with orchids is that they simply choose the wrong ones. Considering that there are thousands of distinct kinds of orchids, you can easily see how people may not know which one to buy. To be successful, you need to pick a dependable supplier, healthy plants, and the type of orchid that fits your growing area.
Selecting an orchid that suits your growing conditions is much more practical than trying to suit your growing conditions to the orchid. In this chapter, I walk you through the important questions to ask yourself and your supplier so you end up with the orchid that will be right in your growing spot.
Figuring Out Where to Shop
Finding orchid suppliers used to be difficult, unless you were lucky enough to live in a very warm area, like Southern California or Florida. Nowadays, because orchids have skyrocketed in popularity, you can find them for sale in myriad places. In the following sections, I fill you in on your supplier options.
Specialist orchid growers or suppliers
An orchid specialist is always my first choice when I’m buying orchids. Reputable suppliers in this category have been selling orchids for many years before it was the chic thing to do. Almost all of them are orchid fanatics whose hobby grew out of control — so they were forced to either stop buying more orchids or start a business. They know everything about their plants — where they came from, their attributes, and how to grow them. They almost always have the largest selection and cater to both the beginner and sophisticated, experienced growers. They love to help other people discover the pleasure of growing orchids and are full of helpful information.
The only disadvantage of specialist growers or suppliers is that you may not have one near where you live. Of course, that doesn’t have to be a deterrent. It just means you’ll need to do some planning and search out these growers so you can take your own orchid-buying safari! I urge you to seek out these dedicated growers. Unfortunately the number of these growers seems to be dwindling because most folks now purchase their orchids through other convenient channels, but these growers are breeding and growing the less known and fascinating orchids. If orchid aficionados like you and I don’t patronize these committed folks, we risk losing the diversity of orchids that only they supply and now enjoy.
Your local garden center
Having a local orchid source is extremely convenient both for buying the plants and for information on growing. Today, garden centers offer more unusual and more interesting plants than ever before — and orchids are among these. The types of orchids they offer varies greatly from one garden center to the next.
Orchid shows
At orchid shows, you’ll find dazzling displays of a broad range of gorgeous orchids. Be prepared to be wowed! Vendors of orchids are a regular feature of orchid shows, so they’re a great place to shop. To find an orchid show in your area, check out the various orchid magazines or search their website.
Online orchid suppliers
You can buy a fine selection of orchids without ever leaving your home. Most orchid suppliers have websites, and some of the sites are detailed and informative.
If you already know what types of orchids you want, you can use a search engine to search for them by type or name. eBay has become quite a useful source for various orchids.
https://canadianorchidcongress.ca/Engnames.pdf.
PURCHASING ORCHIDS ONLINE
Here are some guidelines I use when purchasing orchids online:
Check out the vendor’s rating. If it’s below the high 90s in satisfaction ratings, check out the vendor’s responses to the complaints to make sure the ratings are reasonable. Sometimes customers can be unrealistic in their demands.
Examine the picture of the plant being offered. You should see a picture of the exact plant being offered, not a picture of a group of plants. You need to know if this picture isn’t just representational of what you might see when the plant flowers but an exact picture of the flower your plant will display. The offspring of seed-grown orchids vary dramatically so you should be aware of that.
Look closely at the plant’s foliage. Does it show discolored spots on the leaves or holes in the leaves that may indicate disease or insect damage. Is the foliage floppy and weak, which may show that it’s poorly grown?
Make sure the vendor accepts returns. Ask the vendor whether they accept a returned plant if the one you receive is in poor condition or if it isn’t the plant you ordered.
Check out the cost and speed of the shipping method. In general, you don’t want your plants to transit for more than a few days.
Try to have your plant shipped to you on a Monday. That way you don’t run the risk of the plant being held at the shippers over a weekend if the shipment somehow gets delayed.
Order when the weather is mild with daytime temperatures above freezing. If that’s not possible, make sure the shipper includes a heat pack with your shipment and guarantees live delivery. Also, avoid extremely hot times.
Home centers and discount stores
Because orchids have had such a meteoric rise in popularity, home centers and discount stores now frequently stock a limited selection of them. The good news: They usually carry the orchids that are easy to grow. The bad news: Getting information at these stores is difficult. But if you’re shopping for your first, inexpensive orchid, and if you don’t have easy access to a garden center or orchid grower, these are good places to start.
Considering Your Environment
When
