My First Orchid - Orchid Board

Leisurely · #1 03-13-2009, 08:12 PM

How many of you still have the first orchid that you ever bought? I do. I got in in 1990 and it is Encyclia bractescens. I have killed a lot since then but I still have this one.The flowers are small, 1 1/2" but lots of them. I counted 150 on this plant and quit. A reliable spring bloomer.

A beginners plant for sure.

camille1585 · #2 03-13-2009, 08:38 PM

I still have mine, but it's not very old since I only just got started in orchids in early 2005. It's a big pink noid Cym....that hasn't rebloomed since I got it! After that first one I didn't get any more orchids for a while, in 2006. So for me, my true sentimental first orchid which started the obsession was the next orchid I got, Phal Brother Spring Dancer. It's still alive and blooming now. I love it so much that I have a keiki of it as backup in case something happens to the original plant!

(..._...) · #3 03-13-2009, 08:51 PM

Its funny you brought this up... I just had to throw out my first orchid, which I bought back in 2002

. All but one of my six phals were affected by a fungus/ cell breakdown, and I decided to throw it away today

. For some reason though, one of my phals was not affected, and is about to bloom, so that makes me feel better

.

DebsC · #4 03-13-2009, 09:42 PM

I bought a noid phal too many years ago to even think about. It was just a small plant in bloom with rotten roots.

It's lived in a window, outside on the porch, hanging from a tree and has moved with me.

It's had bugs and rot and I don't know what all but yes, I still have it and will always keep as long as it's alive.

It is in spike now and is huge, or was before something ate huge hunks out of several lower leaves.

SP2340 · #5 03-13-2009, 10:52 PM

Very nice, it looks like my Maxillaria... not the flowers of course.

MuscleGirl'sHobby · #6 03-13-2009, 11:24 PM

I bought two mini-ish phals in my first ever orchid purchase in the Summer of 2005. I still have both of them. One just got done blooming

I nearly killed them both that summer after they were through blooming! Luckily they refused to succumb to my neglect and I've learned A LOT since then.

orchidegg · #7 03-13-2009, 11:50 PM

Yep, still have the noID dendrobium I bought in Hawaii several years ago that started everything. That thing is tougher than nails and has survived more alternating neglect and over attention than should be possible for an orchid and still flowers every year!