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#1
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longevity of popular misconception of orchids
I keep being surprised that even though orchids are becoming much more
common (in our area most supermarkets carry them), how many people still have the popular misconception that orchids are difficult to care for, easy to kill, sensitive, require a greenhouse, require special attention way beyond that of most houseplants, etc etc. Today I talked to a co-worker who had until today thought all these things, until today she had not thought that she could possibly try growing an orchid, and she did not realize how long Phals are in bloom, nor that room temperature is just fine for them. She told me that she will now get one to try it out as well, and "we will see how long I can keep it alive before you say that I am horrible at growing the orchid" or something like that. I wonder how long it will take for this popular misunderstanding to change in our culture, now that orchids are becoming more and more popular? How many more years or decades will it take before we can say "orchids were once regarded as fragile and hard to grow, but nowadays most people understand that it is not so"? I also wonder how many percent of people in the U.S. (for example) now own orchids as houseplants, and how many more would own orchids as houseplants if only they realized that orchids are not hard to grow and that Phals bloom so much longer than most other flowering houseplants? Joanna P.S.: I still have not killed a single orchid thus far in 4 years of growing orchids. Our wedding anniversary (and thus orchid growing anniversary) is tomorrow. |
#2
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I too have had similar experiences. I think in part though, it's due to
the fact that a lot of people just don't do their homework as well. Orchids are easy, but only if you put _some_ effort into it, and learn about their culture. Commonly, a person buys an orchid from HD or Wal-mart...etc, over waters, kills the thing, and never bothers to find out more, and then just go on to assume, based on that sole experience, that orchids are hard to care for, and that they suck at it. In time this will change, but it will be a long time I imagine. I can't remember where, but I heard an anecdote one time which was something along the lines of one has to kill 100+ orchids before becoming good at caring for them, and getting the hang of things. That number may be a tad high, but even if it was 10 orchids, well, during that time, the owner is probably thinking with each death how futile it is for them. Cheers, Xi J Fortuna wrote: I keep being surprised that even though orchids are becoming much more common (in our area most supermarkets carry them), how many people still have the popular misconception that orchids are difficult to care for, easy to kill, sensitive, require a greenhouse, require special attention way beyond that of most houseplants, etc etc. Today I talked to a co-worker who had until today thought all these things, until today she had not thought that she could possibly try growing an orchid, and she did not realize how long Phals are in bloom, nor that room temperature is just fine for them. She told me that she will now get one to try it out as well, and "we will see how long I can keep it alive before you say that I am horrible at growing the orchid" or something like that. I wonder how long it will take for this popular misunderstanding to change in our culture, now that orchids are becoming more and more popular? How many more years or decades will it take before we can say "orchids were once regarded as fragile and hard to grow, but nowadays most people understand that it is not so"? I also wonder how many percent of people in the U.S. (for example) now own orchids as houseplants, and how many more would own orchids as houseplants if only they realized that orchids are not hard to grow and that Phals bloom so much longer than most other flowering houseplants? Joanna P.S.: I still have not killed a single orchid thus far in 4 years of growing orchids. Our wedding anniversary (and thus orchid growing anniversary) is tomorrow. |
#3
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In article rxVbe.16734$yc.13891@trnddc07,
"J Fortuna" wrote: I can keep healthy looking Phal plants but they are reluctant to send up new blooms. Still, purchasing an occasional plant is economical as the bloom lasts so long. They are far cheaper than buying bouquets of blossems. Dick I keep being surprised that even though orchids are becoming much more common (in our area most supermarkets carry them), how many people still have the popular misconception that orchids are difficult to care for, easy to kill, sensitive, require a greenhouse, require special attention way beyond that of most houseplants, etc etc. Today I talked to a co-worker who had until today thought all these things, until today she had not thought that she could possibly try growing an orchid, and she did not realize how long Phals are in bloom, nor that room temperature is just fine for them. She told me that she will now get one to try it out as well, and "we will see how long I can keep it alive before you say that I am horrible at growing the orchid" or something like that. I wonder how long it will take for this popular misunderstanding to change in our culture, now that orchids are becoming more and more popular? How many more years or decades will it take before we can say "orchids were once regarded as fragile and hard to grow, but nowadays most people understand that it is not so"? |
#4
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Joanna,
