Bought an orchid division with only two back bulbs an one lead. Was this a bad buy?

[BrassavolaStars]

Hello All,

I just purchased a rare (and rather pricey) Brassocattleya orchid that had been on my wishlist for a while.

The only problem with it is that it is a division with just two back bulbs with one new lead.

Was this a bad idea to buy? Should I have waited to find a larger one? Will it grow large soon or did I just waste money?

I had always heard that divisions should always be at least three bulbs minimum. What should I do to care for it?

[SouthPark]

I think that - whether it is orchids or anything, the 'price' of something is really whoever sets it, and the buyer just decides on whether it is worth it to buy or not. Some things could be considered 'priceless'.

If you had already done the research and weighed up the factors for buying the orchid ----- then the chance is that it was 'worth it' (for you) to purchase it, especially when you mention it had been on your wishlist. Sometimes, if a chance to buy something is lost, then it could either be a while (or even never) before you get another chance - maybe.

I think it would only be a 'waste of money' if the plant doesn't make it (ie. survive). But if you are able to keep it alive and healthy - regardless of size - then that would not be a waste of money.

To care for the orchid --- just grow it in a way that gives it the best opportunity to survive and keep growing.

I think that - 2 back bulbs and 1 new lead is no problem at all. Even if it were 1 bulb and 1 new lead, that would be ok too. The main thing is to just maintain good growing conditions for the orchid, so that it just keep growing nicely.

[Fairorchids]

When it comes to divisions, there are several factors to consider:

If you have a Cattleya with 15 PBs (pseudobulbs), it will probably produce 5-8 new leads. If you divide it into 3 divisions with 5 PBs each, you can only expect 1 new lead from each division.

If it is a rare clone, and you want to produce multiple divisions for sale, it is not uncommon to create backbulb divisions of 2 or 3 PBs each. You can expect these to produce a new lead each. However, these will be smallish leads, and it will likely take 2-3 years to grow it to blooming size.

The seller will price these smaller divisions somewhat lower than BS front lead divisions. It is up to buyers to decide what is in their budget, and how impatient they are.

[rbarata]

You've mentioned it is a rare orchid...can you tell us its name?

[Ray]

Unless, as Southpark mentioned, you kill it, the only thing you may have wasted is time to blooming.

[SaraJean]

I personally have no problem with purchasing backbulb divisions (as long as the price is right). That is honestly how I got many of my orchids. They do need to be babied a bit initially to get a dormant eye to sprout, but if you already have a new lead growing, it sounds like you are fine. Sometimes they might take an extra year to bloom but if it is something that I have been looking for, the wait is worth it. Give it good care and it will pick up some steam in no time at all.

[SouthPark]

Totally agree with what Ray mentioned about 'time'.

One of the considerations could be how quickly we want to see a flower from a particular orchid. Time considerations.