wrote:
I have a phal. (one of my Wal Mart rescues) that's very happy. It
had one wrinkly leaf and they said they we're screaming at everybody
there to quit watering it. (haha) So anyway now it's trying to send
up
spikes. One spike was doing fine until it hit the side of the pot.
Now
it's branching out like a tree - shooting out all these new
appendages -
probably what it should of done had it gotten longer. Then I noticed
a
second spike under one of it's leaves in the back (hopefully not
destined to crash into the side of the pot as did the other one).
Now
the third one is a probably a root, Happy plant - very happy plant.
I
save my tags but these four I got at WM of course didn't have any so
don't know what their name's are let alone their color. I got them
for
$5 a piece. Now if anybody would like to hear about my Lowe's plant
story I could tell you that one too.......Burr


I know what you're saying--my favorite phal (out of about 50-60 in my
collection) came from Home Depot--an unnamed cross that I purchased one
spring. It's one tough plant and reliably throws out an incredible
number of blooms. Wish I knew the parentage, but I don't want to spend
$150 to find out.

That being said, I would be embarrassed to count the number of plants
that I've bought at HD, Lowes, grocery stores, and local nurseries that
did a quick bit of razzle-dazzle and then died. There was no economy
there... Once in a while, you can get lucky when you buy a
mass-marketed plant, but all in all, you can't beat a professional
grower for a quality plant that's in good condition (especially root
condition--something you can't see until you get a plant home) that
will probably thrive if you give it proper care. Also, a professional
grower can help you select a plant that's right for your environment
and (in my experience) will be willing to help you when you have
problems. Try calling HD for orchid advice and see how far you get.

I'm glad that there are mass-marketed orchids, though, because they are
a good introduction to orchids for many people who are hesitant to pay
$40 for a quality named plant. A percentage of newbie buyers will get
hooked, like I did, and go on to orchid mania. And, if a buyer just
wants some pretty flowers for the short term, they will last longer
than a dozen roses and will cost less--and in the meantime, support the
orchid industry as a whole with their purchase.