First-time order from a Hoya Nursery in Lampung, Indonesia.
I found this seller on Instagram. Someone mentioned his name when they were selling interesting hoya cuttings on a Facebook Group. After contacting the Nursery Owner and figuring out that he was the person I thought he was 😊 he sent me a google doc link to all the hoyas in his collection. It was a document with photos of Hoyas that were available for order. It was August 13.
After reviewing his collection, I made a “Starting” list of nineteen hoyas to know availability and price. In addition to the order cost, I would have to pay about $200 for shipping and a Phytosanitary Certificate. The next day I had my starting list with prices. This list was shrunken to ten hoyas.
The seller also sent me the videos of some of the hoyas he would pack for my order. Those were mature plants, outgrowing their pots. They are a great size for the price if I will get them delivered.
On August 23, he applied for a Phytosanitary Certificate for my order. Ten days since we first “met.” On September 14, the Certificate was ready. I got a photo of the document. A couple of days later, I had a picture of my order: hoyas before they were packed.
On September 17, the order was shipped through DHL. In three days, the package was at Dallas Customs on hold. There was nothing I could do. Only hope the package will go through and I will get at least something from the order.
On September 21, I got my package. Five days in the mail, extremely fast. The box was opened for inspection by US Customs and Border Protection. They cut it along the top sides, and I noticed three out of ten plants were unpacked. Despite that, everything looked good; plants were packed back, and the box was securely sealed.
Plants came without soil; roots were clean and wrapped in moss, covered with a plastic film. The seller had to clean the roots and wash every hoya with a fungicide before sending plants overseas. Some leaves were yellow, but no plant had rot or a soft stem.
It was a great experience. I am pleased with the communication; the seller was eager to answer all my questions. The plants were packed with great care.
