Couldnt agree with you more, there is always room for more haworthia! Also how easy/difficult is it to obtain plants from outside the US ? ...

It isn't that difficult. You need an import license from the USDA. Easy to get and free as I found out. The problem is the cost. You have the cost of the plants, phytosanitary certificate, postage and CITES depending on plant ordered. The other issue is time. It can take a couple of weeks to receive plants depending on their origin and how efficiently the vendor gets things together. I have been participating in a group purchase so this helps with some of the cost. I will be getting my second order this week of several new Haworthia from STC.

Harry, the first order has done very well; some better than others, but this is to be expected. For you, it would be much less costly as you don't require a phytosan cert. The plants are small and a bit pricy but for me there is no other place I've been able to find Haworthia in the USA like these.

Very nice collection!

So the way this group purchase works is you compile a list of plants on an Excel spreadsheet supplied by the organizer. The pricing will be in Euros. You submit your list. The organizer compiles all of the participant's lists and sends it to STC where final pricing and availability are done. This final statement is sent back to the organizer who will send emails out to individual participants for their final tally, which is the cost of plants and portion of certificates and postage (certs/postage divided equally). You send, via Paypal ONLY, payment in Euros to the organizer. When the plants arrive, each individual's order is repacked. You send a prepaid mailing label by email to the organizer and your plants will be delivered. You can create and save a PDF mailing label using Paypal or the Post Office (can help you, if not familiar with this; it's easy and free to set up). I know all of this sounds complicated and cumbersome but it works very well. Going forward we have been informed that there will be some changes as to the specific processing of our orders so we will see...

I received both of my Haworthia orders today; one form The Netherlands and the other from C & D.

Excellent choices Howard

you were right you wont find those in most nursery's in the usa.

Richard

Richard, the first two are from The Netherlands. I received 25 Haworthia from STC today. The others are from C & D here in the USA. Anyone can purchase these. It would be interesting to know, if others might have the inclination to do some kind of group purchase. STC has other plants besides Haworthia.

HI Howad

you do realize summer is almost over and you will have to bring them in.

Richard

Richard, I keep all my Haws in the greenhouse along with the orchids and the Dorstenia. The Eches are the ones that have come in this fall. They are going back in the basement under lights. Although it is going to be a tight fit in the greenhouse this fall!

And then there are these with beautiful windows and leaf patterns.

Howard, I've been stalking their auction pages for months, but their focus are mainly on Haws. Not so much into the rarer Echeverias.

Not sure if you have heard about similar labs doing tissue culture here in the states.. But I found one here, based in the west coast:

http://ranchotissue.com/submit-a-plant/

They are called rancho tissue technologies, but they only sell micro plants at a wholesale rate. But if you ask me, I wouldn't mind paying a few hundred for thousands of micro variegated echeveria seedlings ~_~

We can even split the cost amount members here if this really takes off..

They do seem relatively new in the market, but would definitely LOVE if they can successfully duplicate variegated specimens.

Bernard

Bernard, STC is primarily a Haworthia oriented vendor. They do have VERY expensive variegated Haws in their auction section. You have to be registered to access the auction or the Special Plant sections.

thanks for the link. Have to check it out.

I know Howard, I was already signed up when I stalked their page. They have very awesome selections, but Haws are still a whole different world for me.

I hope there are more vendors like them can put the same amount of effort in propagating rarer Echeverias. Especially the variegated ones, they are so low in supply and high in demand.

BTW: If there is any interest, a new STC order may come together by month's end... you know where I am.

HI Howard

I don't know where I am most days, I'll send you an email over the weekend.

Richard

So Bernard, the website to which you linked above sells tissue cultured material that you have to continue with TC or ???? These are not "pot ready" plants????

Bikerdoc, I know the prices vary, but when you do an STC order, about how much do the plants cost?

