stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

OK- so I was at Lowe's today, and I noticed several Dendrobiums on the
"dead and dying" rack. Actually, they were just past bloom and mostly
in severe need of water. So I talked to the nice lady with the manager
tag and asked how low she could go....

A dollar a piece... I came home with 21 plants... 19 Dend's, and 2
Phal's. Not bad, huh? Most have tags, and I got enough new ones that
I'm happy as a clam. Those that are extras, I'll take to my friendly
neighborhood orchid society meeting as door prizes. Greater St. Louis
Orchid Society, at the fabulous Missouri Botanical Gardens! (a quick
plug...)

So I'm completely submerging them for about 10 minutes. Do you think
that will be enough to bring them around? What's the consensus on
food- I added about 1/2t to about 4gals water, let me know if I
screwed up. Any other suggestions on their care?

Also, I've recently was given a couple of Phal's and an Onc, I think,
that are a bit shriveled... how can I perk 'em back up?

Thanks a bunch- I'm learned a lot from the group over time....

Kevin

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

On 14 Jul 2003 16:38:53 -0700, (Kevin) wrote in
Message-Id: :

Actually, they were just past bloom and mostly in severe need of water.
So I talked to the nice lady with the manager tag and asked how low
she could go....

A dollar a piece... I came home with 21 plants...


Well done!

I tried that tactic with Home Depot and failed. It seems they return
their out of bloom plants to the vendor for credit.

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

How about submerging them without potmedia for one or two hours in a bucket
of water with sugar and hunny. I learned that from a dutch grower once. He
often imported plants and when they arrived they were often in a bad
condition. So to give them a boost he did this. I tried it once with a phal
and it's doing oke now.
I wisch I could get the prises down that far. Here in B they will only go to
5 EURO per plant.

Peter

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

Yes, I think the 10 minute bath *and continued proper care* will bring them
around. Don't go overboard watering them either. Just put them back on
schedule with your other plants and see how they respond.

I don't know if you pulled them out of the pots or not. You probably could
wait a week or so and see if your care makes them perk up. If not then check
the roots. Repot into a medium you are familiar with into a pot just large
enough to hold whatever roots remain..

K Barrett


"Kevin" wrote in message
om...
OK- so I was at Lowe's today, and I noticed several Dendrobiums on the
"dead and dying" rack. Actually, they were just past bloom and mostly
in severe need of water. So I talked to the nice lady with the manager
tag and asked how low she could go....

A dollar a piece... I came home with 21 plants... 19 Dend's, and 2
Phal's. Not bad, huh? Most have tags, and I got enough new ones that
I'm happy as a clam. Those that are extras, I'll take to my friendly
neighborhood orchid society meeting as door prizes. Greater St. Louis
Orchid Society, at the fabulous Missouri Botanical Gardens! (a quick
plug...)

So I'm completely submerging them for about 10 minutes. Do you think
that will be enough to bring them around? What's the consensus on
food- I added about 1/2t to about 4gals water, let me know if I
screwed up. Any other suggestions on their care?

Also, I've recently was given a couple of Phal's and an Onc, I think,
that are a bit shriveled... how can I perk 'em back up?

Thanks a bunch- I'm learned a lot from the group over time....

Kevin

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 23:47:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

On 14 Jul 2003 16:38:53 -0700, (Kevin) wrote in
Message-Id: :

Actually, they were just past bloom and mostly in severe need of water.
So I talked to the nice lady with the manager tag and asked how low
she could go....

A dollar a piece... I came home with 21 plants...


Well done!

I tried that tactic with Home Depot and failed. It seems they return
their out of bloom plants to the vendor for credit.


That is what they say. But if you are in there often enough you
will see them dried to a crisp and still for sale. Eventually
when they are dead, dry, and fall out of the pot, they find a
wastebasket.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:19:13 -0600, Susan Erickson
wrote in Message-Id: :

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 23:47:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

On 14 Jul 2003 16:38:53 -0700, (Kevin) wrote in
Message-Id: :

Actually, they were just past bloom and mostly in severe need of water.
So I talked to the nice lady with the manager tag and asked how low
she could go....

A dollar a piece... I came home with 21 plants...


Well done!

I tried that tactic with Home Depot and failed. It seems they return
their out of bloom plants to the vendor for credit.


That is what they say. But if you are in there often enough you
will see them dried to a crisp and still for sale. Eventually
when they are dead, dry, and fall out of the pot, they find a
wastebasket.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php


How many have you managed to purchase at discount from HD?

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

I've heard that excuse from Home Depot in the past with out of bloom plants.
"We can't discount them further because we will return them to the grower
for credit"

Often you will go back there weeks and months later and the same plants just
get worse and worse. I don't know what they return. Maybe it's cheaper for
them to wait until the plant is fully dehydrated and dead to save on the
shipping costs back to the grower. Somehow, I think this is just an excuse
to keep them from reducing the price.

Sometimes you will find a greenhouse manager who will reduce the price to a
buck a piece.

If they have a $10 plant that is out of bloom and selling for $5, how much
credit would HD receive from the grower?

Although I still stop to look at the out of bloom rack, it really has to be
something special for me to consider taking an at risk plant back to my
collection. There is only so much room and I'd rather have something I
really want than something that was cheap.

Good Growing,
Gene

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 20:58:34 GMT, "Gene Schurg"
wrote in Message-Id:
ink.net:

Somehow, I think this is just an excuse
to keep them from reducing the price.

Perhaps HD has an agreement with the orchid vendor to return
out-of-bloom plants for full credit. I don't know, but I haven't seen
any HD orchids, out-of-bloom or not, selling for less than sticker
prices. And I haven't been successful in coaxing HD into discounting
orchids regardless of condition.

I'm going to check out Lowe's now that it has been mentioned. I have
no problem purchasing cheep orchids I WANT in my collection even if
they need resuscitation. :-)

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

On 14 Jul 2003 16:38:53 -0700, (Kevin) wrote in
Message-Id: :

Actually, they were just past bloom and mostly in severe need of water.
So I talked to the nice lady with the manager tag and asked how low
she could go....

A dollar a piece... I came home with 21 plants...


Well done!

I tried that tactic with Home Depot and failed. It seems they return
their out of bloom plants to the vendor for credit.

They don't return them to the vender larry. Home depot or the BORG as I
call them are so afraid someone may return the plant under their warranty
that they trash the orchids in their compactor rather than giveing anyone a
good deal. They will 1/2 price them for a week after they drop their blooms
then it's in the trash.
Later
dusty

stupid, stupid, stupid... but I got 'em on sale!
 

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Larry Dighera wrote in
:

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 20:58:34 GMT, "Gene Schurg"
wrote in Message-Id:
ink.net:

Somehow, I think this is just an excuse
to keep them from reducing the price.

Perhaps HD has an agreement with the orchid vendor to return
out-of-bloom plants for full credit. I don't know, but I haven't seen
any HD orchids, out-of-bloom or not, selling for less than sticker
prices. And I haven't been successful in coaxing HD into discounting
orchids regardless of condition.

I'm going to check out Lowe's now that it has been mentioned. I have
no problem purchasing cheep orchids I WANT in my collection even if
they need resuscitation. :-)



Larry if you'r in the st. louis area the centrial city HD has their orchids
at 1/2 price $10 each for most but they won't be there long.
later
dusty