If someone asks me if they will be able to raise potted orchids or grow them from flask I have always told them no. And then I change the subject to another topic not about orchids. If they ask me for a growing tip without bewailing their destiny to ultimately kill the plant, then that is another happier story of course and I will offer my advice. I can't stand people who have doubts about themselves and their most elementary capabilities... so I never encourage them to break out of their mental prison (and try orchid growing). But you know what is funny? Whenever I say that to someone (especially on the phone) they almost always turn around and still buy 3 flasks (ie the minimum) from me. It's strange. Mick |
#5
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Dick,
I can keep healthy looking Phal plants but they are reluctant to send up new blooms. I once heard that the two most frequent reasons for Phals not reblooming are (1) insufficient light; and (2) insufficient difference between night and day -- to initiate spike a Phal needs several nights of 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit difference. I tend to open the window next to my Phals at night when the night temperature is supposed to be in the 60s. Also, have you tried moving the Phals to a different location? Sometimes that can make a difference for reluctant re-bloomers -- while we humans may think that the spot is great for the Phal, the Phal may out of some reason prefer another one. Also how long have you had these Phals that have not rebloomed for you? Still, purchasing an occasional plant is economical as the bloom lasts so long. They are far cheaper than buying bouquets of blossems. My thoughts exactly: I have one Phal that I paid $55 for this Phal back in 2003, so it seemed quite expensive at the time. The first time it bloomed for 6 months on two spikes. Then it rebloomed for 4 months on a branched spike in 2004. Now it's in bloom for the third time and it has 20 three-inch flowers on one spike, it has bloomed for 4 months already and does not look like it's done blooming yet at all. I have already had 14 months total of flowering out of this plant, so that's $4 per month. So even a $55 Phal can become very cheap over time, and even if it had not rebloomed, those 6 months of initial blooming already meant that it cost less than $10 per month at that time. Joanna |
#6
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I'm probably in a better position to answer this question than most
people. I've got one phal. That's it. It came from a hardware store because the woman there said she grows them and it's easy. She gave me a few basic instructions. They seem to have worked, and the plant is doing O.K. Shortly after buying the phal I went to a local orchid show to find out a bit more about caring for it. Everybody there gave me conflicting advice -- when they would even deem to give me advice. Most just said things like "I don't keep phals" or "you'd better ask somebody else." When I tried talking to vendors, I'd tell them "I'm new to this but I like that plant. What conditions does it need?" Then they would proceed to tell me that I had the wrong facing window, or the wrong room conditions. They also told me the plant wouldn't likely bloom for me, or wouldn't bloom for two, three, four, etc. years. The few vendors who tried to convince me to buy plants tried way too hard. They really believed in the hard sell and basically told me that it would grow no matter what There seemed to be no middle ground -- especially since a vendor selling an identical plant a couple spaces over would tell me point blank that I'd just likely kill it. So even though I was almost ready to buy another plant, I walked away empty handed (except for a small bag of fertilizer). Actually even buying that was frustrating because every vendor told me I needed a different strength/type/numbers (10-30-10, 20-20-20 etc.) of fertilizer or that I needed two or three different types (one for general growth, one for blooming, one for something else, etc.). Even following the discussions on this group is off-putting. I just have a normal apartment. I don't have grow lights or plant-specific humidifiers or hydroponic trays. My room temperature stays pretty constant -- I don't have 10 or 15 degree differences between day and night temperatures. As far as I can tell my plant shouldn't be growing at all, especially since I only have one north facing window that isn't shaded by a balcony or doesn't have a window unit heater/airconditioner blowing under it. Added to those limitations, I constantly read about people who have had plants for years that haven't bloomed or rebloomed for them, and it all gets a bit discouraging. I'd love to get a couple more plants -- another phal or two would be nice, I'd love a nice fancy catt or an LC and something fragant would be wonderful -- but beyond not really having space for them, the more I read, the more I wonder whether I want to take the risk of buying another, better plant. On top of it all, I really hate obsessing about my plants. I'm happy watering them and repotting them when needed, but I don't want to have to fuss with them on daily basis. When I was travelling a lot more for business, I'd often joke that my plants were happier when I was gone and they were ignored for a few days. I don't know if better quality orchids can stand up to that kind of treatment. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled with my phal. I'm glad I've got it. I just don't know if I'll ever buy another one. --Vic |
#7
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"J Fortuna" wrote in
news:rxVbe.16734$yc.13891@trnddc07: Joanna Well Joanna I think it will only happen when the people who sell them gain some inkling of how to grow them. People as in management. Associates are required to do what they are told and not allowed by management to think for themselves. I've been around to most of the retailers like Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Franks Nursery, Target, Kmart and Trader Joes. The only place I found that had some idea of how to care for them was Franks Nursery where they kept culture sheets handy for the customers. The worst places (in order of ignorance) are all #1 Home Depot = over watering (plants drown in their plastic/fancy containers or put into half full trays of water.) #2 Target drownings on a regular bases (fancy containers without drain holes) #3Lowes plants are either over watered or never watered. So you can see that by the time most people buy these plants they are already on their way to being dead. But then there's people like me that prey on that ignorance and improve my orchid collection at the discount self. signed sucker for $ discount shelf. Grow well and bloom magnificently Dusty |
