Orchid catalogs?

[bellc]

Do you recommend any orchid catalogs? I just can't seem to get enough pictures and reading material on orchids.

[janet_a]

for a newbie it's worth getting an aos membership and reading the magazine for a couple yrs (pricey though). orchid digest is cheaper but only quarterly.

catalogs:

carter and holmes (was just there last week actually...)

and... um... having brain lock, can't remember any others... the aos website has a list of suppliers, and it may be worth a spin thru their sites to see if any have catalogs.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

http://www.andysorchids.com/
http://www.austincreekorchids.com/CHybrid.htm
http://www.bergstromorchids.com/
http://www.calorchid.com/
http://verizonsupersite.com/carmelaorchidsnet/home/
http://www.chadwickorchids.com/index.htm
http://www.flasksbychuckacker.com/
http://www.chulaorchids.com/


Well, that gets me thru the 'C's. Should I keep going? Been collecting web sites, but haven't bought from all of these. Cynthia

[bellc]

Thanks! Earlier this afternoon I bougtht another orchid book. It's The Complete Guide to Orchids (Ortho), by Michael McKinley. I noticed it was endorsed by the AOS and seemed good for beginners with a strong interest to learn more. They also have a list of suppliers, etc. in the back. So far this book seems much more helpful than the other book I bought, so I'm really pleased.

What do all of you buy from the catalogs? I'm just curious. Thanks again for the help

[jerrymeola]

I think the ortho book is the best there is for beginners.

Be careful when you buy from catalogs. The growers can not list everything in the catalog and many pretty pictures will be inapporiate for your growing conditions or that beautiful flower may only be 1/4 inch disappointing you. Reseach the plant, then ask on this forum if others grow it, and determine if it is what you want and can grow. Many growers will answer you emails about whether plants they sell are appropriate for your growing conditions.

For example here in SW Florida I tell everyone not to buy those gorgeous Cymbidiums. It is the only orchid the American Orchid society says not to buy if you live in a state on the Gulf of Mexico. It is just too hot to flower here.

[janet_a]

i should have qualified my post--i don't buy from catalogs; i want to be able to poke at the plant and look at the roots and talk to the grower about whether the plant will survive my conditions before spending $$ on it.

as jerry said, most reputable growers will discourage you from going home with something that will drop dead in a week.

of course, it's easy for me to say this, as i'm an hour from a medium sized greenhouse and usually hit any big orchid places when i drive around on vacation. for folks with no growers anywhere near them, mail order may be the only way to go.

[jerrymeola]

I have over a thousand orchids arriving in the next three days. All are shipped from reputable growers who also have retail catalogs.

But if I order something inappropriate they will ship anyway. Occasionally I have made a mistake. The growers do not want to send me something I can not resell or keep alive, but they can not analyze every item ordered. They are more than happy to make suggestions or say something is not what I really want. I ordered two Grammophylum scriptum that were 2 feet tall but the shipper pointed out it would not flower this year and maybe not next year. On the other side I get many cattleyas that bloom in 2 inch pots 6-8 weeks after receiving them.

It is not different for a hobbist ordering a plant or two. Catalog ordering is for those who want something specific and can not find it locally. It may have been recommended by someone growing it or you may have seen the orchid at a show and none were for sale. T
hen you should consider ordering on line. If you only want a pretty orchid there should be many to chose frm locally.

Keep in mind the shipping charges can get high quickly. Some on line dealers especially on ebay make substantial extra profit on the shipping charges. Even reasonable charges are steep if you are only receiving one orchid. I can sell orchids I buy from hawaii for less then the cost for you to order it direct. I order so many that a 4 inch orchid costs only 12 cents in shipping.

Expect to order 3 orchids to get the best shipping rate. If you want only one it is ok but realise you are paying a little extra to get the exact one you want. The post office has priority mail boxes with a fixed rate of 8.95 to anywhere in the US. It can hold 3 blooming size orchids if they are packed well. Even with shipping material expenses the cost should be only $12-15 to you.

Most catalog sellers will not garuantee the plant to be in bud and if it is in bud they will not gaurantee the buds will open. I lose the buds on about 3 % of my orchids in shipping. However if you lose the buds on the only plant you buy it hurts.

Be careful of "BLOOMING SIZE ORCHIDS" it does not mean it will bloom for you this year. It only means it is large enough to bloom. The term is used too loosely. Many blooming size I have seen are anything but large enough.