Diamonds in the rough? Ever find something special from a big box store?

[Leafmite]

One of our area Lowes has been getting the bagged orchids. I bought a Cattleya walkeriana and a Pontinara Hsyinying Pink Doll 'Hsyinying' AM/AOS BM/JOGA, both a few years from blooming and a little rough but cheap enough to make the purchase worth it.

Some vendors do disappoint but I have had great luck with Hausermann's, Exotic Orchids of Maui, Andy's Orchids, J&L, and Al's Orchid Greenhouse. I always have felt that the orchids I received from these places were well worth what I paid.

[catherinecarney]

Leafmite--which Lowes did you go to?? The only one I know of in central Ohio that's been carrying bag babies is located in Heath. Haven't checked all the Columbus locations though....

I second Leafmite on Andy's Orchids--plants have always arrived in carefully wrapped and in great condition....

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

One of our area Lowes has been getting the bagged orchids. I bought a Cattleya walkeriana and a Pontinara Hsyinying Pink Doll 'Hsyinying' AM/AOS BM/JOGA, both a few years from blooming and a little rough but cheap enough to make the purchase worth it.

Some vendors do disappoint but I have had great luck with Hausermann's, Exotic Orchids of Maui, Andy's Orchids, J&L, and Al's Orchid Greenhouse. I always have felt that the orchids I received from these places were well worth what I paid.

My personal experience, I would add Jewell Orchids (small but healthy, quality plants, good prices) and Carter & Holmes (amazing quality Cattleyas, usually small but healthy plants) among the good vendors.

[gngrhill]

Originally Posted by pipsxlch

Gngrhill, I *think* I saw once that you can mailorder bag babies, but I don't think you can choose by grex (or species) then- just by hangtag description (i.e. Orchid Whisperer's 'Blue Cattleyas'). You can check Better-Gro's/Sunbulb's website.

Thanks for the idea, I did check out their site and it says they do not do retail. Just listed Home Depot and Lowes as distributors. I guess you just have to be in the right place

[pipsxlch]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

Sometimes when those bagged orchids get into the 'pretty rough' category you can get take plants off their hands for a fraction of the list price. I got a Cattleytonia 'Why Not' last year, paid either $1 or $2 for it. Dehydrated, and the leaves don't look perfect because of that, but it is growing well now and was totally worth it.

I compare the blooming size or near blooming size bagged plants from the big box stores, often nice species or clones of awarded hybrids, to the often pathetic offerings of some other vendors charging much more (see What orchids did you receive today? ). Stores carrying these orchids, and nurseries such as BetterGro that supply these tagged/named plants, will get my business. As will traditional, quality orchid nurseries.

This, both paragraphs. Just today I paid $4 for a very rough but I think salvageable (is trying to put out a new growth) 4" Rlc. Arabesque x. Hawaiian Lightning. And if it doesn't make it, they take it back no issue, up to a year from purchase. In the past, I've paid $5-$6 for the larger size and $2-$3 for the smaller size more than once on plants getting rough. My sister paid $3 for one of those $13 purple latouria dens a few months ago, it had dropped some leaves after a cold snap. (Spectabile hybrid, don't remember other parent) A year and a half ago, for talking to the manager of a Lowe's about the plants, I got 2 small bag babies, 2 larger ones and a huge multi-leaded 6" blooming Catt for $15. I was going to pay full price for the bloomer (tagged $35), nothing wrong with it!

Other than the total lack of care they receive in the stores, the plants are usually healthy (when they arrive) and of a decent size. I've never gotten a buggy one, although I did hear of a run of buggy ones a few years ago- just one hybrid involved, and I'd gotten one of it that was clean. I did get a mistagged plant 25 years ago- it was an in bud Laelia purpurata that ended up a really lovely tenebrosa. None others since.

I agree that there are many quality nurseries that we need to support- a few are shown in Orchid Whisperer's link. There are bad ones out there too, I've bought from them at shows, mailorder and local vendors and kicked myself later. I could have bought several bag babies for what I spent on garbage. I think the whole point isn't buy bag babies instead of traditional vendors; it's that they can be a surprising and surprisingly affordable option for good quality plants. And while their spectrum of offerings is also surprising, you can't choose like you can from a normal vendor. It's take or leave from what's there.

Gngrhill, it was a link I'd followed from their page- maybe that Orchid Styles? It was quite awhile ago, and they had more selection then. I see people selling them on eBay also.
just remember the pictures are representative, not necessarily the plant that's in the bag. The spotted show Blc. Waianae Leopard 'Ching Hua', for example, but the current run is C. Gene May x. Bl. Morning Glory.

[catherinecarney]

Had some time today and stopped by Lowe's in Heath, Ohio. Their bag babies were pretty picked over, but I did come home with 2 Dendrobium aggregatum and a small Catt. walkeriana semi-alba that are in good shape. The aggregatums were in 4" round pots for $12.98 each and the walkeriana was in a 2" square pot for $6.98.

Not that I need more orchids....

Catherine

---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------

Looked closer at the Den. aggregatums--one is tagged aggregatum, and the other is speciosum var. pendulatum (though the tag/picture on the outside said aggregatum). BONUS!

Catherine

---------- Post added at 07:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:59 PM ----------

Gah, I can't type today....That should be speciosum var. pedunculatum.

[Leafmite]

Originally Posted by catherinecarney

Had some time today and stopped by Lowe's in Heath, Ohio. Their bag babies were pretty picked over, but I did come home with 2 Dendrobium aggregatum and a small Catt. walkeriana semi-alba that are in good shape. The aggregatums were in 4" round pots for $12.98 each and the walkeriana was in a 2" square pot for $6.98.

Not that I need more orchids....

Now you can join the Cattleya walkeriana project!

Project 2016: Cattleya walkeriana

[Nanotyrannus]

It's been a long time since I posted in this thread. I'm glad so many of you are contributing to it! After about 5 months of the wilting of my Bapticidium, it's in spike again! It seems this little (big) fella is a potential everbloomer when it reaches a sufficient size, because only one of the 5 new bulbs are blooming right now. I'll definitely upload a pic when it's in bloom.

Here are some new purchases:

This is a NOID peloric Phal. It's a miniature with waxy, not very showy blooms. What was amazing was its violently strong fragrance. I could smell it out of the bag in the shaded, air-conditioned Trader Joe's! If anyone could ID this, I would be thankful.


This is my Phalaenopsis Sun Passat, which I also got from Trader Joe's. It's a huge Phal with a reportedly strong apple fragrance, though I'm still trying to coax it out of the plant. MissOrchidGirl said it fills her room with its fragrance.

Now some orchids I did NOT purchase, but found very interesting:

I don't know what this is, but look at that color and shape! Definitely looks like a Zygopetalum intergeneric. Found at Trader Joe's, no fragrance detected.


This one was actually tagged! Vuyl. Celtic Sun 'Maya'. Found at a local Ralph's, what the heck!! I'm considering buying it if it goes on clearance, just because it's so strange. I've never ever heard of Vuylstekeara!

[Subrosa]

If that Phal ever throws a keiki, we need to talk!

[No-Pro-mwa]

So great it is fragrant. But for some reason I can't see the rest of the pictures.