Hello from SC.

[Dalton]

Hey everyone. I just got signed up on this forum. I've been growing plants for years, but I got my first orchid between 6-10 years ago.

It was one of those sad little orchids in a bag. It had plastic wrapped around the pot and rubber banded in place. Then that was dropped into a perforated plastic sleeve, a label stapled it closed and it hung on the shelf for at least 2 weeks before I picked it up. I took my new Miltassia Shelob 'The Weed' home and repotted it out of the completely rotten bark it was in.

It took it 6months to show any growth and 4 years to bloom, but now it puts out 1-2 new bulbs each year and they'll each spike once. Of course, due to my learning curve, I almost killed it a couple-three times.

That wasn't my first plant by a long shot, but it was my first orchid and I haven't managed to kill it. . . yet.

Since then, I've gotten a few phals, being a common orchid around here, but I never see any other types of orchids.

I have gotten into carnivorous plants as well and have a few Nepenthes that I haven't gotten to pitcher yet. To be honest, I haven't gotten them to do much beyond 'not die', and I'm having trouble with that. I do have a Sarracenia that went gangbusters last year and is actually my first flowering CP. My death cube venus flytrap looks like it might be trying to throw up it's first flower spike as well.

I was recently looking for a 'Trichoglottis Pusilla' because I'd run across the flower at random and decided I liked it. I couldn't find it anywhere. After following links that took me all over the place, including Malaysian sites, I ended up finding a place about 45min from me that was supposed to have one. I called the guy up and he thought he did. I rode up and it turns out that he thought he did, but had sold the last one. It was a bummer, but I ended up walking away with 4 orchids. Funny how that happens.

He invited me to the local orchid society meeting and said they were going to have an auction in a couple of weeks. My brother wanted to go, so I went with him. I had no intention of buying any orchids, because I don't really have anymore room. (I'll pause for laughter at the though of not walking away with at least one orchid). I ended up with 4 orchids I got at a criminally cheap price.

So that's all my orchid story. I've recently come into a load of different ones, some mounted (which I've never dealt with), and several species I've never raised and I'm not sure about (looking at you Dendrobium Unicum who hasn't come out of dormancy yet).

Besides orchids I fill my time reading, watching an unhealthy amount of tv, riding horses, spending approx. 4,547 times on the up keep of my horses as I do riding, playing video games, and taking up new and expensive hobbies that I don't really have the time or cash for (*cough*Beekeeping*cough*).

I'm looking forward to learning a lot on this site. I like the relaxed atmosphere I've been seeing on here. I've already got my first question lined up. I'm just waiting till my post count hits 5, so that I can post some pretty pictures. Thanks for the help and the welcome.

Dalton