Go to the link below and you will see there is significant variation. When you visit, click on the picture and it will open to see a larger picture. Some will have a yellow/green tag in the upper left corner. The yellow tag will open the "for sale" plant and the other is their stock plant.

We have a group order coming together by this weekend and should receive plants mid September. Phytosan cert is €75 and shipping is €25 up to 2kg (4.4lbs). Email me if interested.

STC Haworthia Page

Thanks, Bikerdoc. I am not interested in this upcoming order, but I would definitely be interested in a future order.

Not until next spring.

That sounds good, actually! I need to make sure I can keep my current plants alive. :)

Howard, I researched a little bit more, they tissue cultured the plants, and grow them into seedling sizes - then they sell them. They sell the plants in 2 stages, stage 3 and 4.

3 - being only a couple of inches big (hence the name mirco, I believe they are similar to about 3-4 months old seedlings) all planted in a box with a minimum of 200 plants per shipment/per box.

4 - are already more established, and are planted in a seedling tray individually, probably are at a 8-9 months old seedling comparison. More established plants, but also more pricey.

I don't think they need to continue growing in a TC environment, but definitely should be nurtured as young seedlings until they establish.

TC is only the cloning process of extracting the cells and create newer plants. Once they reach certain maturity, in which I think they believe it's stable enough for sale, it can be grown normally without those lab facilities.

Let me know if you want to pool in and try a batch. I'm really intrigued, but at the same time I don't need 500 plants of the same type.

Bernard

Right, I got that when I looked into their site more. I also don't want a large volume of the same thing. While this is a great way to get some nice plants, it would take a ton of people to share and I doubt they will mix a tray of seedlings. I would like to find someone in the USA who sells a greater variety of Haworthia. I like the current group purchase in which I am participating but the plants are small. My most recent arrivals are very nice and I have another batch on order for next week. Some items include:

H. pygmaea 'ContinuedPink Beauty

Haworthia 'Norikom'

Haworthia 'Kintoun'

Haworthia 'Kalos'

Haworthia 'Yuki-Usagi'

Haworthia truncata 'Hakuun' variegata

That's great Howard! I know you collect alot of rarer Haws, but I believe the work creating such culture is already very labor intensive, let alone sorting, naming, posting, packing and distributing them via an auction online. You will need a very big team to achieve what STC has been in the past years.

I believe this US TC lab is still relatively new, and they might need many more years to achieve the standards of STC.

I personally love collecting rarer echeverias, and this so far is the only lab that produces more Echeverias species of late. I hope some day when I can successfully grow some variegated species, I can submit some samples for them to cultivate.

Well, some of you know, my last STC order arrived Thursday. what I thought and said was to be the last STC order is not true. The problem is, I suffer from a malady... Yes, that's correct, 'Haworthiacoholism'. I go to the "weakly" meetings but to no avail! Therefore, I am organizing one last purchase before the snow flies. I hope to have the order in to STC by next weekend so the plants should arrive within two to three weeks; this last order arrived to me in about 10 days. If there is any interest, email me directly at: LASSERH@HOTMIAL.COM.

To See some of the New Arrivals

STC Webpage

Well, I've been up since 5 AM EDT waiting for the action at STC to end and the commencement of the Special Plant sale. I know by talking about all of this I may be creating major competition going forward. You know the old saying, "Pay your €€€€, take your chances!"

I know with the old GW format this kind of post was forbidden and it may still be so, but for those who might take offense please reserve comment. The motivation for this note is to "educate", empower, and inform others of acquiring plant material that may not be readily available within the USA. I receive no favors, benefits, free plants or special treatment of any kind from STC. I will say I am selfish, because the more people who participate in the group, the less are the fixed costs and the greater is the group discount. G-d knowns we all LOVE saving money!

So without further adieu.... Some items that will hopefully arrive well before the snow! These are NOT my pictures. I hope to have our final order ready by this Saturday so we will receive plants by mid-October. If interested, my email is out there somewhere. And for those who may take some offense, please accept my heart felt apology.