I will not buy another orchid!

[Paul Mc]

Yeah right! Who am I trying to kid?!

Seriously though, I have so many orchids now, of course not nearly as many as many here, but I feel it's time for me to stop buying and start focusing on getting them to bloom. I have noticed that many of my new acquisitions have not bloomed and I think it's time I start researching to figure out why and try to figure them out before purchasing anymore!

All of that having been said, wait until you see my new order next week! Just kidding…

Okay. Being serious again. Do any of you ever get to the point where you feel like you need to focus more on each individual plant and understanding why it is or is not blooming as opposed to just purchasing? I'm just curious if I'm crazy or not! LOL...

[cbuchman]

If you are crazy, then so am I. I'm doing exactly as you describe - OK just a tiny purchase every now and then ....

[Gage]

I'm with you Paul. I'm trying to really increase the quality of culture for all my current orchids before trying to squeeze in another new plant.

[Pilot]

Same here, Paul. Not sure what it is... It's clear the addiction center of my brain gets off on this stuff because I can't stop buying new plants. And it's not even orchids! I'm addicted to hibiscus. If orchids are my crack cocaine, hibiscus is my meth. I shouldn't be joking about this, but at least my addiction shows the pretty colors to everyone in the room and not just me.

As for slimming down a collection and focusing, yes... I've experienced that this summer with several of my plants and collections.

[Otis226]

I know what you're saying and I feel pretty much the same way. I've got a good sized collection now, for me. (I had a total number of 'chids in mind that I really didn't want to exceed, becuase I felt I could keep them comfortably... and I'm just about there.) It's not like I have everything on the wishlist, but come winter, its getting difficult finding places for everything in the lanai, even though we only have a few weeks of 'winter' weather to be concerned about. So, it has to be something really special and kind of small to get my interest lately. I have many plants I've yet to bloom, so concentrating on them more is a good option for right now.
Cheers,
Tony

[Leafmite]

I have decided on one more, a cattleya that isn't white, pink or purple, and then I think I am done. I have a small enough collection that I don't need to look at the tags, even without blooms. I finished my collection of other plants with a cinnamon zeylanicum.

Hibiscus are great. I have had my red for 23 years and inherited the pink (just as old) from my grandmother. They are among the few plants I own that have neither fragrant leaves or blossoms, are not herbs, and do not produce fruit. The flowers are simply too spectacular. I can understand collecting these. If I didn't have so many other plants....

[tucker85]

I went through the same phases of orchid collecting and growing that you describe. Initially I was buying orchids all the time. Online orders, baskets full of plants at orchid shows. I think that joining an orchid society was the turning point for me. I admired how some members grew spectacular orchids. I decided to concentrate on learning to grow them better and not worry about collecting so many. And I have to say, learning how to grow orchids well is a long and sometimes frustrating road. But I find it very rewarding in the end. I still buy orchids but only a few each year and only plants that I think are very special for one reason or another. Quality not quantity.

[cbuchman]

I’ve been buying only miniatures in order to keep the size of my collection under control. I’m up to about 80+. Many in 1.5” (3.8 cm ) to 3” (7.6 cm) pots. I have a reasonable good success rate with re-blooming, but like you have decided that I need to get serious about culture and understanding my orchids.

Being an engineering type, I made a spreadsheet with each orchid listed by its genus and name and included its basic cultural requirements. Much of the information was gleaned from the AOS (American Orchid Society) culture sheets, this forum, growers’ catalogs, and any other source I could find.

My goal with the spreadsheet is to provide a quick reference guide (QRF) that I can easily refer to as I am handling the orchids. When I move all my orchids back inside for the winter, I will use my QRF to create micro climates and group orchids according to their needs. I’m hoping this provides my best display ever.

Here are the column headers in my spreadsheet. Happy to share the template if anyone wants it.
Genus Abr., Genus, Name, Purchase Date, Purchased From, Bloom Description, Bloom Season, Last Re-Pot, Pot Size, Medium, Bud/Spike Date, Bloom Date, Light Req't, Medium Req'ts, Water Req'ts, Temp Req'ts, Other Cultural Req'ts

The Genus Abbreviation is then looked up for the Genus Name. This way I learn the correct abbreviations .

[NatalieS]

Great idea Carrie! I've been meaning to start an orchid journal myself. I might pinch your column headers if you don't mind?

I completely agree with Tucker - quality over quantity (I need to make this my mantra). I find myself being continuously tempted to buy more orchids because there is such variety, but when I think about it, what I really want is just a few wonderful specimens that give me joy and beautify my home. If I'm going to achieve that, I really need to stop dividing my time further by buying more and more plants.

[Paul Mc]

Funny. I already do similar thing! But yours is far more complex! But it still hasn't helped me get things to bloom, lol...