[Poe]

I have a cousin coming to visit soon and she is wanting to pick up some orchid seedlings and flasks to take back home.
She is needing seedlings and flasks for Dendrobium, Oncidium, Cattleya, and Vanda orchids. (sounds like Greek to me!)

Any ideas on where I could get these?

Thanks!

[STEVE G]

There is an orchid shop in the duty-free at Bangkok airport that sells orchid seedlings in flasks that are certified for export.
I know this because I bought some for my Mother earlier in the year. I imagine they would be cheaper if you could find them elsewhere, but I think I paid about 1000 bt for a pack of four.(Please don't ask me what type they were!)

[Big Boy]

The market down at the Burmese Border crossing has the best selection of orchids I've seen for sale, and at rock bottom prices as well. However, I've no idea what you mean by flasks, and I doubt they're certified for transportation anywhere - not even Thailand.

[PeteC]

Orchids only need a good soaking with water about once a week. 'Seedlings' are the baby sprouts with roots you see on older stems, or growing out of the base of a pot with new roots visible.

Buy the entire plant that have these, have her remove the sprouts with roots gently and wrap them in a sheet of damp paper towel or cotton cloth right before she leaves, and put in her suitcase, no "flask" needed. They'll be fine in there for 24 hours. DON'T seal them in a plastic bag, they'll die. You get to keep the rest of the plant. (I've done the above successfully, don't use damp newspaper as the print ink can damage them.)

Make sure she has some medium waiting at home to put them into. I've only used dried coconut half shells with a lot of dried shredded coconut fiber as a base inside, never dirt.

No clue what will happen if home country Customs finds them? Good luck. Pete

[margaretcarnes]

Agree with Pete - orchids are often seen growing in Thailand in the half coconut shells tied to tree trunks. They need very little to sustain them, and I think in the wild they actually root into the host tree. You often see the ready prepared shells on sale from the guys who go around town with handcarts.
But even 1000 baht for 4 at the airport sounds like a good deal. In the UK one fairly small flowering plant can cost around 10 pounds. The 'flasks' might be needed for indoor cultivation in little more than water.

[Big Boy]

But even 1000 baht for 4 at the airport sounds like a good deal.

Would probably buy you 50 at the Burmese Border crossing.

[STEVE G]

My partner buys them near the village fully grown for between 50 and 200 bt depending on the type, but you're not supposed to export any old plant into western countries.
The ones I bought at the airport are small seedlings that are sealed into a small clear flask growing in some type of jellified nutrient. They had quite a variety of types, but I just got a box with a selection of four different ones.
On each one is a stamped declaration from some government body saying that they're sterile and certified for export.

[margaretcarnes]

Probably wiser to shell out the grand at the airport rather than risk confiscation of uncertified plants then.

[Poe]

Thanks for all the info ya'll!
Cousin will be here soon, and she is going to go with the orcids from the airport because she requires the certs.

One more question now......
Does anyone know the hours of operations for the duty free shops?

[Takiap]

Orchids which are in flasks can be exported without any fuss and very few countries will require any form of paperwork. Those which are not in flasks can be tricky, in that you are not really allowed to export them without special permission. However, you can of course take your chances. You can also send them in the post. My wife and I did so many times in the past and all survived apart from the odd one or two.

Any other plants are no problem either providing you get a phytosanitary certificate from the Department of Agriculture in Bangkok.

[STEVE G]

Does anyone know the hours of operations for the duty free shops?

I couldn't tell you the exact times, but I usually fly out between 23.30 and 02.00 and most of the smaller ones are open until around mid-night, but like most things in Asia, they just seem to shut at random times when it suits them.
I think the larger duty free shops like King Power open all night, or at least until the last flight.