Growing
Orchids
Orchid
Nutrition
Winter Orchid
Care
ABC's of Repotting
Our Orchid Story
September is
Dynamite!
Surfing
the Web for Orchids
Fragrance
in Cattleya Orchids
Spring
and Summer Orchid Care
Tales
of Orchids
Orchid
Labeling
The
Orchid Fertilizer Bible
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About
12 years ago a real, professional orchid grower visited
our greenhouses in Apopka, Florida. Our 7,000 square
feet (eventually expanded to 22,000 square feet) was
humble when compared to his large operations in South
Florida as well as Central Florida. Not surprising,
he was incredibly knowledgeable. What WAS surprising
was his friendliness and willingness to share his knowledge.
He told me a "story" which really brought
the whole orchid hobby/business into sharp focus. Briefly,
he told me if you have a great phal and someone offers
you a reasonable price for it, take it. A wonderful
vanda should also be sold for a wonderful (not ridiculous)
price. Basically, don't worry about having the phal
or vanda mericloned or mass-produced because these orchids
are only a commodity. Fantastic today, forgotten tomorrow!
However, a great cattleya will be a great catt 50 years
from now. That simple observation has been proven true
every day for the past 12 years. It still amazes me.
Why do I believe this? No one has ever asked me for
an old phal. Th new phal breeding is far superior and
trends (yellows, harlequins, reds, spots, stripes, etc.)
change with the breeze. Phalaenopsis orchids that sold
for $300 at the Miami Orchid Show 5 years ago are now
$25 with multiple spikes. The Awards Quarterly, published
by the American Orchid Society, documents the awarded
orchids and is a visual journal of these trends.
We are frequently asked if we have one of the old,
old catts. Many times the old catt was awarded 20, 30,
even 50 years ago. Our receipt of an e-mail with someone's
list of 50 old catts that were once in a collection
and are now gone is not an unusual event. Again, we
have never had a request for a single old phal.
Cattleyas endure and only become more appreciated with
time.
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