SAVE THE ORCHIDS!!

[seamonkey]

It can be fun to nurse an orchid back to health, but after a while it's a lot of effort and the recovering plants (which may not bloom for years) take up space that could hold thriving plants.

I agree that mass production is rarely humane or healthy. Think of the chickens, the cattle, the genetically inferior farmed salmon... and the workers that have to alienate themselves from the intrinsic value of life in order to do their job. The best thing, I think, is to buy from the little guy.

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by seamonkey

It can be fun to nurse an orchid back to health, but after a while it's a lot of effort and the recovering plants (which may not bloom for years) take up space that could hold thriving plants.

I agree that mass production is rarely humane or healthy. Think of the chickens, the cattle, the genetically inferior farmed salmon... and the workers that have to alienate themselves from the intrinsic value of life in order to do their job. The best thing, I think, is to buy from the little guy.

Yes, no one thinks of all the male chicks that are "culled", since it's really only the hens that "have food value". Some places just throw them in the trash, still alive, to suffocate under the weight of all the other chicks on top of them.

[Pantsonfire]

I think I understand the point.
A responsible seller would know the needs of the perishibles it sells. They don't put fresh tomatoes and eggs in the freezer, so why do they always mistreat their orchids?

That, and Trader Joes is billing itself as, well, different.

But, alas, it IS all about the money.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Look...I'm going to be honest and I'm going to have to agree with many of the people here (Camille and Andrew especially). I used to work for an orchid nursery myself.

Mass production of popular man-made hybrids do not just "happen a lot", that is a gross understatement. It's a multi-million dollar international industry!

You're looking at clones! The debate of whether they're genetically slightly different individuals from each other, (which may be the case due to science's recent understanding of epigenetics), or not is irrelevant to the issue of true orchid conservation as well.

They are clones. People are able to produce a sea of these things. We used to get these plants by the truck loads! This is NOT an exaggeration!

The growers who do this are masters at tissue culture and cloning.

Is the issue of being wasteful an issue of ethics?

Arguably, I think it is. I believe it is a psychological issue as well. Then you throw the principals of business into this, and this topic just gets ugly.

Can we afford to be this wasteful?

Hypothetically, no. Realistically speaking, I don't know.

Of course, there's always the argument that you can still derive the species if you've got the hybrids adding more genetic material to the mix.

Let's face it...

While it has been done and most definitely can be done. Not many people want to do it, even if they were able to. It's just not efficient. Nor is it desirable to.

Anyways...

Forget about the clones of the man-made hybrids. It isn't worth it.

1. They're clones.

2. They're man-made. You or I, or anyone else in the world for that matter, who has the skill and know-how to do it, can make a hybrid any time they want. People can name them any thing they want (in fact, there was a brief, off-beat, and humorous discussion about vulgar names assigned to orchids by taxonomists and hobbyists alike).

3. It's a multi-million dollar international industry. What you're seeing and talking about is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. You're talking about one small cog in a much larger machine. Sorry, but you ain't bringing this down to it's knees by attacking it head on.

I encourage you to redirect your valiant efforts.

Save the species. Species orchids are not always and cannot always be cloned. Unfortunately many species orchids are either not very well known, or not as attractively patterned or colored as the hybrids are. Then there's the issue of many of them having relatively small to tiny flowers.

I also think that part of the problem is not many people are necessarily aware that scientists are saying that we are living in an era which is deemed to be the 6th mass extinction event of our planet (whether you choose to believe this statement or not to whatever degree is up to you, but the massive dying off of many individuals within many species of the planet's different organisms is undeniable). I think that some people are not thinking about the species orchids first, but rather the hybrids first and species second or dead last!

Focus on true conservation. Species. Without species there will be no hybrids.

So there...

Save the species. This is worth your time!

[etex]

Good points!! Conservation is key! Slipper orchids are my favorites and several species are in danger of being extinct! Species should be grown to the best of our ability.
I tend to stay away from big box stores and to support the vendors who are responsible stewards of our plants. A well grown, not mass produced, plant will do better in my care!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

BTW, if you're having to pay "hundreds of dollars" for your orchids, you haven't yet found reputable sellers who sell certain orchids for a mere $5 to $20.

The reason why a lot of people have quite a few orchids is because they are currently made very affordable, probably because of over production.

[Pantsonfire]

My point really doesn't apply to orchids.
I don't disagree with anything the King has to say, but I'm looking at this from a different perspective.

It is about the way companies like this sell themselves to the public.
Trader Joes wants us to think they are upscale and responsible.
They are, IMHO, phony hippie leftovers who make their money by adopting the trendy big business of "organic/green".
You are asked to "reduce, reuse, recycle", by folks who don't give a rat zass about the environment, as shown by the carbon footprint of their orchid trash. But if I didn't bring my own hemp tote bag to carry my soy milk home, I am a villian destroying the environment.

I don't buy their hype, and I don't shop there.
It saddens me that so many people are being fooled.

But hey, this is America. I hope they make a boatload of money.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Pantsonfire

But hey, this is America. I hope they make a boatload of money.

This is not meant to be a personal attack...

The above statement is a very loaded one believe it or not. It looks very simple on the surface, but there's quite a bit of complexity to it, given the context in which it was written.

This attitude is in my opinion how big corporations get away with a lot of things. I'm sure, this is not just an American issue, but rather a world wide issue.

It does offer a glimpse of the dynamics happening with the original topic posted.

But it's just part of the story, not all of it.

This is actually way too big of a topic, and I may be getting in way over my head on this one. Not to mention, this is starting to move away from the topic of the original post, so I'll just end it here.

[quiltergal]

Folks this really is a very simple issue of supply and demand. Basic economics. If you want the mistreatment of billions of cloned orchids to stop......then reduce the demand for them by NOT buying them. If everyone stopped buying their sick and dying orchids then the BB stores would not order so many, and the wholesalers would have to reduce production. If you "save" them you're only encouraging business as usual.

Buying from a reputable grower is very reasonable, and you know what you're getting. I've very rarely spent over $20 for a plant online. It keeps the mom and pop businesses going and in a small way helps to ensure continuation of species that might otherwise disappear. I agree with King. Everyone should have at least one species orchid. They're magical.

[johnblagg]

I have to agree mass produced clones are just perishables ....go save a colony of wild chids way cool Im there but tissue cultured chids are a commodity and while they could mark em down OR for that matter take better care of them while there It aint gonna happen