Looking for suggestions: Orchids to start trading? (grow fast & divide easy)

[BulboLoverNL]

My collection is humble and small, due to living in an small appartement space is limited, and due to my chronic illness that has me bed/homebound the budget isn’t very big. I am hoping to find some plants that grow quickly and are easy to divide so I can start trading plants and grow/vary my collection that way. This is one of the few hobbies I can still have and it brings me much joy! :)

Do you have any suggestions for orchids that would be great to have so I can make divisions for trading?

Some examples to consider:
+ grows quick
+ easy to divide
+ easy to care for
+ people are likely to want it
++Bonus points if it is small/compact
++Bonus points if it is a bulbophyllum (but don’t feel limited by that!)

[rbarata]

Ludisia

[dbarron]

I know this is turning things 90 degrees, but...maybe you might want to get flasks or compots and grow them on to flowering. They'll start small, and well no real propagation involved, and I'm sure you can find homes for them when they reach flowering size. Even though, you know most people will end up killing them (oops did I say that?, it's my 'no you can't have it' orchid maternal care impulses coming to life)

Just trying to propose another way to looking at things. Plus they have the benefit that if seed-grown, they may all turn out somewhat different, so you have that excitement as well.

[fishmom]

Bulbo. mackayanum grows easily, and is a pretty good bloomer too, at least in my indoor conditions. Wish I could send you a piece!

[Roberta]

Bulbo. maxillare (masdevalliaceum, blumei) ... all the same thing. Beautiful bright flowers, blooms multiple times a year, and vigorous.

[tmoney]

for veg prop orchids, the ones we have found easy are maxillaria and dendrobiums (the cane type). maxillarias are not as prevalent, usually you can only find a couple varieties (at least where we are), but the plants we’ve gotten are very large for not much money. we chopped em up and gave a bunch away.

anyways, best of luck!

[BulboLoverNL]

Can’t believe I forgot to reply to this! Thank you all so much for the great suggestions. I had made a list and kept my eyes open.

• I never knew Ludisia could be propagated by leaf cuttings, that is fascinating. I don’t have one yet
• flasks sound fun but the idea is still a bit scary. I’m thinking I might give it a try if any of my favorites ever come by. The thought of having a huge variety of slightly different flowers sounds very exciting to me
• I haven’t been able to find a Bulbo. mackayanum yet. I love how it looks, so really hoping I come across it some day. Thanks for the kind thought, that is what counts
• Bulbo. maxillare (masdevalliaceum, blumei): recently found a seller that has them, hopefully I’ll be able to get it somewhere this year
• I now have cuttings of 2 different maxillaria growing, and a young dendrobium with 2 keikies. Hopefully they’ll all grow big very soon, haha! The idea of chopping up a full pot is an interesting one and I’ll keep that in mind!

As an added note: I’ve found that some bulbo’s are fairly fast growers. I got a small b. Bolsteri sent to me as 4 bulbs and this growing season has started 2 grow points and one is already almost done. Survived cutting and shipping very well too.
According to Bill Thom’s youtube lecture Bulbophyllum that flower on the rhizome aren't great for divisions, but the ones that flower on bulbs might be less set back by it.

Another note: appearantly restrepia can be propagated by leaf cuttings too, but I don’t have any experience with those yet