A Little slice of...well, Orchids! - Orchid Board

JennS · #1 11-14-2008, 03:12 PM

As many of the other members do, I frequently visit those "big box" stores with my eyes peeled for the occasional clearance priced or half priced orchid. In my many visits, I have only purchased 2 thus far on one of the sale racks. One was an Ascda. Princess Mikasa which rebounded within weeks and put out two shoots. The other was a few weeks ago, a NOID Catt which I have no clue what will turn out to be as the flower was already dead.

Today, I found an amazing deal!!!! Instead of the regular half off, they must have been desperate because there were several "clearance" priced orchids. I found three with tags that I then looked at on the regular priced table to see what they would look like. One of them was one I have been waiting for to be discounted!

I ended up with:
Onc. Nanboh Waltz
Den. Holly Wood
Den. Somsak White

They are all just out of bloom which is nice because I don't have alot in bloom this time of year, but the best part is the price!!!!!

Onc. $4.49
Dens both $1.99

3 previously bloomed plants for about $9! I am happy as a lark!

MuscleGirl'sHobby · #2 11-14-2008, 03:41 PM

I got a couple good sized dens in bloom for $12 a piece a while back at Lowes. Our Home Depot gets the exact same stuff from the same grower but charges $3-$5 more and take terrible care of them... so I avoid the HD.

Even further back I found a little Odm. Margaret Holm with a completely dried up spike, but I could see new growth trying to pop up. I found a lady marking down sale merchandise and said "Do you offer a discount on the ones not in bloom anymore?" She said "yeah" and slapped a $5.00 sticker on it. The growth is now mature with a nice spike that should be popping open some blooms in the couple of weeks.

JennS · #3 11-14-2008, 03:48 PM

I just love getting things at a discount! I couldn't believe it when I saw that sticker for $1.99! That is the lowest price I have ever gotten on an orchid!

MuscleGirl'sHobby · #4 11-14-2008, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JennS

I just love getting things at a discount! I couldn't believe it when I saw that sticker for $1.99! That is the lowest price I have ever gotten on an orchid!

Yeah... and I thought I had it good with $5.00! I would have about died if it had been $1.99. Very good find. Hard to go wrong at that price.

I had to pass on the orchids completely the last time I was in Lowes. None were still in bloom and were looking pretty rough, but none had been marked down. Then I saw a gorgeous little green dendrobium flower way way in the back. I pulled it out and the plant of about 5 canes was covered in keikis and the blooms were just beautiful... and every nook and cranny was packed with mealys.

camille1585 · #5 11-14-2008, 04:12 PM

Those are geat deals! I can't complain since Dutch blooming orchids are at your discount price, if you know which stores to go to. But in France it was another story, expensive plants, and never marked down when they are out of bloom.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuscleGirl'sHobby

I had to pass on the orchids completely the last time I was in Lowes. None were still in bloom and were looking pretty rough, but none had been marked down. Then I saw a gorgeous little green dendrobium flower way way in the back. I pulled it out and the plant of about 5 canes was covered in keikis and the blooms were just beautiful... and every nook and cranny was packed with mealys.

It's a shame about the dendrobium, but bringing a mealy covered plant home is a disaster waiting to happen. You did the right thing. When I was working in a garden center in late spring, I brought home a gorgeous phal that was going to the trash because of mealies. Despite rigorous quarantine and treatments, the mealies are now in my entire collection, and I'm struggling to get them under control.

JennS · #6 11-14-2008, 04:18 PM

Awww...how sad about the mealys! I see plants like that and want to rescue them! Not at the cost of my other babies though. I work at a garden center part time and end up getting any pathetic looking orchid as a take home. I am supposed to nurse them back to health and then bring them back in flower, but well, I usually end up with a division or the plant is so bad it takes years to recover. Good for me, bad for them...

camille1585 · #7 11-14-2008, 04:48 PM

Guess I learned my lesson, not all free orchids are good.

I was getting greedy during the 2 months I was working there. First I was given a Den kingianum because it had been out of bloom for weeks and they needed space for the mothers day stuff. Then they gave me a Catt/Lc/Bc/whatever because all the roots rotted off. I divided (to test 2 different mediums) and now I have 2 very healthy, well rooted plants. I shouldn't have taken the phal Pink Panther full of mealies. At least it's in bloom again!! (pics coming soon

)

MuscleGirl'sHobby · #8 11-14-2008, 04:53 PM

I need to find who the boss lady/man in the gardening dept. at our Lowes. I'm pretty sure they just throw away the plants that aren't in bloom. They day I got the $5.00 deal, there were several others not in bloom. For whatever reason, I didn't grab them too. Then as I though about what a great deal it was, and that they were all healthy plants... I headed back to the store a couple hours later. They were all gone and had been replaced with in bloom orchids.

JennS · #9 11-14-2008, 06:25 PM

Alot of those type of stores have vendors that come inspect the plants and remove any non blooming to take back to the nursery. It seems that only some of the lowes or home depots put them on sale eventually. I would definitely befriend someone and ask...even if you don't befriend them. Just find a manager and ask them about their orchid vendor. These particular ones come from Costa Farms which is in Goulds, FL. If you look on the Lowes tag near the UPC code it is written very small saying: grown by.... If you are at one of those stores, check the tag and you can always contact the vendor directly to see what day they deliver! Then you can get there the day or two before and scoop up any that will be gone soon...then you can remind the manager they will need to make room for the new shipment, etc. I hope it works!

MuscleGirl'sHobby · #10 11-14-2008, 07:43 PM

Both our Lowe's and Home Depots (there's 2 HDs close to me) get their orchids from Gubler which is in southern California. Due to the distance, I'd doubt that there is a rep coming up here all that often, if at all. Yet another reason to find out who handles the orchid care and ordering!

I also get orchids from a local nursery. They order them in. I've asked a few times, but it's only one lady who does the ordering, and she's never there when I am! lol But so far no-one there really knows anything about them. When I buy them and mention I'm adding to the collection I often get "You can get them to grow?" But, I sometimes get huge plants for cheap. If it's in a 6" pot, it's $19.95. Got Odbrs. C.M. Fitch 'Izumi' the other day.... 12 pb, 4 big spikes. I've had a little better than a week now and the most mature one is beginning to open.