#8
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On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 05:07:44 +0000, vicsage wrote:
Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled with my phal. I'm glad I've got it. I just don't know if I'll ever buy another one. --Vic Same here. I have a really green thumb and can grow just about anything but I'll be damned if I can get my phals and dens to bloom. Dens are neat as hell but I probably won't buy any more Phals. I also really like Oncs now too. Tom |
#9
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Vic,
I know -more conflicting info. There are some catts that take a little less light that might work in a north window. Gold Country Orchids has them. They are smaller too. Another group you might look at for low light, easy to grow, is the Phrags. There are some that also stay small if you want that. (they grow on you.) Bob wrote in message ... I'm probably in a better position to answer this question than most people. I've got one phal. That's it. It came from a hardware store because the woman there said she grows them and it's easy. She gave me a few basic instructions. They seem to have worked, and the plant is doing O.K. Shortly after buying the phal I went to a local orchid show to find out a bit more about caring for it. Everybody there gave me conflicting advice -- when they would even deem to give me advice. Most just said things like "I don't keep phals" or "you'd better ask somebody else." When I tried talking to vendors, I'd tell them "I'm new to this but I like that plant. What conditions does it need?" Then they would proceed to tell me that I had the wrong facing window, or the wrong room conditions. They also told me the plant wouldn't likely bloom for me, or wouldn't bloom for two, three, four, etc. years. The few vendors who tried to convince me to buy plants tried way too hard. They really believed in the hard sell and basically told me that it would grow no matter what There seemed to be no middle ground -- especially since a vendor selling an identical plant a couple spaces over would tell me point blank that I'd just likely kill it. So even though I was almost ready to buy another plant, I walked away empty handed (except for a small bag of fertilizer). Actually even buying that was frustrating because every vendor told me I needed a different strength/type/numbers (10-30-10, 20-20-20 etc.) of fertilizer or that I needed two or three different types (one for general growth, one for blooming, one for something else, etc.). Even following the discussions on this group is off-putting. I just have a normal apartment. I don't have grow lights or plant-specific humidifiers or hydroponic trays. My room temperature stays pretty constant -- I don't have 10 or 15 degree differences between day and night temperatures. As far as I can tell my plant shouldn't be growing at all, especially since I only have one north facing window that isn't shaded by a balcony or doesn't have a window unit heater/airconditioner blowing under it. Added to those limitations, I constantly read about people who have had plants for years that haven't bloomed or rebloomed for them, and it all gets a bit discouraging. I'd love to get a couple more plants -- another phal or two would be nice, I'd love a nice fancy catt or an LC and something fragant would be wonderful -- but beyond not really having space for them, the more I read, the more I wonder whether I want to take the risk of buying another, better plant. On top of it all, I really hate obsessing about my plants. I'm happy watering them and repotting them when needed, but I don't want to have to fuss with them on daily basis. When I was travelling a lot more for business, I'd often joke that my plants were happier when I was gone and they were ignored for a few days. I don't know if better quality orchids can stand up to that kind of treatment. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled with my phal. I'm glad I've got it. I just don't know if I'll ever buy another one. --Vic |
#10
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Vic,
Your story makes me realize that maybe I am the one with the misconception after all. I consider Phals easy, even though I do have grow lights for them, since I (like you) have only north-facing windows in my apartment and I turn these lights on every day before I go to work and turn them off at night before going to bed, and even though as mentioned in my other post when the whether is in the 60s at night I tend to open the window to give them the 10-15 degree difference in temp. Before I did all this, my first two Phals did not reflower for me for two years. To me this still is not too much to ask, so I consider them "easy", but I guess as compared to a plant that just sits there in a corner of the room and gets watered once in a blue moon, they are not all that easy. However, I can't keep houseplants alive that other people consider hard to kill -- such as cacti or dumbcane, a plant which I killed very quickly, and didn't care enough about to try to prevent from dying. So I guess, whether Phals are easy to grow in part depends on ones definition of "easy", how much one is willing to do, without feeling put upon. I look forward to someday moving to a place with eastern windows though -- my dream house will have an eastern bay window for the Phals :-) and then I won't need to do anything special to get them to reflower. Joanna wrote in message ... I'm probably in a better position to answer this question than most people. I've got one phal. That's it. It came from a hardware store because the woman there said she