Orchid Patience

[Brutal_Dreamer]

I vote "getting silk/ plastic orchid blooms"!!! Heheheeee, who has the time to bloom 'real 'chids' anyway ... so much work ... heheheee .. and just as pretty and stay "fresh" like "almost forever" ... DA BEST CHOICE ... heheheheee ...Doc Spock ...

You Sir, are the naughtiest!!!!

I agree with the P.O.P. on this one Doc. You are the naughtiest!!! hehehehehe.... Especially since we have all seen your floof in your cattleya thread. (BTW -isn't it about time for some updates...heheheheh)

Cheers,
BD

[Redhead59]

I tend to go for the nbs or bs also ,unless it's an orchid I'm having a difficult time finding, then I'll take a seedling.

[the dragonn]

I have absolutely no patience whatsoever, so I voted in bloom. I still get a buzz if I can get them to re-bloom tho

[GiovannaD]

Are ppl who buy seedlings too shy to admit that the value of a species seedling is always tempting enough to choose them over adolescent plants (nbs)? I know I am not, although I also prefer seedling to allow them to get accustomed to my growing conditions earlier on. I have found out that some bigger orchids seem to "stall" after their blooming season and that annoys me, as I then have to try and found out what I did wrong, whereas seedlings are much more adaptable.

[cag&jdgorchidcrzy]

We live in a home now where we are very limited on where we can grow our orchids. We only have very old oaks in our yard with no lower hanging trees to hang our orchids from. Instead we have our orchids on the porch and they receive direct sunlight from about 3pm until dusk. We also live in Orlando, FL, so this is BRUTAL on our orchids.

So, long story short.....I prefer to buy the seedlings and grow them. We are having greater success in helping the orchids adapt to the harsh environment this way then if we buy them closer to blooming.

I can relate to the impatience part, but a thriving orchid is the most beautiful thing when you've had too many of them of die on you in the past.....

We are very lucky this year to have one in bloom so far and two more spiking right now! (Our ground orchids that are in potting soil have fortunately always bloomed for us)

The addition: he prefers to buy it close to blooming size. He says he's too impatient to wait too many years.

[sunset]

- seedling and grow it to blooming if you know the parents (selected). By this way, you have a chance to have good shape and colours flowers. Seedling can also allow you to select more vigorous young orchids with a fast growing. But, if you do not know the parents, you can be lucky in lottery game but often disappointed. Seedling, you must be patient and be armed against diseases because young plants are more sensible to fungus, ..
- generally I like division of known plants. By this way, no surprise on flowers and less time to wait
- For example, cat. dowiana aurea, as a young plant, is very difficult to grow for beginners, because of fungus attacks. It’s better to take it nearly a blooming size to avoid lost it !

[Mehera]

This has turned out to be a really interesting poll Bruce. Who would have thought there would be such sharp differences of opinion among those we talk to all the time?!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Thanks for the thanks, Lynda. I think it is really awesome that we are all so different and are brought together by our common interest. Every day when I am on the forum I feel like I am learning something new or at least a different way to do something or think about it. I really appreciate all of our differences and the fact that we all remain amicable with each other goes to show that we have respect for those differences. That is another aspect that makes this community so great.

Cheers,
BD

[Piper]

It was an interesting poll, Bruce, but Doc Spock was certainly trolling for mischief...

McJulie

[Bikerdoc5968]

For me it was a hard choice. The first two are what I'd pick because for me it is all in growing for the end result and the rewards that you did it yourself....that your knowledge and skill produced something of beauty.