Orchid yearnings/compulsions
 

As more and more of my 30ish (yes I know small..but I'm a windowsill grower and not limited to orchids either) start budding up, the desire to acquire becomes a burning need.
Then my fickleness arises and do I really need more of the mostly same orchids I already have? yes, habit may differ, leaves may be different, flower color may differ. So this is probably the only thing saving me from being evicted from my windowsills.
I do think maybe a dendrochilium wenzelii might have to grace the windowsills this winter. And (sigh) maybe a paph hybrid of some sort (not really sure what I want)..but the windowsills don't have room for much more ;) So maybe common sense also precludes a buying spree, as does lack of funds *lol*.
I have many oncs, 7 or 8 paphs, one phal (yes one snuck in, somehow), many dendrobiums, a zygo. My climate preference is intermediate tolerant orchids (or tolerant cool growers).
Do seeing spikes make you want to order more? :)

My desire for "more" is usually dependent on seeing someone else's blooming "whatever" and thinking Ooooo, I wanna grow that!

Then I remember my never over 100, try to stay around 80 rule of thumb. If I've been growing something for awhile, or bloomed it and thought Well, it's okay but not great (in my eyes) I might pass it forward and try the newest Ooooo, gotta have it phase.

And then again, that age old problem of funding. :biggrin:

People are breeding mini Paphs. There are miniature to small Dendrochilum species available.

Ha ha, Estacion, don't help me ;)
Lead me toward Orchids Anonymous instead.

There also are some small-to-mini Angraecums, that are also cool-to-cold tolerant.

Not so much with the regular houseplants (snake plants, pothos, calathea, etc) but with all of the plants I have now it's more of an interest in breeding them.

This is the case with nepenthes, some sarracenia, butterworts, some sundews, venus fly traps and now partially with orchids.

It's the an interesting in combining things like a mad scientist and seeing what you get.

I’ve been toying with the idea of making my windowsills larger. More room for larger pots and more plants!

Orchid breeding is a different game... First, you need to get the cross to generate seed. If you succeed at that, seed needs to be sown under sterile conditions. Then figure a year or more to grow in flask until the seedlings are big enough to live in the world. Then several years (anywhere from 3 to 10 or more depending on genus) to get to blooming size. So when you make a cross, you're investing a lot of time, as well as space (a seed capsule produces thousands of seeds, at various stages the stronger seedlings get selected to grow on) . So having a plan is important.

You don’t have to be limited to windowsill growing, a lot of people grow under lights and terrariums

Some years ago, I had an obsession with Angraecums. Fortunately, I got that under control. White flowers that are basically shaped the same...why? And, yet, I still have four different species of Angraecums.

I set a limit on the number of of orchids to 50. I had years that when autumn came, I would panic trying to find space for them indoors. I would have to give some away because I could not fit more hanging, on shelves, in windows or under lights.

I collect other plants, too. There are different varieties of Passiflora, jasmine, citrus, coffee, air plants, herbs, carnivorous plants, geraniums, and ficus carica...and the two banana trees...and some other random tropical plants..