DO you buy Home Depot "baggy orchids"? - Page 7 - Orchid Board

nancy · #61 07-25-2009, 05:29 PM

Here are two of my $5 baggies - things grow pretty fast here in the warmish corner of paradise.
BLC Chia Lin - I knew it should be a good flower, and it is. Very firm substance, and a fine scent. Has bloomed 2x yearly.
BLC Waianae Leopard 'Ching-Hua' - first time blooming this month, a cluster of 5 flowers; the first to open was a mutant, it looks like it should have separated into 2 buds, but instead was a flower with a double lip and 6 sepals, 5 petals. Kinky!
Both well worth the five bucks. And I am not much of a cattleya fan.
Cheers - Nancy

orchidbingo · #62 07-25-2009, 06:50 PM

What a wonderful job of growing! Thanks for sharing; Blc. Chia Lin is one of my favorites.

bingo

Leisurely · #63 07-25-2009, 10:15 PM

I can think of one advantage of buying from a big box store compared to ordering from an unknown grower or buying on e-bay. At the big box store you can at least see what your are getting but when you order it can be pot luck. I have gotten some pretty bad looking plants when ordering, even from well known nurseries.

Don Perusse · #64 07-26-2009, 09:31 AM

HOW TRUE!!!

Gin · #65 07-26-2009, 10:17 AM

I like the baggies for the same reason .
Funny thing is almost all of the ones in bags are on ebay, same size , the listing price might be low but add the shipping the plants in the store are a better buy . Gin

Leisurely · #66 07-26-2009, 11:26 AM

Nancy, This is what your Blc Waianae Leopard can do when it matures. I bought this plant at Lowes several years ago in a two inch pot. It had two clusters like this this year. I don't remember the flower count but there were a lot.

nancy · #67 07-26-2009, 01:13 PM

Jerry, that is a *very* well-grown plant! Beautiful! The green and pink is an engaging color combo.
I will also echo what other have, essentially, said: you see what you are getting at HD or other big boxes. Sure, they mostly carry kind of 'generic' orchids, but there is the occasional treasure. I like getting the bagged vandaceous plants, because this climate is ideal for growing them, and they usually bloom quickly.
I've never actually done it, but the big stores have a one-year guarantee on live plants, so if it crashes you could get your money back...though I guess I figure yer pays yer five bucks, and takes yer chances.
Good growing - Nancy

OrcOgre · #68 07-26-2009, 02:07 PM

I wouldjust like to add, i am not a big fan of crapleyas either but those pics of the Blc Waianae leopard are changing my mind a bit. I do have a chololate drop I got from a lowes (rehabing back to life). Now I am going to take a look foor a leopard. sweet, more orchids

Orchid313 · #69 07-27-2009, 06:49 PM

I occasionally buy from HD, but you have to b really careful. My local store had some Phal equestris hybrids that were beautiful. They were in sphagnum moss in pots with no hole in the bottom. I pulled several plants out of the pots and the roots were brown mush. I've also seen plants with no roots at all, so yo have to check the roots before buying.

Windy · #70 07-27-2009, 11:35 PM

Being new, I'm going to guess the "bags" you're talking about are the plastic mesh bags...right? I bought 3 very small cattleyas at Lowe's (1.5" sq. pots). Once I got them home, there were hardly any roots (rotted)...one had only leaves.

How can you check for roots through those mesh bags? I couldn't see a thing.

One is growing; the other two are "stagnant". Could they be rooting?