How do you keep track of the orchids in your collection

[JC Espinosa]

Help!

I am approaching the point of no return. I have almost 300 orchids (not including patches of terrestrial orchids that grow in my front yard): 88 species (some with 3-4 plants per species), 47 tagged hybrids (some with more than 1 plant), and now close to 150 NOIDs.

I am a consistent tagger, but my recordkeeping has obviously lagged behind. I have been keeping a simple list divided by genus in a Word document. Sometimes I remember to add the date and place of acquisition. I am know finding that it is an inadequate system and need to catalog my collection so I can also include notes about care and culture, pictures, etc.

I would like to know what other OB members do to keep track of their collections - what information do you include on your lists, software, etc.

I look forward to your feedback.

[Nexogen]

Tagging it’s a very god ID card, but if microchip is good for human id way not for plants…

[Leafmite]

I have to bring mine in for the winter so that limits the number. I try to keep the tags in the pots but I also recognize each of the orchids by sight (either by how I have it potted, size, or by the way it is growing). I just list the names of the plants in a document file.

[silken]

I use OrchidWiz for listing all of my plants. It is also a useful resource to see photos of a given hybrid or species and culture requirements. The journal part works very well for me. For each plant you can have multiples of the same. There is a space for it's cultivar name or variety, when you got it, when re-potted, bloomed, spiked, etc. What kind of potting media it is in, size of pot, where you got it etc. etc. You can add photos as well. It can be printed in PDF format also. Recently there has been a 'plant has died' feature so you can keep a record but show it is no longer with you. Many other things I have likely not mentioned. I find it a very orderly way to keep a journal of my 160 plants.

[kindrag23]

Yeah I sorta gave up after moms nephew decided to pull out all of the tags from their pots one day.....

[NYCorchidman]

I take pictures of all the tags and save on my computer.
Then I have a numbering system with matching information copied off the tags. then I include when and where they were acquired.

For example, 1. Paphiopedilum Jolly Holiday
Then I would mark (oil mark) the pot itself or lable with the matching number, 1.
I think I'm going to switch over to initials, like PJ for Paphiopedilum Jolly Holiday.

With a little over 100 orchids I have, I can pretty much tell what is what by just looking at the plants, but sometimes it can get confusing, so I have a numbering system.

[kindrag23]

not a bad idea, hmmm I think i may work on this once the phals I have bloom and I can figure out their names again.

[NYCorchidman]

For NOIDs, although I no longer have that many NOIDs left, I also give them names. Like Home Depot 2010 January, Trader Joe Best, Farmer's Market White . lol

[kindrag23]

Haha, 5 of my phal's are from Carter&Holmes and i still have most of the tags, still I know for a fact one is a Balden' Kaleidoscope, and another is a newberry Queen(?) but the others may just become a NOID...

[NYCorchidman]

Newberry Queen is a beautiful one.
Well, if you bought from C&Hs, you should have a list of names somewhere?
or see if C&H has a record of your purchase?