"Strategies" for "rescuing" orchids from grocery stores/big box stores

[Ordphien]

I happen to know several employees at TJ and a quick discussion with them and they manage led to a "we don't care, it's not like they will sell"
Also leading to "our shipments come on around 9 on Thursday, so anything out of bloom by our new shipment goes in the dumpster"
I must not be the only one because if you look now all the put off bloom orchids are just sat gently on top.

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[FSUOrchids]

Just the other week I was in a Lowe's here in Central Florida. They had one B. Little Stars that had only one dying bloom on it, but was otherwise healthy. I took it to customer service, and after explaining that it was done blooming they gave me the 75% discount for orchids that are finished blooming. As others have said I'm very confident that this would have ended up in the dumpster had I not gotten to it in time, as that flower fell off the next day. Got a perfectly healthy B. Little Stars for just $3.

[LadySoren]

Originally Posted by FSUOrchids

Just the other week I was in a Lowe's here in Central Florida. They had one B. Little Stars that had only one dying bloom on it, but was otherwise healthy. I took it to customer service, and after explaining that it was done blooming they gave me the 75% discount for orchids that are finished blooming. As others have said I'm very confident that this would have ended up in the dumpster had I not gotten to it in time, as that flower fell off the next day. Got a perfectly healthy B. Little Stars for just $3.

$3? Sweet deal! Especially being healthy.

[DelawareJim]

Most of the more seasoned folks let them go to the dumpster. Although some of us started out with rescues, our space is much to valuable to waste on a NOID on death's door.

Cheers.
Jim

[quiltergal]

OK here is my unpopular take on this. Why? These plants are mostly mass produced in Taiwan, and I would guess a large number of them are virused. Why do we want to encourage people to send their money overseas to some mega corp when you could buy from a reputable small grower here in the US? These folks invest a lot of time and money creating lovely new hybrids or growing species from seed. Many even do their own cloning. These small greenhouses are closing one by one because they cannot compete with the $9 Walmart orchid.

I feel my money is better spent buying quality plants from a source I know and trust.

[SlipperGirl]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

OK here is my unpopular take on this. Why? These plants are mostly mass produced in Taiwan, and I would guess a large number of them are virused. Why do we want to encourage people to send their money overseas to some mega corp when you could buy from a reputable small grower here in the US? These folks invest a lot of time and money creating lovely new hybrids or growing species from seed. Many even do their own cloning. These small greenhouses are closing one by one because they cannot compete with the $9 Walmart orchid.

I feel my money is better spent buying quality plants from a source I know and trust.

in a way I agree with you, I think we should buy orchids from people right here in the US but if I see a dying orchid that I can help I like to try and save it, to me its kind of fun to save a orchid that would die without my help. But I am starting to buy orchids from people here mostly because they are so much nicer and I want more good quality plants then what you can get at big box stores.

[Ordphien]

Mine are mass produced in California lol...
Not that I think that makes much of a difference.

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[LadySoren]

I only own 2 Phals at the moments, but the first was an impulse buy at a grocery store, it's a mini, it was cute, it was my first one. I think a lot of people start that way.
My husband bought another Phal from Lowe's for Valentine's day and he said pickins were slim (toward evening on Valentines day, doesn't surprise me). It had a completely split leaf, bad roots, moss with some other sort of decorative moss covering the top to hide it's rotting roots, it was even growing one of those clover weed things! And I couldn't tell if the shriveled dead leaf I found in the top moss was from the orchid or something else. Anyway, we returned it. >.<
I know a lot of people are addicted to buying them, and probably wouldn't think of returning one. Lol
Anyway, that weekend we went to a local garden store (it's awesome!). It is in great shape, roots and all, potted well, very happy.
I'd like to think they get their orchids locally, but I haven't asked yet....

I don't know why I'm sharing the story. Lol
Anyway, is there a tactful way of asking/finding out where their orchids come from without offending and them but also getting an honest answer?
Maybe it's on the tag in some sort of orchid expert lingo I haven't decoded yet?


And, I don't want to encourage buying the mass produced "made in china" orchids, but if you can obtain one for free......... Although as Terri pointed out, I don't want to invite 'virused' orchids into my home either.

[DelawareJim]

Originally Posted by LadySoren

Anyway, is there a tactful way of asking/finding out where their orchids come from without offending and them but also getting an honest answer?

I just ask where they get their plants from. If they are a reputable garden centre and believe in who their suppliers are, they'll tell you. If they don't, they won't.

Cheers.
Jim

[Cactuseed]

i love orchids but jeez they are plants. a reproducible commodity that we all enjoy. Some of them die.
no need to diss America

"letting them die the american way"
"America is horrible about such wastes"