orchids in the trash

[dendro photo]

i lost a lot of respect for home depot last nite. I was the looking for trivial things and wondered in to the garden area and there where a bunch of phals in kinda rough shape but this hapense when they dont know how to care for them. Anyway one cought my eye a yellow one with pink stipes and i debated and thought i will bye it in a couple days when i found a friend of mine working there and he said if i wanted it take it now because as soon as they start to look unhealthy (which was the case) or loose flowers they go in the compacter. no mark down price no second chance shelf nothing just smoosh. He said they will not even sell them if someone offerd to bye the lot at end of their bloom.....bastereds so i have another phal

[Jennyfleur]

Oh My how sad!!!

It's nice that you were able to rescue one though. My other half found a little Phal in the bin where he works -it had just been tossed away because the owner had left. He brought it home in its pot, which had practically no bark left, and told me he had to bring it home so I could save it (he knew I'd be upset if he told me he had just left it!). The flowers were wilted but I could see that they were white with a yellow lip. So I gave it a prune (well, more of a hack really), repotted it and now the old shrivelled roots are plump and green and it's just started growing a new leaf.

There is always hope when people care

[CTB]

That is true, I have offered to buy at a discount and they won't evern mark them down, they told me that they get a refund from salesman?????????????

It makes you kind of mad when they're NOIDS to begin with rarely a tag can be found..

[fotofashion]

Interesting. The Lowe's in my area does mark down at least Phals in pots. I don't remember seeing the "baggy" orchids ever marked down, however.
Home Depot is another thing, at least "mine". I did get several "baggy" plants earlier this year that were in good condition but their other plants in general are rather neglected-like WalMart- so I very seldom buy from them.
I did convince a supervisior at WalMart to sell me some Phals that were going to be thrown away once. She made me almost swear on my Mother's grave that I would not try to return them for a refund, ever.
That, unfortunately, is what some people do. They try to buy something marked down then try to return it for full price.
Beverly A.

[lambelkip]

it's true. if they don't sell the plant, they can file a claim with the vendor, and get a full refund. if they sell the plant at a discount, or give it away, they can't file the claim anymore, so they lose money on it. even worse than that, as Beverly said, some people will try to get plants at a discount, and return them for a refund. then the store has lost twice the value of the plant.
your friend could get in serious trouble, even lose his job for giving you the plant. (and the store can no longer file a valid claim for that plant).

[Gin]

I don't think Dendo ment free take ,as in not buy. I read it as buy it now or it is history ..
The Lowes here has bagged plants off and on I was in there today and they still have the same ones they had months ago , and a few pathetic Phals. not discounted ..

[Andrew]

I don't think you can expect a box store, garden centre etc to treat an orchid as anything other than perishable merchandise, deserving of the same sentimentality that you would give to a carton of milk that is past it's use by date. FWIW, I don't find what your HD is doing to be particularly offensive. It's a very good business decision given that HD has brokered a deal to screw over their suppliers by securing a refund for unsold stock; despite the fact that unsold stock is a failure of the purchasing department to properly estimate supply and demand rather than a fault with the supplier's stock.

[dendro photo]

Originally Posted by Gin

I don't think Dendo ment free take ,as in not buy. I read it as buy it now or it is history ..
The Lowes here has bagged plants off and on I was in there today and they still have the same ones they had months ago , and a few pathetic Phals. not discounted ..

correct it was bye it now or it might not be there in the morning. Lowes on the other hand marks nonflowering orchids at 50% off and to make it better I told one of the girls there the general idea of how to take care of them and she dose to an extent.

[stefpix]

I agree with Andrew. I mean lettuce and basil get discarded from markets as well. People could rescue basil and root it in a glass of water and have a perennial herb for the years to come.

I feel more bad for the supplier that really gets screwed if HD orders 1000 plants and only 500 get sold.'
Anyway even if not put in the compactor those phals would die anyway a few weeks or months later in someone's home. Most people discard them after they are done flowering.
A 10 $ phal is not much more expensive than cut flowers.

Why don't people feel sentimental about garlic or onions? The whole plant gets killed for consumption.
Or Peppers and Tomatos that are perennial plants but cultivated as annuals.

[Gin]

I think it especially hurts those that can't spend a lot on a hobby to see plants trashed ..
As for veggies a moment of silence for my tomatoes , I held a wake for the lettuce .. and I when i have to buy at the store ..