Why are Orchids so expensive
 

They are not rare...they are very difficult to grow at times...one
mistake and your out of $16 to $75 that I have seen. I don't know if
you get any guarantees on them though.

Why are Orchids so expensive
 

On Apr 19, 7:25*pm, Anthony wrote:
They are not rare...they are very difficult to grow at times...one
mistake and your out of $16 to $75 that I have seen. I don't know if
you get any guarantees on them though.

They are rare in North America and northern Europe- at least the showy
flowering ones are. And they require specific conditions to flower,
which are not available to N. American or European growers unless you
put in the money. So those suppliers that sell orchids sell them to
the cognoscenti or the naive.

Which are you?

Chris

Why are Orchids so expensive
 

On 4/19/11 4:25 PM, Anthony wrote:
They are not rare...they are very difficult to grow at times...one
mistake and your out of $16 to $75 that I have seen. I don't know if
you get any guarantees on them though.

If you want less expensive orchids, attend an orchid show. Many
hobbyists sell their plants for less than charged at retail nurseries.

You might also try to find a nursery that specializes in orchids. They
often grow their own stock and thus do not have to markup from wholesale
to retail.

In any case, a plant in flower -- almost any plant other than annuals in
pony packs -- generally costs more than the same plant not in flower.
But who wants to buy an orchid if you can't see what the flower might
look like?

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Why are Orchids so expensive
 

On 4/19/11 5:39 PM, Chris wrote:
On Apr 19, 7:25 pm, Anthony wrote:
They are not rare...they are very difficult to grow at times...one
mistake and your out of $16 to $75 that I have seen. I don't know if
you get any guarantees on them though.

They are rare in North America and northern Europe- at least the showy
flowering ones are. And they require specific conditions to flower,
which are not available to N. American or European growers unless you
put in the money. So those suppliers that sell orchids sell them to
the cognoscenti or the naive.

Which are you?

Chris

My Phalaenopsis orchid blooms quite well, almost every year, in my
breakfast room window. The flowers last a few weeks.

My Cymbidium orchid did not bloom for four years. Then I moved it onto
a patio in full sun (bringing it indoors only when the weather forecast
indicated a killing frost, 2-3 nights this past winter). One long spray
of flowers just finished a month of bloom. I see two other flowering
shoots starting.

Yes, you do need the right conditions for orchids to live and bloom.
You also need the right conditions for peonies or tulips to live and
bloom; my climate is not right for either of those two. And you need
the right conditions for lemons and guavas, which thive in my back yard.

Conclusion: Stick with what is suitable for your own garden. Don't try
rosemary or oranges in Duluth. Don't try rhododendrons in Palm Springs.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Why are Orchids so expensive
 

On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:25:50 -0700, Anthony wrote:

They are not rare...they are very difficult to grow at times...one
mistake and your out of $16 to $75 that I have seen. I don't know if you
get any guarantees on them though.

They will usually guarantee it was alive when you paid for it, no more.

Orchids are expensive mostly because they grow very slowly. By the time
they are ready to sell they have used up a lot of time and space in an
expensive greenhouse operation.

Some orchids are even more expensive because they are rare. If you
already have a hundred orchid varieties in your greenhouse then it could
make sense to pay $75 for that unusual variety you have been looking for,
otherwise probably not.

Here in zone 5, southeastern Pennsylvania, the only kind of orchid that
grows inside easily is Phalaenopsis. I would advise a beginner to poke
around on the web reading various instructions on selecting a site and
caring for them, so as to get an idea of the range of locations and care
methods which can be made to work (rather than just one method), pick one
that suits you, then buy several cheap Phal's you like the look of and
try them in several different spots that seem suitable, for maximum
chance of re-blooming of at least one. Then move the rest to the place
where they do best. I have heard a lot of cases of "I had that orchid
for years but it never bloomed until I moved it to this spot, now it
blooms every year", and that good spot is not always obviously better
than the place it wouldn't bloom.

I have tried a number of other orchid types (a greenhouse manager I know
gives then to me), but in spite of expert orchid advice from my wife they
rarely bloom for me. Her typical expert advice is "I can't believe you
are still trying to grow *that* orchid *here*, throw it out", often
shortened to a certain look and the single word "compost". I usually
admit she was right a few years later when it finally dies, but sometimes
they bloom and she admits to being amazed :-).