Orchid of the month clubs - Worth it? Good ones?

[claytonkroh]

I'm still new to orchids, so my collection is small yet. I've seen several online retailers with "orchid of the month" clubs, and I'm wondering if something like this might be worth trying for a bit as I add to my collection? And if I were to, is there one out there that is recommended for good offerings each month?

Thanks!

[Roberta]

A question would be, how would the orchids get chosen? How to match them to your growing conditions?(That's the most important part of orchid acquisition... an easy orchid is one whose requirements match your conditions... different for each person)

I would think that you'd want the freedom to explore on your own. If there is an orchid club near you, that would be the best... meet other people who have growing conditions similar to yours. They often also have raffles, where you can acquire orchids for the price of a few tickets. Nearly everybody's collection starts with one or a very few... once you have success reblooming one of your plants, you'll be hooked...

[Mountaineer370]

+1 to what Roberta said. As a new orchid enthusiast, I would advise spending your time learning all you can about different orchids to decide which ones might do well in your growing conditions. I don't know where you live, but start looking for orchid shows near you. Definitely look for an orchid society near you that you might want to join. Most societies have monthly meetings with educational speakers, maybe a plant auction or raffle. These are all opportunities to learn!

I would be very reluctant to sign up for an orchid-of-the-month club, not knowing exactly what I was going to get. (I really don't know how they work. Maybe you get to at least specify certain genera?) I would much rather learn all I could about orchids, decide which ones I think I would really like to have, and then seek those out either at a show or purchased directly from a vendor.

Check out the American Orchid Society, aos.org. They will have a lot of information, including helpful stuff aimed at beginners, plus they have a calendar of events for finding shows, and a listing of clubs state-by-state.

[Subrosa]

I joined the beer of the month club to try beers I was unfamiliar with, and letting someone else who didn't know my tastes choose them worked out ok, but not great. I doubt letting someone unfamiliar with my growing conditions choose my orchids would be as successful.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I joined the beer of the month club to try beers I was unfamiliar with, and letting someone else who didn't know my tastes choose them worked out ok, but not great. I doubt letting someone unfamiliar with my growing conditions choose my orchids would be as successful.

Whoah! That's beyond brave! A wine of the month club, maybe. Beer of the month club...Never.

I join in with the rest of these folks. It's your money, and you should be doing the choosing, not what some other company has in bloom and in stock at the moment. And if you choose your own, you'll be more likely to read up on the particular orchid and know in advance if it suits your particular environment, not scramble to play catch up after the fact.

Having said that, if you do choose to give it a whirl, stick with a reputable company that specializes in orchids, not just plants.

[Cym Ladye]

This hit or miss approach might work for some, but if you do not have the right conditions for certain genera, it is nothing more than condemning them to a slow death.

Figure out what your conditions actually are and fit the genera to that for best results. Each genera has so many different varieties that you can get a varied collection and still keep the plants happy. Nothing is sadder than putting good money on a plant and then watching it slowly die because it does not like your conditions.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Whoah! That's beyond brave! A wine of the month club, maybe. Beer of the month club...Never.

I join in with the rest of these folks. It's your money, and you should be doing the choosing, not what some other company has in bloom and in stock at the moment. And if you choose your own, you'll be more likely to read up on the particular orchid and know in advance if it suits your particular environment, not scramble to play catch up after the fact.

Having said that, if you do choose to give it a whirl, stick with a reputable company that specializes in orchids, not just plants.

Considering my taste in beer tends towards lambics, barley wines, and Abbey styles I figured I couldn't get in too much trouble. The ultra hoppy stuff aside, most beers don't have enough taste to taste bad!

[Roberta]

A difference with a "beer of the month" or "wine of the month" - these get consumed. Either you like them or you don't. But an orchid.. we hope that they aren't considered disposable... acquiring an orchid is making a commitment to try to keep it alive, so that it will bloom again and again. So matching one's conditions (and knowledge) to what one acquires is important toward that end. (Your knowledge will grow, you'll learn to be more adventurous in providing a range of conditions, but that's a process that can't be rushed)

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by Roberta

A difference with a "beer of the month" or "wine of the month" - these get consumed. Either you like them or you don't. But an orchid.. we hope that they aren't considered disposable... acquiring an orchid is making a commitment to try to keep it alive, so that it will bloom again and again. So matching one's conditions (and knowledge) to what one acquires is important toward that end. (Your knowledge will grow, you'll learn to be more adventurous in providing a range of conditions, but that's a process that can't be rushed)

My point exactly. Although a beer or 2 did go down the drain unprocessed!