DO you buy Home Depot "baggy orchids"?

[johnblagg]

If the Home depo here ever had baggie chids and they were anything besides a phal you bet I would get one.....But I would do my best to make sure it was one that would live by looking at the roots ect.

[fotofashion]

I bought four orchids on my last foray (last week) to Lowe's. Two were NOID dendrobiums in excellent shape. One still had a semi-dried flower attached so I know what color that one is. These were not in bags. The other two plants (in bags) were: Lc. Sagarik Wax Silk Ball. New shoot, plant looks good. And : Pot. Satoru Toshima 'Lake View'. Unfortunately, I didn't look at that one closely enough. I think it will make it but evidently it has been around longer, without appropriate care, than was evident. It had put out a new shoot but that has dried up. The leaves were a bit iffy looking but after soaking it overnight, it looks better. It will get repotted soon.
The next time the urge to buy bagged plants strikes, I think I will unbag them too. There was another Pot. Sagarik and it is possible it might have been in better condition.
BTW, Lowe's supposedly guarantees their plants for one year. Has anybody had to take them up on that for a bagged orchid that didn't make it?
Beverly A.

[got ants]

Originally Posted by nancy

Don't remember if this was from Lowe's or HD, but it is a nice, compact plant with a light fragrance. Cluster of 4 flowers. Bought in spring '08, divided spring '09, and this is the first blooming. Looks like a keeper.
Epc Siam Jade 'Long View'
Regards - Nancy

WOW!! What an awesome plant for a baggy chid.

I have two baggy cats that I bought because they were on sale for $5 ea. They are doing great and should be blooming this spring.

On the other hand, I have a specimen cat that my sister-in-law gave me because it has never bloomed. It's about 30 psuedo bulbs and I'm juicing it with fert hard to try to force it to bloom. Either this works or it gets attached to a tree in some nearby park.

[nancy]

[QUOTE=On the other hand, I have a specimen cat that my sister-in-law gave me because it has never bloomed. It's about 30 psuedo bulbs and I'm juicing it with fert hard to try to force it to bloom. Either this works or it gets attached to a tree in some nearby park.[/QUOTE]

Whoa - I don't have the same kind of luck with all plants (maybe the key is the $5 price tag?). I've had a C. warscewiczii for about 8-9 years - and it was big when I got it. Everything from desert to mud, literally. Last year, I divided into 3 pieces, kept one, and gave the other two to really adept cattleya growers in our orchid society. All have 30+ pseudobulbs, and none have bloomed.
When a plant is crawling out of an 8" pot, it is time and past time for it to flower!
Let us know what happens with your monster. Even if it can only be an example to others!
Regards - Nancy

[got ants]

Nancy, I guess if there is a point here, it's that I try to buy orchids that have already bloomed. I don't mind paying extra for a larger plant that I KNOW will bloom.

As for the two baggy orchids I got from HD, if they never bloom, at the price I paid, it's no biggie.

[nlm2951]

When I go to Home Depot I always look for the orchids bags because sometimes they are good like this week I found a Den.Aggregatum with flowers.

[Leisurely]

If a plant is healthy but not blooming it can generally be attributed to three things: too much fertilizer, not enough light or not providing the proper rest period.

[shadytrake]

Welcome nlm2951! I always bring my iPhone with me so that I can look up the names to see if they are registered. I like to show my orchids so having a registered plant is nice. I tend to browse at Lowe's instead of HD as they carry the Better Gro baggies which are very decent. I got an AOS award last year from a BG baggie Mau. Queen Adelia.

I just picked up 2 BG baggies last week that were intriguing. Cty. Serena's Tinkerbell 'Paradise' (was Epicattleya) and Eny. Jackie Bright 'Hilo Stars' (was Epilaeliocattleya). I can't wait for them to bloom!

I tend to avoid any Phals at the big box store as I usually can't find any names and they usually have unwelcome houseguests (pests). LOL I did, however, rescue about 8 mini-phals from my local nursery (4 with reg names and 4 not). I like to bloom these and take them to work to decorate my desk. As I type now, I am looking at:

Phal Sogo Gotris (was Dtps)
Phal equestris - not from a store.
Phal Green Star - not registered
Phal Mount Lip - just got a 3rd place at a show last weekend. One of the rescues.
Phal Timothy Christopher - (I have 2 in bloom)
Phal Pauline - not registered
Phal Ever Spring Prince - rescued from death at Lowe's last year
Phal NOID - was a Valentine's gift
Catt NOID - someone was going to throw it out.
Den Princess x unicum - not from a big box store.

They are all wonderful and cheery to look at. When they are done blooming, I take them back home and put them in the greenhouse.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

If only our Home-Depots carried bag babies! I would attempt to go there every time I had money. But now that is spring, I can order from long distance orchid GH's!

[fotofashion]

Here is a pic of one of my HD baggie babies.
Beallara Tahoma Glacier 'Sugar Sweet'
Beverly A.