grows them and it's easy. She gave me a few basic instructions. They seem to have worked, and the plant is doing O.K. Shortly after buying the phal I went to a local orchid show to find out a bit more about caring for it. Everybody there gave me conflicting advice -- when they would even deem to give me advice. Most just said things like "I don't keep phals" or "you'd better ask somebody else." When I tried talking to vendors, I'd tell them "I'm new to this but I like that plant. What conditions does it need?" Then they would proceed to tell me that I had the wrong facing window, or the wrong room conditions. They also told me the plant wouldn't likely bloom for me, or wouldn't bloom for two, three, four, etc. years. The few vendors who tried to convince me to buy plants tried way too hard. They really believed in the hard sell and basically told me that it would grow no matter what There seemed to be no middle ground -- especially since a vendor selling an identical plant a couple spaces over would tell me point blank that I'd just likely kill it. So even though I was almost ready to buy another plant, I walked away empty handed (except for a small bag of fertilizer). Actually even buying that was frustrating because every vendor told me I needed a different strength/type/numbers (10-30-10, 20-20-20 etc.) of fertilizer or that I needed two or three different types (one for general growth, one for blooming, one for something else, etc.). Even following the discussions on this group is off-putting. I just have a normal apartment. I don't have grow lights or plant-specific humidifiers or hydroponic trays. My room temperature stays pretty constant -- I don't have 10 or 15 degree differences between day and night temperatures. As far as I can tell my plant shouldn't be growing at all, especially since I only have one north facing window that isn't shaded by a balcony or doesn't have a window unit heater/airconditioner blowing under it. Added to those limitations, I constantly read about people who have had plants for years that haven't bloomed or rebloomed for them, and it all gets a bit discouraging. I'd love to get a couple more plants -- another phal or two would be nice, I'd love a nice fancy catt or an LC and something fragant would be wonderful -- but beyond not really having space for them, the more I read, the more I wonder whether I want to take the risk of buying another, better plant. On top of it all, I really hate obsessing about my plants. I'm happy watering them and repotting them when needed, but I don't want to have to fuss with them on daily basis. When I was travelling a lot more for business, I'd often joke that my plants were happier when I was gone and they were ignored for a few days. I don't know if better quality orchids can stand up to that kind of treatment. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled with my phal. I'm glad I've got it. I just don't know if I'll ever buy another one. --Vic |
#11
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On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 06:49:10 -0500, "Bob Walsh"
wrote: Vic, I know -more conflicting info. There are some catts that take a little less light that might work in a north window. Gold Country Orchids has them. They are smaller too. Another group you might look at for low light, easy to grow, is the Phrags. There are some that also stay small if you want that. (they grow on you.) Bob Ok - Start with the words windowsill Catt. Expect something the right size to grow in a tea cup or just a touch larger. Always buy in bloom - then you know you like the bloom and that the plant is large enough to bloom. Expect that some orchids will re-bloom easier than others. Expect that some plants will take a year off to adjust to your care and your lighting conditions. No Gold Country, Alan has a breeding plan to breed just for windowsill growers. That is why he has 'tea cup size' plants. They are small enough to be balanced on the windowsill. Phrags really like more light. Paphs are the lower light of the two slippers. And phrags go from something that looks very grassy to something that has a 4' leaf span. So, I will say here, you have to know what you are picking. If you are buying in bloom or at least in spike with a fair amount of development you know what size the plant will be when it blooms. I always figure a small or young plant can grow another 30%. Some will, others not. Where you live makes a difference for that north window. We all start assuming your in North America. We have members here in many areas of the world. North light in OZ is South in North Am. On fertilizer - best advice is weakly -weekly. So that you respect the species in these hybrids. They developed in the tropics of the world, not in a waterfall of food. Lower light, lower food needs. Humidity is always nice to have. Several plants together help each other here. An open bowl of water or a splash tray of rocks that catches the overflow when you water all increase it marginally and only as a micro climate. In a circle of plants the centered one will get the most benefit. Any containment will help increase that. My ML grew in a north greenhouse window. It was open to the room completely but because the window itself was a bump out it was contained on the other sides. The open bowls of water helped keep her plants happy. As to day and night temp differences... most of us that pay heat bills allow the house to cool a bit at night. We also say we sleep better. So unless you set your thermostat to hold 70, the normal house drops close to the 10-15 degrees at night. Then there is always. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You enjoy one. Two would be more fun. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
#13
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J Fortuna wrote:
