I agree. As a newbie, I've found that clearance plants and free plants
have their purpose too: They're good for experimenting. For instance,
I've bought or accepted unfamiliar species to see how they would do in
my environment--if one flourishes, I buy more; if not, I don't. I've
also used these surplus plants as "lab rats" to see how tolerant my
other orchids might be of an insecticide, or a different growing
location indoors/outdoors, or a different watering method, or a new
media--like Prime Agra (a rousing success).

Now that I've started running out of room, I'm thinning out my
collection and giving some of the surplus plants to newbies who have
less experience than I do. They're happy and I don't feel wasteful.
BTW, for reasons that I don't understand, it's always the plants that I
care least about that seem to do the best--like the oncidiums with
rather drab flowers that bloom their heads off.


In article k.net,
Gene Schurg wrote:

Guilty!

I started with lots of clearance plants. They do have a purpose. I use
them as give away plants for the office or neighbors. I figure that all
they want is the bloom and don't care about the breeding.

On the other side, you do have to be careful that you buy plants that match
your ability and culture. I have a couple of cymbidiums that were a "good
buy" that I have never been able to rebloom because the summer is hot and I
don't have a good cool place to over winter them. Now that the greenhouse
is full of stuff I love the cymbidiums are in danger of not coming in at all
this winter.

Another thing I've found is that Home Depot plants are expensive....even
when marked to 1/2 price. You could get a better quality plant from Al or
Ray from their websites that would would see blooms more often than nursing
a tired shelf worn plant.

Good Growing,
Gene




"Susan Erickson" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 05:34:57 GMT, "Shell91"
wrote:

These looked very healthy to me and I do love a bargain so...what can I
say?


Shell

Don"t let him get to you.
We have all done it. How else would we know it is not usually
worth the effort and time. G
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php