Is $700 a year on orchids a lot?

[Nelson Wong]

So I want to ask everyone - On average, how much do you all spending on orchids (this includes substrate and new plants) each year? and how many orchids do you have at home.

I will start first.
I spend approximately $700 a year on orchids each year usually $500 is on new plants and the rest are supplies.
I currently have about 120 ish orchids at home, I have downsized by trading away my Phal, Oncidium, and dendrobiums for Paphs.

 

[Justin]

At this point very little, except for the electric bill.

 

[Ray]

I spent $4800/year heating the greenhouse back in PA.

 

[orchid527]

Roughly $2K/year, with about 900-1000 plants in the greenhouse and plant room. The availability of quality, affordable plants, of the types that will grow well for me, as well as free space, are the limiting factors.

 

[paphfreak]

a whole lot more than that, but I just got back into my addiction after a 15 year hiatus. Hate to think what it's going to cost to heat my new greenhouse during the winter.

 

[Nelson Wong]

Oh wow! you guys have GREEN HOUSES? How big are these green houses?
Right now I only have my Milsbo indoor. But I didn't you can grow to a collection for 900 to 1000 orchids!

 

[paphfreak]

I have a grow room in my garage. It's completely full. Just got a 10X12x10 greenhouse. Still assembling & figuring out the environmental controls. It gets up to 115F here. Have to figure out how to cool it. Building as a relativly large wet wall. We also have salt water coming out of the taps. Turns out the greenhouse is the cheapest part ...

 

[Phragper]

have a 18 x 24 greenhouse with approx 1000 orchids. phrags, paphs, catts, cym, and others. spend way too much this past year. but that will be slowing down as I am completely out of space but it is truly a joy for every second I have spent in there the last 33 years.

 

[Tony]

I really don't want to do the math lmao, I'm probably somewhere between 7-10k so far this year between plants, supplies, operating costs, memberships, travel, etc.

 

[NYEric]

Ummmm, no comment.

 

[southernbelle]

Welcome to the group. It is a wealth of knowledge and fun, nice people from all over the world! You've hit the mother-lode with anything slipper (and those of us who love catts are well tolerated).
Too much! I have about 110 mostly catts (80), paphs (20) & phrags (10) under lights in a 9 x 12 grow room. Phrags are upstairs on windowsills. A couple of years ago, I lost 1/3 of my collection to virus, so that was a whopper of a loss. Fortunately, the plants that I lost were all $100 or less, so not as devastating as it would be now that I have many original divisions. In recent years I've moved to only buying virus free original divisions of nice things I want, therefore, plants (catts) can be a minimum of $150, upwards to $400. Between potting supplies, fertilizer, insecticides, virus tests, supplies really add up and then there are subscriptions, traveling to shows, etc. My lights are LEDs and only draw 600 watts for the whole room, but the water is city water that is run through r/o, so I often hear about how much water we use. My husband could tell me because he logs most things, but I'm afraid to ask... Last year it was just shy of $3,000 on direct costs, not counting elec., water.
I think I made about $225 with member sales at shows, which was the first time I tried that. I was surprised how quickly everything sold and will do it again. It's just a timing thing for me, as when I divide, I don't have room to keep the extra divisions, so end up giving them to friends, or shipping them off to the college in WI starting its orchid collection (they reimburse shipping which is nice and will give a tax donation receipt if you have proof of purchase and request it as not everyone benefits from that).
My room is overcrowded right now, so I'm being very selective about what I keep or buy. To keep it, it must be either an original division, be growing really well and have a really nice flower, or be sentimental/special (I only have about 5 of those). I'm decreasing the good, for the best because of space.
Oh, and your question about is $700/year a lot. If you can afford it and love it, no! If no to either, yes!

 

[Heather]

Definitely higher for me right now, but depends on your taste. I’m trying not to go overboard, so I’m just purchasing what I really want, but that means pricier stuff, generally. I’m not in it to deal with seedlings this time…I’m kind of into other plants as well and also work at a nursery so…temptation surrounds me! I do have limited room and capacity for care tho.

 

[southernbelle]

Oh wow! you guys have GREEN HOUSES? How big are these green houses?
Right now I only have my Milsbo indoor. But I didn't you can grow to a collection for 900 to 1000 orchids!

One of our members has a grow room indoors in his basement that is huge with floor drains, swamp cooler, etc. I bet he has at least that many. With a greenhouse many have well over 1,000. I personally could not care well for more than I have (110), but many work full time and care for many more.

 

[FlaskandFlora]

its hard to figure out exactly what I spend on the nursery vs my personal collection, but if i manage to keep personal plant purchases under $700 a month i'm generally pretty proud of myself.
the nursery though, that's whole different story. I just bought my first couple hoop houses so my costs are about to go way up this winter.

 

[southernbelle]

its hard to figure out exactly what I spend on the nursery vs my personal collection, but if i manage to keep personal plant purchases under $700 a month i'm generally pretty proud of myself.
the nursery though, that's whole different story. I just bought my first couple hoop houses so my costs are about to go way up this winter.

Where and what is your nursery?

 

[FlaskandFlora]

Where and what is your nursery?

Central Ohio (downtown Columbus, in fact) and it's called Flask & Flora.

And yes, eventually I plan to offer flasking services! That's a few years down the road though. for now, I just offer orchids themselves.

 

[Ray]

Orchid growing is extremely frustrating for me, these days.

When I relocated, I moved to a situation with no greenhouse, no possibility of a greenhouse, and am limited to two, 48” x 15” mobile shelves and no lights.

If I acquire a new plant, I need to be prepared to get rid of another.

Excuse me, I need to go find a handkerchief….

 

[richgarrison]

its hard to figure out exactly what I spend on the nursery vs my personal collection, but if i manage to keep personal plant purchases under $700 a month i'm generally pretty proud of myself.
the nursery though, that's whole different story. I just bought my first couple hoop houses so my costs are about to go way up this winter.

+1 Just plant expenses…

So I want to ask everyone - On average, how much do you all spending on orchids (this includes substrate and new plants) each year? and how many orchids do you have at home.

I will start first.
I spend approximately $700 a year on orchids each year usually $500 is on new plants and the rest are supplies.
I currently have about 120 ish orchids at home, I have downsized by trading away my Phal, Oncidium, and dendrobiums for Paphs.

find your local orchid society. You’ll likely get a sense of serious collectors, collections and people with the kinds of addictions you’re hearing about above…

 

[spujr]

How much I spend on orchids?

I could tell you but then the wife might find out and kill me.

 

[paphfreak]

You too?