Buying orchids from tropical areas

[sunny9]

There is the orchid show in Rockefeller Center on Apr 21. Question: My friend told me that since I live in the North east--New Jersey, I should buy orchids grown from this area, as they would be used to the amount of available sunlight and flower more. He said I should avoid purchasing orchids from areas where the plants are accustomed to, and have been grown in, brighter light, such as in tropical areas. Do you have an opinion on this?

Should I look to purchase orchids grown in the New Jersey/Northeast area, over orchids that have been grown, like, in Hawaii?

Thanks,
Sunny9

[Orchid_lady]

Hi sunny, I don't think buying orchids from tropical places should be a problem. If you could give them the requiredments that they are suppost to have, they will be ok. Thats why you buy orchids that fit your growing enviroment.

[jerrymeola]

There is a slight bit of truth to your friends statement but only for the first few months. Orchids adapt rapidly.

Even an orchid grown in New Jersey will experience a huge difference in light and growing conditions when moved from a commercial greenhouse to a home.

My orchids react differently on whether they are in my screen lanai (personal), my comercial shadehouse (business) or the low light level barn (business). I am regularily moving orchids between these locals as needed for the plants or my enjoyment. This is a greater change than you might imagine. Sometimes they suffer but usually recover quickly.

A healty plant will grow anywhere. The grower gave it the conditions it needed to grow. Hawaii is not as sunny as SW Florida and does not have the temperature range we experience here. I probably have a more difficult set of conditions to adapt than you. I am getting over a thousand new orchids from hawaii this week ranging from seedlings to blooming. I can not invest that much money without knowing they can adapt.

More important is to know the requirments of the plant and whether you have conditions that are acceptable to the plant. Asking questions on this forum is a way to learn.

First chose the location where you want to grow the plant, find out what plants will like that envirnment and then buy accordingly.

[sunny9]

Thanks for your insights. I feel better, now I can go to the orchid show and not feel so limited in what I want to purchase. Your support is wonderful.

Sunny

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Yeah, sounds like nonsense to me. I guarentee your orchids will have some cultural shock as a normal pattern when you buy orchids. Greenhouse grown: higher humidiy, longer hours of daylight, optimum amount of light for faster growth, of course you are not going to match this. Even if you got a plant from a fellow home orchid grower, it would not wind up with exactly the same conditions in your home.

Now, if you want advice on what to avoid that has the biggest cultural shock, don't buy from dealers that bring their stock up dirctly from south of the equator. I buy regularly from Floralia, from Brazil, and have to be very attentive with my culture to get them past the season shift the they experience. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