Trader Joe's Orchids in Miami

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Ok, so after reading how so many of you scored amazing deals in TJ's, I was really jealous. Googeling today, Trader Joe's WILL open it's frist Miami store in Pinecrest on 18th October of this year! Youpee, It is still like 30 minutes drive, BUT i will just hope they will have at least some interesting orchids and great sales like I have read about here on this boar:-) Can't wait!

[FSUOrchids]

Yeah I will be checking that out myself when I visit Miami (I have family in that area) later in the year.

We are also getting one around the corner from us here in Orlando next year.

[Joseia]

Hmm, I've never checked Trader Joes - do they sell tagged plants, or are they all NOIDs?

[TOMMYMIAMI]

I have no clue what do they have, I have never been to one, but I always read here on this board that people scare great deals there, so I definitely wanna check them from time to time.

[Ordphien]

Trader Joe's mainly sells NOIDS.
They are all registered crosses I believe, except maybe the phals, but they generally come tagless.
You can find some with tags though.

The faster the people in your area buy the orchids the more interesting the selection becomes.
Mine gets orchids shipped twice a week so there's constantly new stock and a nice range of varieties. But it might take a while to pick up.
The one a few miles away hardly gets any orchids in, they just don't sell well there.
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[WhiteRabbit]

The TJ'ss near me often have tagged plants (Phals and Cyms are the exception) - but it does vary, depending on the supplier, I guess - For a while, all the orchids other than Phals and Cyms will have tags, then there's a period where none do.

While in the past there has often been a variety at the stores I go to, recently has been just noid Phals - but in the past, many Onc alliance (mostly inter-generics), Dens, Paphs, a few mini-catts now and then ...

Even when not tagged, the Onc alliance are usually recognizable.

The big draw is the price! 3" pots - $7.99 (unless they have gone up recently), even the Paphs!

[TOMMYMIAMI]

That's what I am looking forward to, the prices I have seen mentioned here are unreal, and especially when ON sale for like $2 or $3, it never ever happens in my home depot, which is the only close store for me, no Lowes here either. I do get most of my orchids online and from direct orchid growers, BUT to score couple surprising pieces, even without tags, or bag babies, for few bucks, and try to grow them to bloom must be fun to do, and I would go for it, they will make great gifts for my friends later:-) It is still going to be long drive, unfortunately traffic that way here in Miami is a B...., but I will definitely go and see at least few times what is a selection. Hope it will be much better than Florida's Lowes, so far the ones I have visited had horrible selection of dying phals, nothing else:-(

[Joseia]

Originally Posted by TOMMYMIAMI

I do get most of my orchids online and from direct orchid growers, BUT to score couple surprising pieces, even without tags, or bag babies, for few bucks, and try to grow them to bloom must be fun to do, and I would go for it, they will make great gifts for my friends later:-) (

Exactly my philosophy with the 5 or 6 Lowe's bag babies I have bought. Their bigger bag babies, like a B Nodosa Little Stars,will cost about $13. But the small bags are $7 and I guess they are at least a couple years from bloom size. For a newb like me, just perfect because I can see how they grow and learn by just watching what they do. It really is cool, so exciting to not really have any idea of what will happen. And then you see a root pop, and then a new bud right after, and Eureka!, a bit more undersanding of their growth cycles. Of course, sometimes you totally screw up and nearly kill one, like a BLC Hawaian Nite Life I nearly killed. But it survived with practically no roots left and only 2 very wrinkled leaves, but it pulled through, has nice healthy roots starting along with a new bulb. So, I learned alot from that and it only cost $7.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Exactly, great for learning, I am buying bag babies in my local home depot for TESTING new things, like mounting, and lately Hydroton pebbles, because the only way I killed my orchids be4 was in my opinion always over watering. I just scared Dendrobium Aggregatum just last week, pretty big, for only $11.99, and one great cattleya with gorgeous orange color on the picture, will see if it will bloom like that:-) It is just fun for little bit of money:-) I did buy much smaller plants from online sellers for much more:-)