Hi from foggy SF!

[patau13]

Hi everyone! I've been getting into growing orchids for the past 2 years. I found a cheap source of orchids here in the city and have gone crazy and filled up the window sills of my house. Thanks for all the advice and the forum.

[dipasquo]

Welcome! I've learned a lot from everyone here and I hope you will too.

You're talking about San Francisco, I assume? Unless your secret orchid source has limited supply, I'd love to know where it is since I'm from San Francisco, too.

[fred]

welcome to the forum patau13
nice to have you with us
could you please go the your UserCP at the top left of the page and Update your Profile with your Location as that will help us to understand your growing conditions and also with giving you the right advice as we have members from all over the world with different growing conditions

please feel free to tell us as to what orchids you are growing we would love to know

[jay]

Hello and welcome to the forum! You live in a great place to have orchids. I look forward to hearing about more of your orchids in the future.

[arleneg]

Hi & welcome to the forum, patau13.

I, too, am curious as to your inexpensive orchid source in San Fran.

[patticake]

Hi patau13 You're quite a ways away from me, here in the great northeast! It's good to have you with us!

[Catcym]

Hi, I'm from S. F. too !
I'm curious too about your orchid source.

[bkim]

Welcome. I'm gonna take a guess and say your source is Golden Gate orchids. If so, that is a great place!

[Orchidementia]

Originally Posted by bkim

Welcome. I'm gonna take a guess and say your source is Golden Gate orchids. If so, that is a great place!

If that's the same GGO I saw at the show, then my orchid source (Trader Joe's) has got him beat. I got 2 Burr. Stefan Isler 'Dos Pinhos' from TJ's - one for $7.99 and one for $2.99 - and GGO was selling one a little smaller than either for $30 at the show! True, I have to wait for a fresh shipment each week, and they don't carry everything ... but it's hard to beat a nice cheap orchid when picking up groceries.

[bkim]

Yeah, Trader Joes has some good orchids at times. You can find good deals at GGO but it depends on what you're looking for.

[Rocinante]

Welcome to the forum, patau13!

[solay]

Welcome Patau13. I'll guess the SF Flower Market on 6th St.? I wish I could wake up early enough to get there. There are several shops that carry orchids and is very inexpensive.

[patau13]

I am from San Fran, CA and you guessed it, my secret source is the flower mart. Their policy is to sell out-of-bloom orchids for $2-3, almost no matter how large. The upside is that they are cheap, the downside is that you don't get a flowering orchid and have to wait to see the flowers.

But for me $2-3 is too cheap to pass up! That said I'm only a beginner grower so I'll take what I can get most of the time. I am getting a little selective and want to start growing fragrant orchids.

I have mainly oncidiums, mainly because I like the way the look when out of bloom. I have a couple phals but am not a fan of them out of bloom. I have a noid australian dendrobium, a catt that I am killing, a sarcochillus that I am killing, and a bulbophylum and a couple other random NOIDs

It's awsome growing orchids. This is the first hobby like this I've had and it's so much fun.

Glad to be here.

[bkim]

Ahh Flower Mart! I totally forgot about that place. When I started orchids many years back I stocked up on plants from there (at the time out of bloom was $10-15 each). I'll have to visit again to see what they have.

Again, welcome!

[solay]

Yay! I got it right. I only go there when there's a funeral or wedding. My other hobby ids floral arranging. I do weddings for family and funeral wreaths for friends and family that passed. haven't been there since for about 3 years. Last time was to buy Dens. to make leis for a graduation.
I might have to go by one of these days. Can't pass up $3 orchids!!!!