Plant project- reviving the flask/seedling project idea

[greengarden]

Yes but atleast if it's open season on what we get then they can choose something that is easily accessible to them rather than having to either spend a fortune or miss out completely.

[camille1585]

I'm not to keen on having it completely open. Projects are nice because we can ask each other for advice and share growing tips. That becomes difficult if there are many different orchids involved. Lets not give up too quickly on the single genus idea!

[bballr4567]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I'm not to keen on having it completely open. Projects are nice because we can ask each other for advice and share growing tips. That becomes difficult if there are many different orchids involved. Lets not give up too quickly on the single genus idea!

Im for this as well. Having it wide open would be just like anyone purchasing anything throughout the year. The best part about the project is you get multiple people trying different things with the same orchid.

Now, if we narrow it down to a genus, should we narrow it down to a species or hybrid that includes that species?

[camille1585]

I think first we'd need to do a bit of research to see exactly what sort of flasks are available in each place, before deciding how specific the project can be. I'd love for it to go down as far as us all having the same species/cross, but that's quite difficult.

[greengarden]

It's starting to sound like it might become difficult to find flasks if you we narrow it much more than genus, maybe we could go down to a group within a genus(for example not just Dendrobium but New Guinea dendrobiums) but any smaller than that and it sounds like gaining access to sufficient numbers of flasks across even the main countries would become very difficult

---------- Post added at 08:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 AM ----------

So maybe a running list of what people could easily access would help. My ability to get things is very variable as it mostly depends on private growers and what they are offering on ebay but if someone in the states or EU could start a list then other could add a note as to whether that genus is easily available in their region

[camille1585]

Like I said, we need to do our research first, before eliminating options! We've put together the last few plant projects fine, despite them seeming impossibly difficult to organize with 40 people. Also depends on how much time and energy the organizers want to put in these projects. Personally, I'm always up for a challenge!

[bballr4567]

I think the obvious hard part is Canada and Australia. Europe and the US have plenty of places to get good quality flasks and with lots of people participating in those regions it shouldnt be too costly.

[Rowangreen]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I think first we'd need to do a bit of research to see exactly what sort of flasks are available in each place, before deciding how specific the project can be. I'd love for it to go down as far as us all having the same species/cross, but that's quite difficult.

Very true. Personally I quite like it being open. I think when it comes to the poll we should be open to maybe including some specifics and some genus eg we might end up with a poll something like:

Phals generally
Phal violacea
bulbophylums generally
bulbophylum ambrosia

etc, etc

One thing that might work quite well is if we have a genus, but it ends up with a fair group doing the same plant. For instance, if we did bulbophylums but half the folks did ambrosia. That way it would almost be like having a test group and a control group A lot of those who want to grow all the same plant get to, but there's still a role for those who can't get it or want to be different!

---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:24 PM ----------

Greengarden, posted higher but you might have missed it: I did a quick search for 'orchid flasks Australia' and it looks like there's quite a few sellers in Aus actually...

[greengarden]

Can I suggest a few species that might work if the Canadians can get any of them. We can aim for species and go up from there if needed.

I have found an aussie grower who I have bought some great flasks and plants from before, they stock Phaleanopsis schilleriana, Phal lowii, Phal stuartiana, Paph primulinum, Paph thaianum, Paph niveum and Paph leucochilum all at quite reasonable prices. I imagine these ones would be relatively easy to come by in the states and would also be fairly quick to flower from flask.

---------- Post added at 08:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 AM ----------

There is Rowangreen it's just the quality and expense that can be hard. I have bought from a fair few of the ones that sell to the public(a lot only sell wholesale) and have had some very variable flasks sent to me. The ones i mentioned in my previous post are from a seller who always sends very healthy well grown flasks, another seller I have bought from the plants are very small and there wasn't many of them for the price i paid and I'll be waiting months for them to be big enough to deflask.

[camille1585]

I'm guessing that Phals are probably going to be the most widespread. I like your idea Rowangreen, with groups of people doing the same plant. Even cooler if we do it with hybrids since it will be awesome to see the variation in the blooms!

I'm having trouble keeping up with this thread lol.