Good idea or bad idea

[mrobert]

Has anyone ever massivly culled their orchid collection and replaced the orchids more suited to the environment you can provide them?

Background: Started as an ambitious collector and ended up with some big plants (that I don't really have room for) that need a warmer/wetter environment (that I don't have for part of the year). For example my vandas et al grow at a glacial pace; same goes for a large grammatophyum, angraecum, rhynchostylis, even my beloved brassavola grandiflora and david sander rarely "do" anything. The plants are by all accounts healthy, but they're just not thriving. I realize this is the mid-winter, but should I expect big things to happen when I move them outside during the summer?
I can grow masd. oncidium, miltassa, miltonia, phals, phrags, paphs, and small blcs quite well. So here is the question:
Should I expunge the big hard to care for plants, or give them a full year to see what they do in the summer?

Thanks, Mateo

[calvin_orchidL]

Hey Mateo,
I would give it a season or two, just to see what the summer can do. To be honest, summers really do a wonder for orchids, especially in the northern latitudes (although I feel like in zone 10b, the summer isn't that big of a deal )

What I've heard from growers is that you should choose plants that fit your conditions rather than buy first and then fret over making conditions fit for your plant. Personally, I think you should find a balance If there's a plant I absolutely love but the conditions are a little tricky, I'll still go for it...it's part of the challenge - tweaking conditions and perfecting culture But if it's something I'm not too in love with, and it doesn't grow too well for me (and large is another no no for me) then off to the trade table it goes!

[kavanaru]

I would give them also a try for one or two years... chids are a surprise box, and sometimes they can adapt to conditions you would never dream of (not the rule, but it can happen: e.g. I was surprised once to see a friend ofmine growing a Phal in normal "balcony plants soil" for over 3 years and flowering all this time!)

As per buying the right plants...yes, thebest approach is to buy the plants fitting your growing conditions and not viceversa... however, I think we ALLL have ever gone for that lovelz plant we ALL know will never fit our conditions, and we work hard to modify them (either the conditions or the plant )

[cb977]

Agreed...give it a little more time. Summer conditions can sometimes produce wonderful results. If you realize that you are spending too much time, money and effort trying to get certain 'chids to adjust to your conditions, then it's time to start making some changes. If you have huge plants that aren't doing well and you are short on space, then take steps to trade or sell them in exchange for 'chids that you won't have to work so hard at.

I think many of us have purchased 'chids that deep in our minds knew wouldn't do well without some major effort...they're all just so beautiful!

[Jo Ann]

I was kind of thinking along the same lines here too. I’ve done the same thing with just my regular plants as an overly ambitious collector. (I have a Norfolk pine that has way over grown its self and I love maple trees but for some reason they don’t seem to do so well here.)As much as I love all my plants being a slave too there special needs is sometimes too demanding. I’ve been trying to rein myself in and be cautious about what I bring home or order. Especially when I have too many different kinds of plants that need different environments such as more light versus shade or one wants to be wet versus drier. Then of course everything must also adapt to being grown outside…I don’t always have the time to baby the plants like I would like so they have to be able to handle a little neglect occasionally.

[Ray]

No. Cull away.

Send them to me!

[masda]

Quality befor quantity. A saying that fits orchid growing,maintaining healthy orchids is a full time commitment and only growing orchids that you can provide the proper environment make this easier. We would all like to have everything in the world of orchids growing on our shelves, but money,space and time prevents this.In my humble opinion it is best to have less orchids in healthy condition, than lots of plants that are only existing in an unhealthy state.

[Ross]

I have found (especially for Angraecoids) that it can take a long time for them to get accustomed to the new growing conditions. I always wait till a plant is on death's door before throwing it away. I have done this several times because.... it's just a plant! And to get rid of one big non-performer usually leaves room for many more. I can see both sides of this discussion (great one at that!) There are those that have unlimited space (Suzanne for one ) and those that have limited space (me ) and I choose to stick with only the proven ones. It's sort of a "it was nice while it lasted" scenario for me. It doesn't really bother me to pitch a non-performer since I (hopefully) learned something while it was under my care.

[cb977]

I don't have as space as I used to, Ross

[quiltergal]

I think if you have space limitations I would send the ones that aren't doing well out for adoption . Make room for the ones you know will do well, or if you like to experiment do it with small plants! Just my .