VENDOR CHOICES
 

HELLO! I'm Shoshana. I'm new to the board...and new to orchid growing. I only have 3 orchids but desperately want to try a CYCNODES WINE DELIGHT.

Ive kept my paphiopedilum vinicolor, onc twinkle red fire and my phal mini floro sweetheart alive!

For the cycnodes wine delight...I want to purchase one from a reputable seller...only...i haven't got a clue which is
* CLOWN ALLEY ORCHIDS
* ORCHIDS.COM ( Normans orchids?)
* MOUNT PROSPECT ORCHIDS a vendor in new york?

Can you recommend a trusted seller of this plant?

HI! I'm new to this board also, but have a suggestion.

IMHO, anytime you are purchasing a living organism (be it a plant, dog, etc,), it's best to contact the seller before buying and ask questions. If you can build a relationship first, you're chances of getting a healthy specimen are greater and the seller will be more likely to help you with problems you encounter along the way.

Most of the forums (dog related) that I am on, won't allow the recommendation of specific breeders/sellers, etc. Partly because those very people may also be members of that forum, and because the forum owners don't want to be in a position of having a failed recommendation fall back on their heads. It's a good method that protects the majority of members. That doesn't mean that members won't PM someone who asks, though.

I don't know if that's true on this forum, but it's something to keep in mind if you don't get any responses or the responses/PMs you do get are unpleasant.

If you go to the main forum page and scroll down you will find a vendor feedback section. I'm not familiar with the vendors you mentioned but that's a good place to look for other's experience with different vendors

I can say from first hand experience that Clown Alley is a first class vendor. I have heard many bad things about Norman's, but have no first hand experience.

Welcome, Shoshana! We're glad you joined us.

Cycnodes require very different care from your other plants. They aren't hard to grow, but you have to learn what they need.

They have a winter dormancy which must be respected. If you water them through the winter when they are dormant, they may not survive. Their leaves naturally and normally turn yellow, then dry up and fall off in the fall to winter. Many people freak out when this happens and start watering more, which may kill the plant.

Cycnodes is a hybrid genus formed from crossing the genera Cycnoches and Mormodes. You can look up photos of orchids at the

Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia (IOSPE)

They are in the orchid group Catasetinae, named for the genus Catasetum, which is similar to these plants.

Fred Clarke at Sunset Valley Orchids breeds lots of hybrids of this kind of plant. If you go to his Web site you will find a link to articles he's written about Orchid Culture, including Catasetinae. He also has photos of a lot of other crosses similar to Wine Delight in the Catasetinae plants for sale area.

I hope you find your plant, and show us the photos!

Thanks guys!!!! Excellent point on calling first. I actually did that....but its Sunday. They're closed😄. Will call back!

Orchids Limited has a very nice mericlone of Wine Delight. Excellent seller w/outstanding plants...but you will pay more for it. I have 'JEM' and it's definitely a winner.

https://www.orchidweb.com/products/c...ccaos~525.html

Welcome, Shoshana! Here is a link to the Catasetinae culture sheet Sunset Valley Orchids Catasetinae Culture A nice feature of this group of orchids is that you can keep them in the house when they are dormant - they don't need (or want) much of anything, and the temperature is suitable (they don't want to get cold). Then, when they are actively growing, they can be quite happy outside in the summer - they like the heat and sunlight. Then, in the fall, when you stop watering, you can bring them back inside. Once they lose their leaves, they don't even take up much space.