I wonder how long it will take for this popular misunderstanding to change in our culture, now that orchids are becoming more and more popular? How many more years or decades will it take before we can say "orchids were once regarded as fragile and hard to grow, but nowadays most people understand that it is not so"? I'm not sure I totally agree with what I'm about to say... But I think there is something to be said for the 'Orchid Mystique'. Part of the fun and excitement about growing orchids is doing something that is just a bit naughty. "I really can't grow this... I really shouldn't grow this... oh, I really can't resist...". *grin* And there might be an ongoing, if perhaps subconcious, promotion of the orchid mystique going on, especially by the people who are selling the plants. Part of the allure of orchids is rarity and perceived difficulty of culture. That keeps the price up a bit, too. Of course we all know that Phalaenopsis are one of the three or four biggest floral crops in the world. Roses are first, I think. So orchids really are common. More common than african violets, probably. But, realize that most people don't buy any floral crop for long term care. People who buy roses buy cut flowers, mostly, not rose bushes. People who buy the big box store phalaenopsis are buying a 'cut flower' that is still on the plant, they don't expect it to last forever and don't really want it to. Of course there are still people who buy rose bushes and actively cultivate them (Just ask the ARS). And there are a portion of people who buy phalaenopsis and actively cultivate them. But I think those people are the same people, or at least the same type of people. I also wonder how many percent of people in the U.S. (for example) now own orchids as houseplants, and how many more would own orchids as houseplants if only they realized that orchids are not hard to grow and that Phals bloom so much longer than most other flowering houseplants? Far more than you think, most likely. But, the vast majority of these people don't think of them as houseplants. They think of them as floral arrangments which they can easily replace. For a while, you couldn't open a magazine without finding a dozen pictures of orchids. Better Homes and Gardens was filled with them in the interior decorating sections. This Old House always seemed to have an orchid in an interior room shot. Orchids are a fashion accessory, not a houseplant. Joanna P.S.: I still have not killed a single orchid thus far in 4 years of growing orchids. Our wedding anniversary (and thus orchid growing anniversary) is tomorrow. You aren't trying hard enough! *grin* Seriously though, if you haven't killed any orchids, you probably need to try growing some new kinds. Most of the fun of orchids (to me) is learning how to grow new things. -- Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com 1) There is always room for one more orchid 2) There is always room for two more orchids 2a) See rule 1 3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more orchids, obtain more credit |
#14
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J Fortuna wrote:
I keep being surprised that even though orchids are becoming much more common (in our area most supermarkets carry them), how many people still have the popular misconception that orchids are difficult to care for, easy to kill, sensitive, require a greenhouse, require special attention way beyond that of most houseplants, etc etc. Today I talked to a co-worker who had until today thought all these things, until today she had not thought that she could possibly try growing an orchid, and she did not realize how long Phals are in bloom, nor that room temperature is just fine for them. She told me that she will now get one to try it out as well, and "we will see how long I can keep it alive before you say that I am horrible at growing the orchid" or something like that. I wonder how long it will take for this popular misunderstanding to change in our culture, now that orchids are becoming more and more popular? How many more years or decades will it take before we can say "orchids were once regarded as fragile and hard to grow, but nowadays most people understand that it is not so"? I also wonder how many percent of people in the U.S. (for example) now own orchids as houseplants, and how many more would own orchids as houseplants if only they realized that orchids are not hard to grow and that Phals bloom so much longer than most other flowering houseplants? Joanna P.S.: I still have not killed a single orchid thus far in 4 years of growing orchids. Our wedding anniversary (and thus orchid growing anniversary) is tomorrow. How long ago did you stop paying someone to repot your orchids for you? K Barrett |
#15
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On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 11:18:04 GMT, Tom Randy
wrote: On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 05:07:44 +0000, vicsage wrote: Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled with my phal. I'm glad I've got it. I just don't know if I'll ever buy another one. --Vic Same here. I have a really green thumb and can grow just about anything but I'll be damned if I can get my phals and dens to bloom. Dens are neat as hell but I probably won't buy any more Phals. I also really like Oncs now too. Tom Actually Tom, I didn't mean I doubt if I'd ever buy another phal. I meant I doubt if I'd ever buy another orchid. So far I've been lucky with the one I own -- it has rebloomed and it is developing new leaves. I just don't know if that luck would hold with a second plant, and I'm cheap enough to hate the idea of throwing $20, $30, $40 or more on something that is going to die on me. Since most of my houseplants have been grown from cuttings, or picked up on deeply discounted sale tables, investing double digit figures in a plant takes a lot of faith, and I'm not sure I believe enough in my ability to grow orchids. If I were to consider another orchid, a phal would probably be high on my list. I'd like something different, but I'd have to reason that if I could grow this one, my odds might be slightly better trying to grow another, similar plant. --Vic |
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