How many orchids in a collection is normal?

[RosieC]

It's all a matter of perspective of course.

My non-orchid loving friends think I'm not normal because I have 27 orchids. "How can you look after that many", "what on earth do you want that many for" ect etc.

Many of my orchid loving friends think that is far too few... "there is always room for one more".

I realised just last weekend, that this time last year I had 4 orchids... now I've got 27. Personally I still don't think I have enough.

[Phantasm]

I've been growing for over 30 years, and have too many plants to count. All I know is that I could use a larger greenhouse or two. Most of my collection is grown from flask and I select the best and discard, sell or give away the rest. The key is being able to keep up with the repotting, watching for insect populations, making sure the heater works in the winter and the cooler works in the summer, etc. While repotting is a bit tedious, as long as you stick to a schedule and stay persistent the plants love it.

It certainly keeps the mind active and that's important as you get older.

[Don Perusse]

AMEN to that Phantasm!

[got ants]

After reading thisb thread from page one all the way thru, it seems the average is around 70-200.

Those the are in the 1000-2000 range are either commercial growers (even if it's a partial income), or just nuts.

I`m at the 100 mark and have been growing since may of 2008 (not quite 2 years). I can prolly handle another 100 or 2, but that's it...

Seriously though, being in south Florida, and buying approx 1 a week, in ten years I'd have 520, not including dividing some up.

[bodaciousbonsai]

well lets see. There about 30,000 species & 150,000 hybrids. I only have about 100 of the micro miniatures.