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Old 28-04-2005, 01:48 AM
J Fortuna
 
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Default 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.


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Old 28-04-2005, 05:12 AM
Xi Wang
 
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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.


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Old 28-04-2005, 05:15 AM
Richard Cline
 
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Default

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"?

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Old 28-04-2005, 05:58 AM
Mick Fournier
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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


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Old 28-04-2005, 06:11 AM
J Fortuna
 
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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




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Old 28-04-2005, 07:07 AM
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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







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Old 28-04-2005, 12:03 PM
dusty
 
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Default

"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
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Old 28-04-2005, 01:18 PM
Tom Randy
 
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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

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Old 28-04-2005, 01:49 PM
Bob Walsh
 
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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









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Old 28-04-2005, 02:19 PM
J Fortuna
 
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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











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Old 28-04-2005, 03:09 PM
Susan Erickson
 
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Default

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
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Old 28-04-2005, 04:36 PM
Rob Halgren
 
Posts: n/a
Default

da wrote:

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.

Hmm.. Well, that shouldn't happen. I don't know many vendors (around
here, at least) who would have done that. There is a bit of a problem
at shows, especially when the sales area is very busy, we don't always
have time to give a detailed answer. That might be what happened to
you. That is why I put my website on my tags, I usually tell people
with more questions than I have time to answer to drop me an e-mail.


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.).


I don't buy from hard sell type vendors either. I just don't believe
in that. Somebody who is selling a plant, especially to somebody who is
a professed beginner, should make a point of finding something that will
work for you. If they don't have a suitable plant (many vendors
specialize in things that might only grow in a cloud forest, for
example), they should just tell you that and perhaps point you to
another vendor who has a bunch of what would work for you.


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'll tell you a little known secret... There isn't any one way to grow
an orchid. There, I've broken the code. I would give my grandmother
(who had a bright green thumb) an orchid a few times a year, and she
would grow them in absolutely the opposite way I would suggest. Dark
corners, sitting in saucers of water, no food... They grew like weeds.
You have a very difficult set of conditions, but not an insurmountable
one. Find a good seller of plants that has a good selection of
different plants. Preferrably one in your town or near to it. Make an
appointment to visit them, so they have plenty of time to work with you.
Make sure you buy a few plants, to make it worth their while, but I
promise it will be a better experience than you had at the show.

Rob


--
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

  #13   Report Post  
Old 28-04-2005, 04:49 PM
Rob Halgren
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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   Report Post  
Old 28-04-2005, 05:03 PM
K Barrett
 
Posts: n/a
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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   Report Post  
Old 28-04-2005, 07:18 PM
 
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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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