Phal Value / Price

[DweamGoiL]

Please indulge me and follow up with comments on an observation I was thinking about. I live in NYC. So far, everywhere I have been and have spotted orchids for sale, not a one has a tag. Well that is to the exclusion of a florist shop right around the corner from my job. However, this tag did not state the scientific name of the Phal or certify its genealogy, but it simply said Orchid and had some brief care tips, and of course, the price $65 for a common dark pink Phal. Same flower shop carried another of the large white ones for $90. As pretty as they were, I had to walk away from that.

At the Plant District, they have much more selection, but none of the plants are tagged. You would think that since they get their stock directly from more established nurseries, they should have them. The prices range from $15 for minis to $45 for the more exotic and mature plants. However, I will say that they are really well taken care of.

Then, you also see them at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Here, on average, when not on sale, they sell for about $20, but they do have a limited variety, and here, you can excuse them for not having any tags because they sell them secondarily. When they receive a new stock, the plants are in pretty good shape, but after a while, they begin to not look as happy.

The last couple of times I visited 2 different Home Depots, I did not see any Phals or any other type of orchids for that matter, outside of the ones that you get the bulb in a bag. Maybe there was a Mother's Day Sale that wiped their stock out...not sure, but they do have them in stock online and they are not available in the stores. That to me seems a little backwards, but hey!

Haven't checked out Lowe's yet since there are none near me. I did search online and they seem to run from $9 for the minis to $25 for the larger plants, and they make a distinction between a "moth" orchid and a "Phalaenopsis", which is funny to me.

It's amazing how different places price their stock and the quality you may or may not get. I wish we had a real nursery nearby to buy from. I imagine it must be a nice experience to walk through aisles of healthy plants and take your time inspecting what you want to buy. The closest thing we have is after the Botanical Gardens has their yearly show, they stock up on orchids and supplies. They have some pretty neat stuff though.

So I guess this post turned out to be more of a gripe about my limited options for shopping locally. I can see the appeal of shopping online, but at the same time, I like to see and touch what I am thinking of buying, and I do enjoy being able to ask questions on the spot. So...how is orchid shopping for the rest of you?

[cbuchman]

Are your near Union Square? Silva Orchids has a booth at the Union Square Farmers markets (on Wednesdays, I think). I know others on the board have visited and I had great a great time there one day last summer talking to the owner and buying orchids for very reasonable prices and all tagged with their proper names!
You can also look on-line (check out places here on the OB). Most are very reliable and have good inventory. I've ordered online and had wonderfully healthy plants delivered to my door in Northern NJ.

[Skayc1]

My Home Depot had some, they looked healthy, I was looking for the Phalaenopsis bark mix by better-gro & the leca, Which I was disappointed to find that while they had them online, they did not have them in the store..so i decided not even to look at the orchids & take myself to lowes, where i did find the needed Phalaenopsis bark Mix from better-gro (not the Leca) & i found another clearance rack orchid. (this was on the 15th & I had gotten 3 clearance rack orchids on the 10th.) I even have a garden center near me that seamed to have alot of varieties of orchids..I got a very healthy looking Oncidium that was on sale cause it was no longer blooming...I plan to go back to the garden center every week or couple of weeks to just see what they have

[shushu45]

All I have around my area is Lowes and Walmart. No one else sells orchid. Not even the nurseries. Walmart has only phals. And Lowes have a little more of a variety but the only ones in bloom are phals. You have to catch them on a good day. When the just get them in and haven't watered them yet.

[DweamGoiL]

Originally Posted by cbuchman

Are your near Union Square? Silva Orchids has a booth at the Union Square Farmers markets (on Wednesdays, I think). I know others on the board have visited and I had great a great time there one day last summer talking to the owner and buying orchids for very reasonable prices and all tagged with their proper names!
You can also look on-line (check out places here on the OB). Most are very reliable and have good inventory. I've ordered online and had wonderfully healthy plants delivered to my door in Northern NJ.

Thanks for the lead...I can definitely get to Union Square from my job at lunchtime.

[RosieC]

Here locally everywhere sells orchids (mostly phals) which a tag which at most tells you the genus and very vague care instructions. However I would not expect to pay more than £20 at any of them for a Phal, often they are between £7 and £20. I've never seen Phals locally for more than that and I don't think anyone would buy them. (This is both in garden centres and florists and supermarket/big box stores).

I have seen more expensive untagged Cymbidiums at about £35 but they were massive. The few Oncidium types you see and even more occasional others are also in the <£20 area.

I have to buy on line or go to shows, or visit a nursery about 4 hours drive away (only go when going roughly past on my way/way back from somewhere else).

However I have found unless the nursery specialises in Phals they will often still have the NoID ones for sale (for similar prices to the supermarkets). One of the ones I like does not take phals to shows as the specialise in other things, but does have NoID phals if you actually visit. I think they have them because some visitors to the nursery are expecting phals and would be disappointed if they didn't have them!

I think for me Shows are the big place to buy from even though I only go to one or two a year. I tend to pick up a lot when I go and love talking to the sellers about care (although I should make better notes about what they tell me )

[Joyorchid]

I am spoiled here in Colorado. I have a local orchid nursery that has 10000 square feet of orchid heaven: Fantasy Orchids. They have so many varieties and they offer beginning and advanced growing classes.

They sell their phals for 20 to 35 dollars and I picked up my vanda there for 30. They also sell catts, oncidiums, slippers, neos, and more that I have yet to learn about.

I do think that they will ship, but sadly their online selection is rather bleak. You could always call if you are looking for something specific!

[Discus]

I imagine there will be several within a couple of hours drive from you. For starters have a look at
OrchidWire - New York - Orchids
Don't forget other neighbouring states, as some of them might be closer than the more distant parts of NY state.

Sadly orchidmap for New York mainly only seems to feature Viagra and Cialis... Oops.

[DweamGoiL]

Originally Posted by Discus

I imagine there will be several within a couple of hours drive from you. For starters have a look at
OrchidWire - New York - Orchids
Don't forget other neighbouring states, as some of them might be closer than the more distant parts of NY state.

Sadly orchidmap for New York mainly only seems to feature Viagra and Cialis... Oops.

I don't own a car. I know in other places this seems hard to believe, but here, I can get around everywhere I need to go without one. Maybe I can bribe a friend to take me and turn it into a day trip

[Maxy24]

Around here most grocery stores sell them, but of course the variety is going to be limited and they will be NOID. I got my most recent one at BJ's (warehouse type store like Sam's Club, Costco) for $9.99.