How do supermarkets sell Vandas in Malaysia?
I mean are those Vandas potted or bare root? if potted in what medium? in spike?
In NY I see a lot of Den phal types as well

No one said Cattleyas were harder to grow than Phals, they are harder to bloom. You have to have bright light to bloom most Catts. Phals will bloom almost anywhere in the house.

Also Phals are not easy to overwater if they aren't grown in pure moss. The mistake that sellers make is shipping plants in pure moss. Beginners who don't either 1) Really watch their watering or 2) repot immediately into bark will overwater their Phals. When grown in the proper mix, they're easy as pie.

Just look at the number of post here on the OB for each alliance. Considering that more Phals are sold people still seem to talk more about Catt's. I think it's a matter of availability that make Phals so popular, not so much preference. I go to my home center and there 20+ Phals/Den's to 1 Catt. I think Catt's are more popular because of there wide range of shape's, size's and color's. As for me I seem to have more trouble growing Phal's then Catt's.

I'd have to agree with you there. When I first started growing orchids, I bought whatever I could find (this was before I joined an orchid society). That usually meant Phals and Dendrobium phalaenopsis hybrids, and sometimes Oncidium intergenerics. I probably would have grown more Catts if they were available to me. Next to slippers, Catts are probably my faves.

Even still, you have to wonder why Phals are more available than other orchids. They are just as easy to clone as Catts, so why don't we see tons of Catts at every home improvement store and department store we go to? Based on my own experience and research, I'd have to say it's because of all the orchids they are the easiest to grow well and bring into flower under standard home conditions - low light, warm temps, and low humidity. Most everyday people do not have a big unshaded window, a sunroom, or a greenhouse to grow plants in. Nor do they have systems of lights in their basements or spare rooms. They have curtains or blinds over their windows. They want a plant that they can put on their coffee table, that will grow and flower without a fuss. Phals fit those requirements the best of all orchids, I think. That's why they are the most common.

Hobbyists are a completely different story. They will change their lifestyles to accommodate their plants. Spend tons of money, go to a lot of trouble. But the serious hobbyists are not the ones that "generic" orchids, i.e. what we see at Home Depot and on every TV show and movie these days, are marketed towards. The dedicated orchid nurseries are marketing their products to us, but we actually represent a much smaller market than the more casual growers do.

Joe, When I read this I had to laugh. But it is so,so true.

Don't get me wrong I love my Catts, but Phals do bloom more often than Catts. Which I think has really made them very popular with the general public and not needing much light to grow and rebloom. Well, who can argue that these are not good houseplants.

Well after reading reasons why Phals are popular I am wondering why not Zygopetalums?

I have a Galeopetalum that is growing like a weed or a wandering jew.
Seems to like it moist more than Phals and with pseudobulbs probably you can go away 2 / 3 weeks without worrying about the plant dying.
Also they seem to bloom in Phal level light.
And Zygopetalums grow so fast new growths that for a novice it is way more rewarding to watch even when it is not blooming.


Also Phaius seem to be easier than Phals.
Phals spike with me but finding the right balance of moist and dry seems harder than any other alliance.
You cant really overwater a Vanda, Dendrobiums and Cattleyas seem to be hardier.

Zygos are a more recent entry into mainstream orchid growing - they haven't had the chance to really shine as a decent houseplant. Perhaps in the future they will become more popular.

Every Phaius I have seen is way too big to make a decent houseplant for most people. They also need bright light, which again you won't get in most parts of an average home. It's really more of a sunroom or greenhouse plant, unless you have an intricate light setup or a really big west or south window with lots of space in front of it. These are not requirements that everyone would be able to meet, nor want to spend the time or money trying to provide.

Phals really are not that hard if they are grown in bark. They just need to dry out before they are watered again - just like a Cattleya. The only difference is a Phal can't sit there for extended periods of dryness like a Catt can because it doesn't have pseudobulbs. You just have to get into a routine of watering, waiting until it's dry, and then watering again as soon as it needs it.

Part of the appeal of Phals and Catts is the big, gaudy flowers. Even when crossed with other genera, the colours of Zygo's are probably not imposing enough to be truly competitive in the pot plant market.

What he said. :biggrin:

I agree with you about Phals and Catts, but the rich purple color of many Zygo flowers, complete with the delicious fragrance, makes them excellent pot plants, in my opinion.

I don't think they'll ever be as popular as Phals and Catts, but they will probably gain popularity.