How many orchids do you have and how many orchids do you usually buy at one time??

[dirtnap72]

I have just under 200 so far.I tried phaels twice in the past.I work nights so the house was dark during the day while I slept and the phaels died both times.Lack of light?I tried again with vanilla and a few slippers outdoors and they didn't die.Once I saw pics online of Stanhopea and Coryanthes, I was hooked.At a show I can leave with as little as 2-3 or as many as 25 if there are a lot of stanhopinae.

[Orchonubee]

Well Linnie, the question you ask I answered a couple of months ago, when I joined the Orchid Board, and said about 60. Then I went out recently and when I hit 75, I lost count. In my 8X8 greenhouse, which my brother built a couple of years ago, I am running out of room. Also I bonk my head during the couple of months when it gets chilly(rarely gets cold in Fl), as I bring most of them in from the oak trees and hang them.
I buy 2 or more at a time on the Internet or eBay, once and a while. Sometimes I find one or two at the orchid shows in Melbourne or Cocoa, Fl and almost always pick up supplies there.

I became enamored with orchids some 50 years ago. My father had a several cats growing on oak trees when we lived in S. Fl. I vividly remember the huge sweet smelling blossoms. I only took up the hobby a few years ago, when I went to an orchid show and caught the fever. I've a life long love of growing plants, and gardening.

[Bradfo69]

Well I'm guessing it to be about 175 at this point. I don't have a database bu am seriously thinking I need to do something about that soon.

I usually seem to get three to five at a time. Depends on the deal. I find I'm usually more interested in the deal than I am with the plant. I may really WANT it but rarely pay a marked full price. I'll walk away knowing that someday I'll come across the plant again.

I knew fairly early that I had the addiction. Maybe after the first plant or two but I am at the point where I can't handle much more without a drastic move to a greenhouse which isn't in the cards right now. I'm thinking of culling out a few to get back to about 100.

[Skwishee]

Wow, suddenly my worry that I have too many orchids has gone away!! I just skipped out from work this morning so I could buy an orchid I saw at Home Depot last night, before somebody else snapped it up

I have:

1 Cattleytonia
1 Dendrobium
7 Phalaenopsis (might be 8 later today!!)

Here are a couple of pics of my latest addition.....

[Linnie]

I really enjoy hearing how many orchids everyone has. And it does make me feel better and better.

I like what orchonubee did, why don't we have everyone post back from time to time and tell how many new ones they have taken home since their last post?? Sounds like fun.

I think I had in the 60's and now I have about 80 so I have taken on just a few. Oh, I forgot, I just bought three species on Ebay and got a free one, so make that 84 now in Feb. 07.

Can't wait to get my new orchid room finished. I think another two weeks and I can go crazy for awhile with new orchids. Fun fun fun..

[Djarum Black]

Somehow I think this post will give away my insanity but here goes.
I got 212 Den's : I had this bright idea one day that I wanted a blooming carpet of the twisted hybrid variety. So I called a wholesaler in Hawaii and asked them to ship me (2) 98 plug trays full of orchids LOL. The rest of the Den's I aquired myself

I have 10-15 Catts I think? I just got 3 more yesterday so that number is not accurate probably.

I have 25-30 Phals, 20 of which I grew from compot size babies.

12 laelia's which are personally one of my favorites. I'm really picky about these.

A few bigish Oncidium's. I started with one and it grew like a weed, so I've had to split it 3-4 times.

A couple vandas but..they don't like me they are not dead but..they don't like to grow either.

I have alot of Schomburgkia's (another personal fav of mine) I'm not sure on the exact number anymore. I have blooming size as well as seedlings.

I have 1 Cymbidium that my mom gave me. I haven't decided if I like it or not yet I have avoided them for a while because they just never bowled me over.

I also have ALOT of NOID's of various kinds that I save from people who nearly killed them. So a few I'm waiting for to bloom so I know what they are.

A few flasks that I bought from growers which have a good deal of wee one's in them.

A buncha flasks that I sowed myself (nothing in them as of yet, but I'm hoping)

As for when I buy.. Haha well that depends on if there are people with me. I buy less when others are watching. At shows for example I might limit myself to 5-6 favorites. At a nursery I might buy 3-4.
But....When I am ALONEEEE ..bump that number up to closer to 15 at a show or even a nursery.
I don't like people thinking I'm crazy (even if I know I am) and it's not uncommon that I treat orchid shows like Las Vegas where suddenly all my money is just gone.

[Greenorchid]

At the moment I have approximately 80 plants, they would be many more if I didn'tt have space problems (I don't have a greenhouse). The true problem is that i need enough a week from the last purchase in order to wish of others, and that my tastes change to the speed of the light... therefore are always new orchids that I would want to have. When the purchasing raptus takes me, I forget my problems about space and i could purchase 10 in once, and when I return home, I must invent always new angles where to arrange the new arrivals... Soon I will have to yield also the bed, and to go to sleep ON the coelogyne cristata

[neicypiecy]

Hi all! I'm new to the Board and new to 'chids. I think I started last March, had 5. I now have over 75. I joined the local orchid society in january, and now I've been chosen to be editor/producer of the monthly newsletter. My biggest question to all is about water softeners. That's all I've been watering with. What happens? I'm in dire need of an answer. Thanks.

[Orchonubee]

I'm no expert on orchids, but I have 50 years experience growing other plants, and raising tropical fish. The idea behind a water softener is simple. The calcium and magnesium ions in the water are replaced with sodium ions. I never use softened water on any of my plants. I've also read that you should avoid softened water in aquariums too. Nothing beats rain water in an area that does not suffer from industrial air pollution, for watering plants. With all that said, if your orchids are flourishing, I'd change nothing!

[Alexis in Redland]

Neicypiecy, softened water is BAD NEWS for orchids! The salt used to soften the water kills the roots lickity split. Hopefully you have a hose somewhere that is not attached to your household water softener? Do whatever you have to, but don't use the softened water any longer than you have to. It sounds like you've been lucky so far to have avoided damage.

Back on topic... I'm a total orchid addict. I have over 300 orchids in my shadehouse, another 100-150 seedlings, and about 30 more in my living room Orchidarium.

If I go to a nursery, I usually limit myself to one or two, but that's mostly because I've depleted the local nurseries of everything that I find interesting. However, I can do some serious damage at a show - I think I bought close to 40 plants one year at the Redland Orchid Fest.

There's a big show here in Miami this weekend, and I am totally stoked!