WHOOT going to my first ever orchid show - Page 6 - Orchid Board

Gin · #51 02-04-2011, 09:42 AM

Could it of been The Orchid outlet in Loveland Ohio ? Or Hill Top Orchids in Cloverdale Indiana .

Paul Mc · #52 02-04-2011, 06:21 PM

Ah, Hill Top! That's the one! Thanks a mill guys.

BobInBonita · #53 02-07-2011, 11:55 PM

Well, I hope you had better luck than I did at the Tamiami show.

Forgive me father, for I have sinned....
not only did I buy more than I intended, but I broke ALL of my rules.

Biggest goof - I fell in love with the plants and DIDN'T LOOK AT THE ROOTS! I feel like an idiot. I brought home five, but one big beautiful Catt (growing in rock) dropped blooms a week after. I figured oh well, probably just at the end of it's time, might as well check the roots now. It wasn't really growing in rock. They had put a layer of rock over some badly decomposed tree fern. All the central roots were gone, although some around the edges were still firm. I probably made the situation worse, thinking it was in rock, I watered every other day for a week. I know better than to buy without looking at the roots, but the plants looked so good and they were knocking $5 off every plant.
Another had the roots covered with newspaper and masking tape. When I asked, they said there would be no problems, they did that so people didn't spill the medium walking around the show, or going home. Made sense, but when I got home I opened it up - full of white fungus between all of the medium. Repotted and treated, but geez, you shouldn't have to be so careful at a big show with big vendors.

I'll hopefully be going to Redlands next month and will be much more careful, although that should be all local growers with good reputations.

Gin · #54 02-08-2011, 03:17 PM

I am beginning to think a person should start digging in the pots

before we buy

If they don't like it to bad should not have to spend $ and end up with trouble .
I bought an in bloom Catt. a few years ago thought it was in a form of rock . Wrong ! when I un-potted it had no good roots . Have found the plugs in the center of seedlings with moss packed around it . Spagh. moss with bark packed around . The sellers name goes on my T paper list

johnblagg · #55 02-08-2011, 03:31 PM

LOL and that was kind of what I thought when I repotted the new seedlings and found half the roots bad on the $3 if you buy 10 bunch ....did not expect to find half of them bad ...was not expecting masses of roots but I was expecting good roots not half of what they had to be rotted.

Gin · #56 02-08-2011, 04:17 PM

I have been watching mine like a hawk the seller had a Phal. complete with mealy bugs no extra charge for them

Bob there are growers from all over the world at Redlands be extra alert for no roots and or chopped off dried up roots, a lot of the plants are bare root to get thru inspection ..

Paul Mc · #57 02-08-2011, 06:35 PM

WOW, sorry to hear you guys had such a bad experience with the vendors there! I bought three while I was there, but they were mature plants and not seedlings. That being said, I haven't dug into the medium yet as they are all three only starting to bloom and I did not want to disturb the flowers yet. But now I'm having second thoughts!

johnblagg · #58 02-08-2011, 07:18 PM

well bigger plants may have been better and in fact the pinocchio and phaius types look ok ...but like you in bloom and I have not dug in to see...and I waited late in the day to start buying ...and wow $3 seedlings even with some problems are a good buy...my first catts were the same size pots but $25 ....but lol that time roots were awesome and they have grow amazingly well

Paul Mc · #59 02-08-2011, 07:24 PM

You guys might try soaking the remaining roots in some K-L-N solution and water (or similar rooting compound) for about an hour and then put it back in an appropriate mix. Good news is that spring is not that far away which is when a lot of these guys start sending out new roots.

johnblagg · #60 02-08-2011, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Mc

You guys might try soaking the remaining roots in some K-L-N solution and water (or similar rooting compound) for about an hour and then put it back in an appropriate mix. Good news is that spring is not that far away which is when a lot of these guys start sending out new roots.

LOL super thirve at the moment ...and new roots or not removed carefully from pots and repotted ....since I root check and trim was needed there is little difference between putting back into new medium or not ...especially since I went to hydrotron and it did not have to be packed in.