| What Should I Be Looking For When Buying An Orchid? |
| Email me ....Macara@xtra.co.nz |
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| One of the first considerations when you are looking at purchasing an orchid, whether it be from a local Club Meeting, a Show, that Commercial Growers Stand in the Mall or even from a fellow member (or non member for that matter), is to find out what the conditions are that the plant requires to grow & flower successfully. Some orchids are cooler growers (keeping in mind that cooler can range from cold to near intermediate temperatures), while some are warm growers (intermediate through to hot temperatures), some plants grow compactly while others will require a lot of room, others can be relatively easily grown & flowered while yet others can be very difficult. Once you have established the requirements of the prospective plant, & are satisfied that your conditions will suit it, the next thing to look at is the plant itself. Is the plant healthy looking in general? That is, are the leaves a uniform green & not washed out looking (some Genera have mottled, speckled or even spotty looking growths), if you have any doubts, ask someone who knows. What is the condition of the pot that the plant is in? If it is dirty or mossy, it may hold hidden pests or diseases that can spread to the rest of your collection. Is the potting medium fresh looking? If it is old & breaking down it may suggest that the root system of the plant is unhealthy or even suffering rot itself, which could have dire consequences for the plant in the near future. Check to see that the plant is securely anchored in the mix & the pot itself. A plant that is loose or floppy may indicate that it has been dislodged from the pot, & may have suffered damage to the root system, or it maybe that the plant is a Keiki or unestablished plant that has just been planted out prior to sale. If this is the case the plant may well get away okay, but you are better off with an established plant. Are there any signs of any pests or diseases on the plant? The plant should be free from any of these. The presence of any pests etc not only poses a threat to the rest of your collection, but also may indicate that the plant itself is suffering from neglect. If it is a flowering plant that you are purchasing, pick one that still has some buds to open, as this will give you an indication of how long you could expect future flowers to last. Look at the flowers on the stem, & pick a plant that has these flowers looking up or out at you, as droopy flowers or flowers that hang at odd angles off the spike may well look nice in themselves but will never make as nice a display as the flowers that look out at you. Once you are satisfied that all these criteria has been meet, go ahead & buy your plant & happy growing. The other option of course is for the plant to require totally different conditions to those that you can provide, so you buy the plant anyway, then spend exorbitant amounts of money on power & materials to create the right conditions. |