"Matthew Donadio"
I used to buy cheap plants coming off bloom from large stores (HD, Lowes,
etc). However, one turned out to be a critter factory and my collection
got
decimated...

OMG I never even thought about critters!

Just yesterday my husband asked if I was going to
put the orchids outside for the summer. I told him
I wouldn't want my plants to come into contact with
bugs and icky things. Funny, I thought of that but not
about bringing bugs home from the reject bin. So far
so good but I bet my number is going to come up soon.

Maybe I should stop while I'm ahead. :-\

Ruth CM

Subject: disposable orchids
From: (solo_voyager)
Date: 4/5/2004 5:07 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

From my point of view, most of the orchids that are mass produced and
supplied to HD, Lowes and other similar type outlets including many
standard orchid outlets, are meant to be "throw away" plants. My
experience with this type of orchid plant is that generally they have
been pushed so hard to make them flower so "prettily" that they're
exhausted. It can take 2 or more years to bring them back into
reasonable health to get them to bloom again. Healthy seedlings would
be a better buy.
S V



Not neccesarily. I've got 5 from home despot and target last year... right now,
three are reblooming (2 have been in continuous bloom for over 6 months), and
two have seedpods forming.

One of the first ones I purchased at home despot just opened a new bloom today,
after 3 months rest... and has a much nicer bloom than the ones on it when I
purchased were.

I've noticed that some, especially Doritanopsis hybrids, never seem to rebloom
for me, however.

Not that I'm recommending buying them. If you know what you're doing, about 1
in 2 turn out to be good plants, and the other half aren't worth the space, let
alone the money.

-

theoneflasehaddock

Subject: disposable orchids
From: (solo_voyager)
Date: 4/5/2004 5:07 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

From my point of view, most of the orchids that are mass produced and
supplied to HD, Lowes and other similar type outlets including many
standard orchid outlets, are meant to be "throw away" plants. My
experience with this type of orchid plant is that generally they have
been pushed so hard to make them flower so "prettily" that they're
exhausted. It can take 2 or more years to bring them back into
reasonable health to get them to bloom again. Healthy seedlings would
be a better buy.
S V



Not neccesarily. I've got 5 from home despot and target last year... right now,
three are reblooming (2 have been in continuous bloom for over 6 months), and
two have seedpods forming.

One of the first ones I purchased at home despot just opened a new bloom today,
after 3 months rest... and has a much nicer bloom than the ones on it when I
purchased were.

I've noticed that some, especially Doritanopsis hybrids, never seem to rebloom
for me, however.

Not that I'm recommending buying them. If you know what you're doing, about 1
in 2 turn out to be good plants, and the other half aren't worth the space, let
alone the money.

-

theoneflasehaddock

John DeGood wrote in
:

I received a nice phalaenopsis from my family today for my birthday.
The attached tag (from KB aka Klassic Beauties aka Kerry's Bromeliad
Nursery) contained accurate culture information, and it even
referenced the AOS website "for advanced growing information."

But the back of the tag disturbed me. It featured a tombstone icon
marked with an orchid flower and the letters "RIP", followed by this
caption:

"Plants can be discarded when no longer
flowering. It's okay. We'll grow more!"

Imagine the outcry if a pet store sold their product with similar
labeling:

"Cats can be discarded when no longer
kittens. It's okay. We'll grow more!"

I'm indignant!

John (opposed to orchid euthanasia)

Hey don't complain the trash is where I get most of my orchids. I have well
over 80 Phals I just dug out of the trash behind the store. I just love
this throw away bunch.
Now if only they would throw out a greenhouse to put them all in.

dusty from digging.

These people are doing us collectors a great favor!

Because they will pay for a plant to enjoy the flowers they keep the growers
in business. Imagine the cost of orchids for collectors if the growers had
to depend upon us to keep the lights on!

I'm sure there's a group out there that shudders when I throw away my
poinsettias each February. I enjoy them during the holidays but they are
cheap enough to just buy new ones next year. The Orchid Industry would
like to have potted plants like that available to the masses.

Buy them and throw them away. Keep the good stuff for us folks who collect
them.

Good Growing,
Gene

The first and second orchid in our home were gifts that had been purchased
from the local supermarket, they are still living and doing well. Since
that time our home has filled with orchids. The greenhouse is getting
smaller by the day and we may need to consider building another. I have to
confess to buying orchids at the BORG, I am drawn to the orchids on death
row. I will often buy full flats at a time and I am known there as "that
guy who buys the dead orchids". Well as they said in the movie The Princess
Bride - "it isn't all dead - just mostly dead". I have learned more from
those mostly dead plants then from all the books that I have purchased. The
plants were cheaper as well. I have learned that not all plants can be
saved, that some plants come with mealy bugs and scale, some have rot and
many other problems that can be treated once you know what you are looking
at.
We have not missed an orchid show in our area since we became hooked. We
always return with new plants and a flask or 2. We have also ordered plants
from vendors on the internet and been happy with the results.
Disposable orchids brought us into this hobby. Disposible orchids gave me
the confidence that I could grow orchids and not worry about that $60 plant
expiring in a month.
Most of the new plants we buy now come from dealers but I will still look
for those death row specials at the BORG because I have a lot more to learn.

All the best
Don
Simcoe, On.

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news
These people are doing us collectors a great favor!

Thanks Gene.

One other point. Buying four Phals a year for a spot you would like to keep
in living flowers is much cheaper than trying to cover that spot with cut
flowers. Lets not talk about the silk ones.

Pat


"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news
These people are doing us collectors a great favor!

