The plants arrived, thank you, but there was no dirt in the crate.  What do I do?	Your orchid is growing in a basket, which mimics the growing conditions in the plant’s native habitat (if a hybrid, the conditions where its ancestors live). Most cultivated orchids are epiphytes, meaning that they live on the branches and trunks of trees, with their roots exposed to the air. These plants do not grow in soil, so that’s why there’s no “dirt in the crate”. Please refer to our culture sheet for more detailed information.
I saw your ad in the AOS magazine, about three years ago, for ten seedlings. Are these still available?	No, sorry. Our AOS specials are time-limited, as the ad states. We know that some folks get the magazine late, so if we have the plants in stock we will honor an AOS special for 30 days after the close of the month in which we offer it. But after that 30-day period, the plants return to their regular catalog price. We have new special offers every month, in the AOS magazine and on our website.
Why are your shipping charges so high? I buy orchids elsewhere and they don’t charge as much for shipping!	We specialize in vandaceous orchids, and in general, the plants can be much larger and bulkier than many of the non- vandaceous orchids other nurseries sell. We have to pack them accordingly, and all of the shipping services (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.) charge by “dimensional weight”. This means the size of the box -- more than the weight -- determines the amount of the shipping charge. All of the shipping services use “zone” pricing as well, so the farther you are from us in Homestead, the more it costs to ship to you.
Our orchid society is planning a bus excursion. Can we visit R.F. Orchids?	Yes, of course! We’d love for you to visit us. Groups are always welcome, but please contact us to schedule your group in advance.
I’d love to order from your website, but I don’t like using a credit card online, even on a “secure” site. How can I pay for my order?	You can email or fax the order to us (see our “contact” information), or you can call our toll-free order line during our normal business hours (9-5 Eastern time, Tuesday – Sunday; we are closed on Mondays and some major holidays).
I have one of the AOS’s membership renewal coupons. How can I use this coupon when I place an order on your website?	Contact us as soon as possible after you place the order, either by email (sales@rforchids.com), fax (305-247-6568) or telephone (877-482-6327), to let us know that you will be using the coupon for the order. Then send the original coupon to us; we can’t complete your order until we have the original coupon.
I have a gift certificate. How can I use it when I place an order on  your website?	Contact us as soon as possible after you place the order, either by email (sales@rforchids.com), fax (305-247-6568) or telephone (877-482-6327), to let us know that you will be using a gift certificate for the order. Then send the original gift certificate to us; we can’t complete your order until we have the original gift certificate returned to us.
I want to send a gift orchid to a friend in Arizona. Why is there an extra $50 charge for that?	The State of Arizona requires all plant shipments to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. This is an official document issued by the State of Florida Dept. of Agriculture, stating that the plants in the shipment are free of certain pests and diseases. The certificate  (often called a “phyto” for short) is only issued after the plants are inspected by the Florida Dept. of Agriculture. We must segregate the plants in your order, schedule an inspection, and pay the State of Florida for the inspection and the phytosanitary certificate. Currently the fee for the inspection and certificate is $50.00.
I live in Hawaii.  Can you ship orchids to Hawaii?	Yes, certainly we can ship to Hawaii, but you must have an import permit from the State of Hawaii (contact your local agriculture authorities), and we must have a copy of that permit, before we schedule the plant inspection. Hawaii also requires a phytosanitary certificate, so the conditions and charges for a Florida inspection and certificate for Arizona apply to Hawaii shipments as well.