How to pick a blooming plant

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Like others have said:

1. Pseudobulb count is a general guideline and more of a selling point than anything that solidly determines the health and well-being of the orchid. Nor does it solidly determine whether the plant is ready to bloom for you within a year or not.

2. The plant having 2 new leads is a sign that the plant is growing, that's it. It doesn't necessarily mean the plant will survive (ironically)!

A sick plant that is dying but still has the energy to grow can still put out new leads - strangely enough!

3. Look for relative terms that the seller uses to make their sale, such as NBS (near blooming size) and BS (blooming size).

I can't stress enough that these are relative terms, and can mean just about anything depending on what the seller believes those terms mean. Therefore, you must ask them what it means to them, even if they seem begrudgingly reluctant to tell you. You're the customer, and you deserve to know.

4. Buying on Ebay always presents risks as you're not there in person to select a healthy plant. You must depend on the seller to be trustworthy. I can go into detail, but I think you can figure this one out on your own. Or if you have more specific questions, just ask away.

Of special note: Beware of people who are willing to sell you plants that they cannot grow themselves. Particularly if they are plants that belong to the more exotic genera of orchids.

Also be aware that you are a beginner in the hobby, and that some people may be selling plants that have been freshly imported from another country! These newly imported plants can present lots of problems for any level of hobbyist. Again, be alert about this.

5. Since you're not there in person, you can't see how the roots of the plant are.

Most of the times, it is not possible to request the seller on Ebay to post a picture of the plant's root system for you to see, because they have hundreds of potential customers looking at their product and they must keep in mind that some people may not like their plants unpotted before being sold the plant.

Sometimes, the photo that is posted on Ebay is just a representation of the plant that you should expect to get - the photo may not necessarily be of the plant that you will be receiving itself. If this is the case, the sellers might post that information on the page. Should you suspect that the photo is not of the actual plant itself, you have the right to ask for it.

6. Roots are important. The plant's root system is so many things to the plant. Not to neglect the plant's leaves or pseudobulbs - but it is a big deal.

8. Looking at the plant's leaves are important.

* Does the texture of the leaf look off?

* Does it look dehydrated?

* Are there any blemishes that are on the leaves that shouldn't be there, and how bad is it?

* What about the color?

9. Pseudobulbs - are they shriveled? Badly shriveled pseudobulbs can mean a very difficult recovery for even a plant that's as relatively easy to grow as Cattleyas.

10. Calling a plant compact - again - is a relative term.

A plant is a 3 dimensional object. Compact can refer to height, width, etc. It can refer to different components of the plant as well, such as flower size, leaf size, etc.

With this in mind, it's no wonder why you asked about what it means. So in essence, it's not a stupid or silly question, it's 100% valid.

This is a question you may consider asking the seller about, because it is a relative term that has a certain meaning to the seller.

In this case, it's safe to assume that it means the plant will stay under 10" tall.