Because they will pay for a plant to enjoy the flowers they keep the
growers
in business. Imagine the cost of orchids for collectors if the growers
had
to depend upon us to keep the lights on!

I'm sure there's a group out there that shudders when I throw away my
poinsettias each February. I enjoy them during the holidays but they are
cheap enough to just buy new ones next year. The Orchid Industry would
like to have potted plants like that available to the masses.

Buy them and throw them away. Keep the good stuff for us folks who
collect
them.

Good Growing,
Gene

"Don"
I am drawn to the orchids on death row.

Me too!

I didn't really discover this until a shipment of orchids froze
due to a faulty heat source. The leaves yellowed, browned,
fell off, the pbs were mostly brown & mushy but there was
still some green in the centers which gave me hope. The orchid
grower was a champ and zipped replacements right to me.
This time the heat pack worked! Still, I just couldn't throw
what was left of the frozen plants away. I hacked them apart
and put the pbs in hospital. To look at them you'd say they
were definitely dead - WAY dead. No leaves at all but there
was this green center. I wasn't sure if any of the roots survived.
Time would tell. I put them in low light on the bookshelves and
just let them rest. I just checked the other day and nearly every
pb has tiny little bright lime green sprouts from the base. Ha!
Who knows if they'll ever amount to anything. I'm just glad I
didn't give up and send them to the landfill.

I have learned more from
those mostly dead plants then from all the books that I have purchased.

Yes, absolutely. Total agreement.

Ruth CM

"Don" wrote in news:OE3dc.13261$g%6.5757@nntp-
post.primus.ca:

BORG

You're lucky Don the BORGs around here will throw the orchids away before
they reduce them. I asked about the dumb idea and the manager said he gets
full reinbersment from the grower for plants he cant sell. I was irritated
enough to give him my cart full of items to put back and went to Lowes.

On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 12:27:43 GMT, dusty wrote:

"Don" wrote in news:OE3dc.13261$g%6.5757@nntp-
post.primus.ca:

BORG

You're lucky Don the BORGs around here will throw the orchids away before
they reduce them. I asked about the dumb idea and the manager said he gets
full reinbersment from the grower for plants he cant sell. I was irritated
enough to give him my cart full of items to put back and went to Lowes.

The Lowes and HD in our area have the same frame of mind. He
said it was too easy for the help to cause the plant to look bad
to get a discount for family or friends. Some are over watered
some so under watered they dry up. He continues to display them
until the plant is so desiccated that it looks like a dried
arrangement. I have seen the same dead plant on display for over
a month.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 07:10:14 -0600, Susan Erickson
wrote:

He
said it was too easy for the help to cause the plant to look bad
to get a discount for family or friends. Some are over watered
some so under watered they dry up.

Dang, I assumed they did this due to incompetence, not on purpose.
Who'd a thunk it?

bb

The going rate here is 5 CND$ per plant in a clay pot which is almost free
when converted into US$. That ends up being a costly pot or a cheap plant
in the end. Funny I don't buy lottery tickets but am willing to gamble on
these guys.
Don
"dusty" wrote in message
s.com...
"Don" wrote in news:OE3dc.13261$g%6.5757@nntp-
post.primus.ca:

BORG

You're lucky Don the BORGs around here will throw the orchids away before
they reduce them. I asked about the dumb idea and the manager said he gets
full reinbersment from the grower for plants he cant sell. I was irritated
enough to give him my cart full of items to put back and went to Lowes.

I have 2 phals that had completely dried out (the BORG here does not water
anything), all the leaves had fallen off. No sign of life at all. I
exposed half of the roots to the light and provided high humidity. Each one
has a new leaf about an inch long now. It's to soon to know if they will
survive but I get a kick out of going into the greenhouse and seeing that
beautifull shade of green getting bigger each day.
Don

Who knows if they'll ever amount to anything. I'm just glad I
didn't give up and send them to the landfill.

Ruth CM

On the "who'd have thunk it" line -- some of the Home Depots, etc., near me
have stopped discounting their near-dead orchids because people are bringing
them back for refund/exchange for a live one which would otherwise go at
full price [probably switching receipts ...]. And, in what may be
particular to south Florida, the winter residents who buy a blooming phal
when they come down for the "season," exchange it when it goes out of boom
[sometimes twice if they're down more than a couple of months], and then
want a refund before they leave for summer ...

Personally, I see about an even mix of people who:

1. got hooked on orchid through one of these bargain basement purchases
[sometimes received as a gift], got really into it, and now want to buy
quality plants from real nurseries; or
2. got so turned off because their bargain-basement orchid didn't survive,
that they don't even want to hear about orchids anymore ["they're too
difficult"].

If the bargain-basement orchid was how these folks learned about orchids,
and that seems to be the case, I figure 50% is not too bad ...
--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids
http://www.jborchids.com


"bb" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 07:10:14 -0600, Susan Erickson
wrote:

He
said it was too easy for the help to cause the plant to look bad
to get a discount for family or friends. Some are over watered
some so under watered they dry up.

Dang, I assumed they did this due to incompetence, not on purpose.
Who'd a thunk it?

bb

On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 19:13:23 -0400, "Kenni Judd"
wrote:

On the "who'd have thunk it" line -- some of the Home Depots, etc., near me
have stopped discounting their near-dead orchids because people are bringing
them back for refund/exchange for a live one which would otherwise go at
full price [probably switching receipts ...].

Some people are always scheming on how to beat the system. The above
would be a good explanation for not discounting less that healthy
orchids. The home depot near me almost never has a discount table for
orchids.

bb