# just wondering



## jtrmd (Feb 22, 2012)

I'm still young compared to most the growers I know.I have been at it for 10yrs,but who's to say I am going to put another 30yrs into the hobby.I don't have any plans of trying to make a profit off of it.Lately I have been wondering how one makes an exit.Do you just go out mid winter and turn the heat off to the GH and let nature take its course,maybe give them all away?Has anyone else thought about it?


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## ehanes7612 (Feb 22, 2012)

jtrmd said:


> I'm still young compared to most the growers I know.I have been at it for 10yrs,but who's to say I am going to put another 30yrs into the hobby.I don't have any plans of trying to make a profit off of it.Lately I have been wondering how one makes an exit.Do you just go out mid winter and turn the heat off to the GH and let nature take its course,maybe give them all away?Has anyone else thought about it?


i have stopped growing twice..each time before i had 40 square feet of plants ...each time i slowly sold off my collection over a two month period...you can sell online, orchid society and just give away the stuff you cant sell


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## tim (Feb 22, 2012)

donate interesting stuff to a botanic garden for a tax-writeoff...


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## jtrmd (Feb 22, 2012)

ehanes,
I only stopped once about 8yrs ago.It was when during a power outage I cooked just about my whole collection in a little hobby GH I summered everything outdoors in.I was suprised how much stuff survived the mishap.I guess I took a few months off before starting back up.I had too many Catts anyway!


Tim,
How was the Paph forum?I remember you said you wanted to stop by and see the GH,are you still in Baltimore?


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## Shiva (Feb 22, 2012)

I stopped growing orchids between 1987 and 2001 for a variety of reasons. Sold or gave my collection away and left the rest to my cats to munch away. I didn't expect to come back but then an old friend had me kept her small collection while she went on holidays, and I got hooked again. One very fragrant Zygopetalum was mostly responsible.


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## Clark (Feb 22, 2012)

When the time comes, I will make three attempts to get rid of them.
Whatever is left over after 14 days, compost.


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## Ray (Feb 22, 2012)

I started killing - er, I mean GROWING - orchids in 1973. The only time I have stopped was when my entire collection was wiped out by a heater and alarm failure on a 7°F night in January of 1994. I bought a cymbidium at the Philly Flower Show that March, and have never looked back.

I figure this is more likely to be my wife's problem when I die.


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## paphreek (Feb 22, 2012)

I have also thought about what happens to my collection when I die. Julie could keep things going for a while, but ultimately wouldn't want to continue the business. I've toyed with the idea of somehow selling whatever Julie did not want, and creating an endowment for the two Minnesota orchid societies for the purpose of paying to bring in speakers on slipper orchids. It's kind of a grandiose idea, but maybe one that could be made to work.


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## NYEric (Feb 22, 2012)

I have never thought about stopping. Why would I do that? If you need to get rid of stuff you do know a group w/ similar interests! oke:


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## nikv (Feb 22, 2012)

The SlipperTalk Auction is just around the corner . . . . .


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## Paph_LdyMacBeth (Feb 22, 2012)

I've only been growing orchids for 5 years, but I have noticed that if I don't "cull" my collection often I get frustrated/bored/neglectful/resentful of them. Orchids can take a significant amount of time to care for properly and I find its best not to waste my time, energy, & resources on plants that aren't performing or I don't like. 
I'll take them to the society raffle table or throw them out (depending on whats wrong with them). I've had to learn to be less invested in plants that don't interest me.


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## Marc (Feb 22, 2012)

I'm relatively young in the hobby as well. Allthough I'm only involved for two years now and I'm only 31 myself I've seen and heard a lot because of my parents. As most of you know they are to blame for my hobby. 

I've heard of collections needed to be picked up after someone has passed away.
I've witnissed a collection being partially sold of and partially left to die during the winter because of health issues the grower had.
And I've heard of a collection being sold of because the owner was coming of age and he took a year to get rid of all / most of his collection. That way he was able to get at least a reasonable price for some of his plants and he was sure that most of the would live on.


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## SlipperKing (Feb 22, 2012)

I've been actively implementing my plan for the last couple of years now and will continue to do so until my last breath! Anything I consider to be special, whether it's awarded, one of a kind, rare,a species or high award potential. I will divide, sell or trade or even give-a-way to folks I think can grow it on. Who knows, maybe someday in the distant future people will be saying "Oh, I got this from so-n-so who tells me it came from that old-timer way down in south Texas back in the early 2000's"!!!! Of course all that talk will be happening while people are buzzing a round in their spaceships!LOL
Hell, look we still have a bunch of bulldog Paphs from merry ole England, Maudiae 'Los Osos', St Swithins 'Penn Valley', roth 'CE'....it could happen!


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## Shiva (Feb 22, 2012)

That would be cool, Rick. I can think of a nice catt in flower stuck on the spaceship dashboard. Make it so Number One!


