Hi from So. Calif.
 

I just started collecting orchids Oct. of last year and have probably gone a bit overboard because I think I'm up to over 30-40 now, mixture of species and hybrids. Live in So. Calif. valley area where it gets quite hot in the summer but all of my orchids are currently indoors.

I've joined a local orchid society but, unfortunately, due to Covid-19 restrictions we haven't met since Feb. Did win 3 orchids at the last raffle, although I lost the Maxillaria tenuifolia due to root rot (thought that was supposed to be an easy orchid).

Have purchased from Sunset Valley, Tropical Orchid Farm and Carmela Orchids and also have a few orchids from Trader Joe's.

I'm enjoying reading through the many knowledgeable and informative posts on the forum.

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Welcome to the Board
 

Like you, I am new to orchids (2 years) and now have 57!!! Yipes. It is an addiction. Yes, the Orchid Board is awesome.

Yes it is definitely addicting. I can't believe how many I've purchased over the past few months.
Do you have any favorite types of orchids or favorite vendors?

You have to have a lot of plants for the hobby to really be satisfying, and there's a reasonable explanation for why that is the case. Most orchids bloom once a year. Some will bloom twice a year, but typically that's all you'll get out of a single plant. That means that in order to always have orchids in bloom, you need A LOT of different ones. It's so simple. It's science. You need to buy more.

And welcome!

As far as vendors, Akatsuka Orchid Garden is a great place to get plants in bud as gifts (gifts to yourself haha). Odom's has a fantastic selection of Catts. Hausermann has awesome Catts as well. Marlow's Orchids has a wide selection of plants, some of them difficult to find. Sunset Valley Orchids specializes in Catasetinae, which is not really my main interest, but he also hybridizes a lot of miniature to compact Catts, and they are all fantastic. I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting, but I think those are the main ones I buy from, and I've never received a bad plant from any of those nurseries.

:welcomeflowers: Avian!

Avian - I started with Phals, but have now acquired Cattleyas, Oncidiums (few), Paphs (probably my favorite), and one Vanda.

I enjoy the blooms, however, I LOVE healthy roots almost as much! Probably because it has been drilled into me via reading on Orchid Board that good roots lead to good blooms:). Beautiful healthy root tips make me crazy happy.

There are no vendors within 200 miles of me, so I mail order from Hausermann's, or go once a year to an orchid show which is 400 miles away! Sometimes they arrive with transport damage, but I just accept that. So far, I have not received an orchid from them with a virus or bacterial infection.

Another thing I enjoy about this orchid adventure is buying a dying orchid from Lowes/Home Depot's discount rack and bringing it back to life! Wow, when I see those green root tips on a previously sick orchid -- I am in heaven.

As you can tell, I truly enjoy this new-found hobby.

Akatsuka charges an extra fee to ship to CA, only $5.00, though. Was surprised to see that since I've ordered from other vendors in Hawaii and never any extra fees.
CALIFORNIA: All shipments sent to the state of California will incur an additional $5/order for newly required agriculture inspection and are subjected to random spot inspections by their Agricultural Department. Orders to California are inspected weekly and shipped out on Wednesday morning.

I've purchased Cattleya and a Zygopetalum from SVO. I like the Catasetinae flowers but I've read that they are not an easy orchid. I want to order a few things from Hausermann. Thought they usually have a sale around this time of the year so have been waiting for that. I think they had a sale earlier this year so maybe they are not doing a summer sale.

QUOTE=realoldbeachbum;929315]Avian - I started with Phals, but have now acquired Cattleyas, Oncidiums (few), Paphs (probably my favorite), and one Vanda.

I enjoy the blooms, however, I LOVE healthy roots almost as much! Probably because it has been drilled into me via reading on Orchid Board that good roots lead to good blooms:). Beautiful healthy root tips make me crazy happy.

There are no vendors within 200 miles of me, so I mail order from Hausermann's, or go once a year to an orchid show which is 400 miles away! Sometimes they arrive with transport damage, but I just accept that. So far, I have not received an orchid from them with a virus or bacterial infection.

Another thing I enjoy about this orchid adventure is buying a dying orchid from Lowes/Home Depot's discount rack and bringing it back to life! Wow, when I see those green root tips on a previously sick orchid -- I am in heaven.

As you can tell, I truly enjoy this new-found hobby.[/QUOTE]
I've been reading very good things about Hausermann and there are 3 plants I want to order from them.
You have a green thumb. :) I purchased a clearance orchid from Lowes and it did OK at first and then it died. Don't know what went wrong.
I have several orchid vendors within driving distance but the only two I've been to so far are Norman's orchids and Mariposa Gardens. I bought a Phal from Norman's orchids. Spent more than I should have and about 2 mos. later that orchid died. I get cymbidiums from Mariposa. Great prices and healthy plants.