Buying young plants

[Sara]

I was browsing the Oak Hill Gardens website and I fell in love Phalaenopsis amboinensis. They sell them in a 2" in pot. But there is no * after the price, so it's not big enough to bloom yet. On average, how long would it take this orchid to reach blooming size? It's a great price, but I'm not sure if I can wait more than a year. :P

[Ross]

I don't have the direct answer to your question, but in general, purchase of seedlings can be an economical and rewarding way to enjoy your hobby. I suspect it will be more than a year till it blooms, but depends on species. If you want something to bloom within the year, purchase Blooming Size or "previously bloomed". If you can wait a year or so, the "near blooming size" might be a choice. If you have lots of patience and trust in your abilities to grow a certain genera, then seedlings are the most economical way to go. Hope this helps.

[shakkai]

Sara, I think it depends on how 'young' is young.... I've purchased plants that were near bloom size - which means that they have a chance of blooming in the coming year. I've also purchased young plants which were two years away from the possibility of flowering. I've also gone and got 'cheap' seedlings (i.e. 5 for £12.50 Paph seedlings) which I know are 3-4 years at least away from flowering. However, if I had bought one of those plants at flowering size, I would have paid a lot more than I paid for all 5.

As most thing in life, its a trade off. You are having to be more patient - and also taking more of a risk - but in my opinion, its a great way to get really good plants without breaking the budget.

Plus, if they are true seedlings (and not clones) you could potentially end up with a really nice form of the plant. (You could also end up with a not so nice one, but I tend to think positively!!)

[camille1585]

Like Shakkai says, it depends on how young it is! I picked up 3 young phals two months ago at the Hortifair in Amsterdam. The japanese grower didn't want to haul them home, so they were up for grabs. 2 of them have a 20cm leaf span, and I was told they would bloom within 1 to 2 years.They are in 6cm pots. The 3rd one is even smaller (12cm) and I have to wait 3 years probably.
In my case I think I'll have greater satisfaction seeing them bloom because I raised and pampered them myself. But I'm also a bit impatient as well, so in the meantime, I'm buying blooming size orchids to make me happy!!!

If you say it's a great price, go for it! Why not email them for more info on it?

[cb977]

Blooming size is usually within 12 months
Near Blooming Size is usually 12-18 months
Seedlings are usually about 3 years

Notice I said usually in all three of those because nothing is written in stone.

Camille had a great idea...email them. Greg and the folks at Oak Hill are wonderful and will get back to you with the answers you are looking for.