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## jtrmd (Feb 22, 2012)

SlipperKing said:


> I've been actively implementing my plan for the last couple of years now and will continue to do so until my last breath! Anything I consider to be special, whether it's awarded, one of a kind, rare,a species or high award potential. I will divide, sell or trade or even give-a-way to folks I think can grow it on. Who knows, maybe someday in the distant future people will be saying "Oh, I got this from so-n-so who tells me it came from that old-timer way down in south Texas back in the early 2000's"!!!! Of course all that talk will be happening while people are buzzing a round in their spaceships!LOL
> Hell, look we still have a bunch of bulldog Paphs from merry ole England, Maudiae 'Los Osos', St Swithins 'Penn Valley', roth 'CE'....it could happen!



I kind of like this idea.I already have few people who will probably clear out all the good stuff in the GH before my body is even cold.Whoever gets them better bloom that cooksonii,because I put a lot of time into it over the years.


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## Marc (Feb 23, 2012)

jtrmd said:


> I kind of like this idea.I already have few people who will probably clear out all the good stuff in the GH before my body is even cold.Whoever gets them better bloom that cooksonii,because I put a lot of time into it over the years.



It sounds a bit harsh but that is the best. I've allready seen plants being rescued from a greenhouse after the owner has passed away. Of course the relatives tried to take of the house untill it was cleared out. But a few weeks of less ideal care makes itself noticeable very fast in a collection. Espescially when it's summer.


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## SlipperFan (Feb 23, 2012)

Several times in the last few years, my society has been asked to rescue orchids from either ill or deceased orchidists. It's really sad, because by the time we are asked, the orchids have been neglected for months and are either mostly dead or have such bad insect infestations that they are mostly not worth rescuing. I hope I can disperse my collection before that happens to mine.


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## Orchidnut57 (Feb 23, 2012)

NYEric said:


> I have never thought about stopping. Why would I do that? If you need to get rid of stuff you do know a group w/ similar interests! oke:



Exactly...why would you give up something that is fun and legal.
Challenging at times but your mind will never sleep(nor will you)


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## paphioboy (Feb 23, 2012)

I don't like to think of this but perhaps one could donate/auction off the plants to your local society or donate to a botanic garden/conservatory of some sort..


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## Ruth (Feb 26, 2012)

We had one of our members shut down his greenhouse, he had about 60 plants. I contacted our our society that his plants were available, and they all found new homes with in 2 days.


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## Scott Ware (Feb 27, 2012)

Several years ago, I was offered the remains of what had been one of the most important collections in the Pacific Northwest. It took years to nurse those plants back to a state of good health and many never recovered. The mite damage that occurs to an unattended collection of desiccated plants is absolutely sickening.

I think it's important to develop an exit strategy based on potential real-life scenarios including, for example, increasing and prohibitive energy costs, sickness or death of hobbyist, etc. and then to document and inform people of your decision. Too often the only person who cares or knows enough at all about the plants is the one who might not be around to issue the directive.


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## JeanLux (Feb 27, 2012)

You are absolutely right Scott... from a realistic point of view  !!!!

I have seen several collections go lost because the owners' family had (understandably) other priorities at the moment!!! Jean


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## Leo Schordje (Feb 27, 2012)

Good topic

No collection is permanent, that's why as soon as is reasonable I try to distribute divisions of what I consider to be my 'important' rare or otherwise collectible species and hybrids. That way if I drop dead tomorrow, many of the best of my best are already in other people's hands. At least that is what I try to do. Unfortunately some of the neatest stuff I have has been reluctant to grow well enough to make divisions. 

Succession is a big topic with the bonsai growers too, and there is no easy, one size fits all answer. Ideally one could/should look for somebody at least 20 years younger than they are to be their designated 'orchid heir' or their 'bonsai apprentice'. It would have to be someone who could come by and help out enough that they know how you do things and what is the 'good stuff', and what your wishes are for the plants should you 'exit' suddenly. They should also be close by enough to cover for you during an illness. You might have to pay them for the help, or might not. 

I have given (copies to each) written instructions to a couple relatives and a friend with a list of people they should call to take care of the plants for me. (with current phone numbers) In the note I emphasize that it is better to get the whole collection into the hands of someone who can take care of it as soon as possible, rather than take a long period of time trying to sell it off in pieces, in an effort to maximize the profit.

This is all easier said than done. None of my nieces and nephews seem interested enough to become my protege, though at least 2 of them do have green thumbs. That had been a hope of mine. We will see what the future brings, but this is something I have actively thought about recently.


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## nikv (Feb 27, 2012)

To be honest, I've given more thought to who should take my cat after I'm gone. I'm thinking that my Cymbidiums in my back yard would be divvied up amongst my neighbors (they all love them). The orchids in my greenhouse are another story. None of them are particularly valuable in a commercial or horticultural sense. But they mean the world to me. Probably not to anyone else, though.


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## Scott Ware (Feb 27, 2012)

Leo Schordje said:


> No collection is permanent, that's why as soon as is reasonable I try to distribute divisions of what I consider to be my 'important' rare or otherwise collectible species and hybrids.



Yes! That's another very important point! None of us as growers is infallible and accidents do happen! I try to place divisions of each of my really great plants in other collections so that when I kill the one I have, there is a good chance of having a backup.


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## abax (Feb 28, 2012)

I've given instructions to my husband and a very dear friend in Chicago to give my plants to orchid people on the
two forums I attend. Seems fair to me since I've done
considerable trading and giving away over the years.


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