Is $700 a year on orchids a lot?

[KyushuCalanthe]

Taboo subject. I'm not sure I want to know

 

[big923cattleya]

How much do I spend a year on orchids? Hmmm. That is one of the reasons I got a divorce!!!! Ha ha ha ha
Seriously, about 1,000 dollars or so. Maybe $200 on supplies and $150 more on electricity.
No greenhouse now. Largest collection of 800-1,000 plants back then. 125 now. I grow Phrags, Cattleyas and strap leaf Slippers. 75 are outside for the summer. Lights cost me about $13 a month here in SE Michigan.
I grow on 3 plant carts with 8 shelves. Each shelf is 48” by 16”.

 

[KeysGuy]

The definition of a hobby is "an obsession without a budget".
You can think you have put bounds on how much you'll spend but that usually doesn't hold for very long.

Like Ray said, greenhouses up north are expensive to operate so I moved my collection to FL where I don't need one. Do I now have to include the cost of my place in FL as an orchid expense? I know several people who have 2-3 thousand plants in their collections and I don't want to know how much they spend. In the end, it doesn't matter if it makes you happy and isn't preventing the other necessary bills from getting paid.

I made $700 at our show last year selling divisions. 15 minutes later it was gone. The point of selling divisions is to raise capital by reducing inventory so you can afford to diversify.

 

[Ray]

I take it that, like me, you’ve mastered the “No, Babe. That’s not a new plant. You just don’t remember it.”.

 

[Nelson Wong]

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.

Flask and Flora! I have ordered from you before on the Facebook Purge Page!

You guys have wonderful orchids!

 

[qualitymodelship]

Hello,
I remember a funny saying. If you want to make someone poor, give him an orchid!

 

[DirGo]

I usually measure "hours of joy" against my "money spent".
You could spent 700$ on a vacation and have joy for a week.
You could spent 700$ treating friends on a festival and have joy for 1 days.
or you could 700$ on slipper orchids and enjoy them for many years.
Usually that is the all the convincing I need to buy one more...

 

[ChuWuti]

I usually measure "hours of joy" against my "money spent".
You could spent 700$ on a vacation and have joy for a week.
You could spent 700$ treating friends on a festival and have joy for 1 days.
or you could 700$ on slipper orchids and enjoy them for many years.
Usually that is the all the convincing I need to buy one more...

I should share this idea with my husband, LOL!

Sandy

 

[magnoliasplanties]

Is it bad i'm thinking oh $700 is only 7 $100 plants! I grow on two metal racks and lights in a studio apartment. Probably spent a little over $1,000 on plants and new grow supplies this year.

 

[kc6847]

$700 a year for serious collectors isn't a lot as you can probably tell by these forums lol, especially if you're one of the nuts like me who goes for Paphs that bloom once every two years and take ten years minimum to mature. I have one rack with lights in an apartment and spend an average of $150 a month on plants now that I have the funds to do so. The majority of plants I buy are quite young though since I'm trying to build up a breeding collection in the future and don't have the multi-hundreds to spend on the fancy species Cattleyas on ebay. How do I gaslight myself? By looking at the people who spent $1000 on a single Monstera obliqua node.

 

[David B]

It's all relative. I try to just break even, for some on this page, $700 is half a plant. We all have our comfort limits. I likely sell $3000+ a year so I spend at least that. As a judge, with a good hobby size greenhouse I may have over 400 plants, but if you want to contribute to show society exhibits , take plants to judging several times a year and continuously have plants in bloom then quality plants and low prices are seldom in the same conversation. Upgrading the quality of your plants takes serious effort, including travel and research. Knowing the top breeders who have superior stud plants and watching International show benches can train your eye to spot where to spend your budget to acquire what will make you happy. Develop a strategy for spending that you are comfortable with, but no matter what, there will disappointments and the occasional success.

 

[Ozpaph]

hmmmm............I have my plants delivered to work, then to the garage after dark.......................what 'she' doesnt know wont hurt 'her'!

 

[southernbelle]

hmmmm............I have my plants delivered to work, then to the garage after dark.......................what 'she' doesnt know wont hurt 'her'!

Stephen!! I give her much more credit than that!! Don’t underestimate her, if she were that naive, you wouldn’t respect her. She knows, she just indulges your orchid passion, and in her heart, winks!!

 

[MorandiWine]

I spend $0.00 on plants per year. Yep, no money spent at all, none. I know, it’s amazing!

<checks to see if wife is still looking and listening>

In related news, wanna buy a bridge or perhaps a beautiful ocean-front lot in Phoenix?

Tyler

 

[paphfreak]

Tyler, didn't know you had property in Phoenix!

 

[Ozpaph]

Stephen!! I give her much more credit than that!! Don’t underestimate her, if she were that naive, you wouldn’t respect her. She knows, she just indulges your orchid passion, and in her heart, winks!!

I ignore her 'shopping' purchases: thus the world stays in perfect harmony!!

 

[Djthomp28]

UPS just ruined my supposedly clandestine orchid delivery by arriving late just as my husband was getting out of the car. Thankfully he is just grabbed the box and yelled "Fresh orchids. Come get your fresh orchids."

 

[NYEric]

I spent $200 on 1, of numerous plants, on 1, of numerous orders, this year.

 

[big923cattleya]

Did that work? Fresh Orchids.
I have my doubts.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I have this sign posted in my orchid area as caveat to the expense of my collection:



So I am NOT to blame whatsoever for however much I spend on an orchid .

‘nulla culpa mei ad quaestionem’