SAVE THE ORCHIDS!! - Orchid Board

siannevo · #1 05-29-2009, 02:31 AM

Hello advanced Orchid growers....I am a newbie, but I wanted to post this in both areas.

If you are in the United States, I am asking all orchid growers to contact their local Trader Joes (if you have this in your state) to try and stop the destruction of orchids.

This may sound silly but two thing are happening that can be stopped.

For one, all the orchids arrive in plastic sleeves and are left like that for weeks which causes cellular damage to the leaves and the stalks as water is often trapped ...this is what happened to one of my orchids that was bought from there as a gift...the poor thing had to be completely cut back...

Secondly...when the HUNDREDS of orchids are not bought after a couple of weeks they are thrown out...just thrown out...the manager of my local Trader Joes said that he had petitioned to have the stores sell the orchids at a discounted price or to allow them to be given away, but so far this petition has been ignored. He said I couldn't even imagine how many flowers and orchids he throws out on a weekly basis. I am asking that everyone please complain to their local trader joes...

It bums me out. I hope everyone can help! And if you are a grower selling your orchids to this chain...you should have more respect for your orchids and know that they are just being brought to their untimely death at these places!!!

Thank you for reading!!

quiltergal · #2 05-29-2009, 05:05 PM

You can add Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart to that list. Unfortunately the big box stores buy from growers that are essentially growing for the cut flower market. These plants are mass produced cheaply, and as I understand it the store only has to pay the grower for what the store sells. Rather than pay the grower for a plant they sold at a discounted price the stores throw them out. If they are thrown out then the store does not have to pay for them.

I would encourage you to buy orchids from reputable growers and perhaps spend a bit more than buy NOIDs from the BB stores. Not only are you buying a better quality plant from a small grower, you're helping support a dying industry. Lets support the small growers! They're the ones with the best stuff anyway. Just my

.

siannevo · #3 05-29-2009, 06:04 PM

Terri,

You are right...

Being a new orchid owner I have only ever found and bought at these sort of stores, and after an incident where one of my orchids had severe issues, I found this site and learned a lot more about orchids and their care...I will be attending the Orchid Auction in Southern California this June...I do have one orchid that came from a reputable grower and it is as healthy as can be....

I do agree that we should support the local growers, but it still kills me that these industries just toss flowers out...it makes me want to save them even more. Regardless of their poor quality.

quiltergal · #4 05-30-2009, 01:00 AM

Ah but the problem with feeling sorry for those plants and buying them is it does nothing to stop the mass production of cheap no name plants. By saving them you are actually perpetuating the problem. Vote with your wallet. If it becomes less profitable for the mega conglomerate growers then maybe they'll stop doing it.

Gin · #5 05-30-2009, 10:25 AM

Just my

worth If we do not support the good Orchid growers all we will have left will be the box stores to buy from like other things small growers crushed by the mass producers .Put your $$ where it will support our hobby . Gin

herfy · #6 05-30-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gin

Just my

worth If we do not support the good Orchid growers all we will have left will be the box stores to buy from like other things small growers crushed by the mass producers .Put your $$ where it will support our hobby . Gin

I 2nd this

Amanda L · #7 05-31-2009, 04:38 PM

I agree with supporting small growers. I do hate it when the BB stores throw out the orchids, or any plant. But, many good points have come up in this discussion.
1) The store is there to make money and they are in no way making all there money from selling orchids.
2) These plants are mass produced, therefore having more problems. Diseases, bacterial and fungal problems.
3) Orchids coming from a small grower are healthier, because there is more time spent on the plants and are able to spot and correct problems as they see them.
4) As I have read all the responses to these 2 threads, I am going to spend more of my money on reputable growers and not so much in orchids I can have right now (bought from a store). It's better to wait for an orchid (ordered online) and it be healthy, than have it now and it be sick.

So now the only question is where is IncredibleOrchids? I think I need to order something!

peeweelovesbooks · #8 05-31-2009, 06:32 PM

I know how you feel, but how many white phal NOIDS can you realistically have? I'd rather save my money and buy from reputable and experienced growers.

Further, those plants, while cheaper, are not as healthy and like someone else said, full of problems.

I'm not knocking down NOIDS at all, but I just don't buy them anymore. Maybe if I want to experiment with a new growing method, etc, but they aren't worth the trouble, IMO.

Kath · #9 06-01-2009, 10:03 AM

The other problem is the orchids that are given as presents. In general they are bought in a flower shop at best, in a supermarket at worst, and it is only after two days, when you see the buds drying up that you realise that you've been given a mass produced plant! Well, I must admit, I can't throw it in the bin, it was a present, so I have it sitting there, as I watch it, trying to give all the TLC it will take!

My attack of mealie bugs came from a mass produced orchid, and it took ages to get rid of. When I'm looking for orchids I buy on line from reputable growers.