*we've CUT back...pardon the misspelling!

For me, it was simply time.

My collection peaked at 400 plants a couple of years ago. I loved going into the orchid room - it had shelves with lights along three of the room's walls, and it really was like my own private jungle. However, it took me more than four hours each time just to water all the plants, not including fertilizing, checking and treating for bugs, grooming, etc. And repotting was a horror that took months and months over the summer. If this had been the only thing I had to do, great, I enjoyed it. But I work full time, am at university part time, have lots of family and friends nearby who I like seeing once in a while, enjoy travelling, and, gasp!, I do have other hobbies. There were times where I neglected my collection because I just didn't have the time. I'd splash water on them when I had a chance, but that was it. Finally, I made the hard decision to bring it down to a more manageable number. It took me almost two years and getting rid of every plant was like a knife wound.

I don't regret it... much... I remember the good old days of not having to control myself overmuch. And the thrill of having 75+ plants in bloom at once. On the plus side, it now only takes an hour a weekend to water and do everything I need to do. My orchids are now fun again, instead of simply being work. And if I want to try something new, I still can. I just have to obey my self-inflicted "one in, one out" rule.

Julie

Julie hit it on the head with "My orchids are now fun again". I am in the process right now and I can feel the shift from it being a problem to find the time for the care plants need.

I am going to always have a lot of plants but what I have now is too many. I suspect that I will get to about half of what I have now.

I am also working on restricting the species I will work with. New types of plants are fun but also prone to failure and managing micro climates gets to be a problem.

I posted in the wrong place. Look at my lengthy post near the end of 'What tickles your Fancie? etc'. It is relevant to this discussion.

Julie says: However, it took me more than four hours each time just to water all the plants, not including fertilizing, checking and treating for bugs, grooming, etc. And repotting was a horror that took months and months over the summer.

Exactly my point. If you could have eliminated most of this looking after 400 plants could have been fun.

Nick

I am in the process for the same reasons it becomes work instead of fun . Following the no replace( and resist buying) that is the hard part lol Gin

I've gotten rid of about 50 plants this year (well, some just croaked on me). However, like many other hobbyists, I tend to accumulate more new plants during the summer when they can be left outside. Come fall though, they won't all fit back in the greenhouse leaving me with the painful duty of culling the flock (even then, you have to cram the rest in with a shoehorn).

So this fall, I am going to try a totally new tactic. I've bought a bunch of virus test kits. I plan to start with the biggest space hogs. It's a way of getting rid of plants I would not otherwise toss. Like any fair-sized collection, I am sure there are some which are virused. I just need the excuse.

Great idea for a thread. It's interesting to see that we all go through similar vicissitudes with orchid growing!

Like gin and richard, I am also in the process of downsizing. I'll be moving in less than 2 weeks east across the province (closer to Julie's neck of the woods!) and will in the process lose my 2 windowsills of growing space. I've sold about 25 larger plants and some of my seedlings this month, and will be donating more to the university greenhouse. Foolishly, I seem to have immediately spent the money earned by buying new orchids. Luckily, these new investments are significantly pricier, so I'm only coming back with around 8 new plants.

For me, reasons for cutting back are as follows:

[space, time] > [changes in aesthetic taste] > [finances]

I'll have to add my agreement to Julie's comments. It's really quite depressing to have plants suffer because of lack of care. The hobby becomes tedious and stressful, especially as hard earned cash goes down the drain with each plant death. And if the plant is irreplaceable, it's even worse. I'm currently trying to set up automatic watering and light systems, so that things don't wither away and die if I leave for more than a few days. I've gone from about 100+ to around 60.

My changes in aesthetic tastes are fueled by space and time. I find very few orchids unpleasant, and would probably try to grow almost everything if I had the resources. I have secret desires for everything, from the large frilly floofy catts, to the arching sprays of encyclias, to the strange and wonderful bulbos....but alas.

Finances should be a larger concern, but I live a relatively frugal life style, and while my friends splurge on Prada and Lacoste, I'll settle for more pedestrian ware + a new orchid on the side. Living at home helps although starting school again with tuition, books and rent, I'll have to watch my pennies a bit more carefully.

I hope that one day I'll be able to look back on this thread and chuckle, while strolling through my vast greenhouse, admiring my wall of phalaenopsis and bulbophyllum species, wandering through jungles of angraecoids, sniffing the cascades of aerangis hanging from the ceiling, napping on a bench amidst the flowering cattleyas, gongoras, and lycastes. Yes, I'm a greedy little b**tard, and I will get what I want!

I reduced my orchid population by 35-40% over the past two years. Poor growth and positive virus tests were the primary reasons for a plant to be tossed.

I knew that I had too many when....

1. I couldn't find specific plants when orchid friends came to visit. How embarrassing is that?

2. Care became a chore, especially during winter. All of my plants are indoors.

3. Care became a chore, especially when it was time to fertilize.

4. Care became a chore, especially when it was time to treat with insecticides.

5. Virus became apparent in my collection. I especially felt badly for the few people who received divisions from my collection which I eventually learned were diseased. BIG BUMMER!

5. I began neglecting routine "chores" around the house! uh-oh...the Warden gets testy.

6. All of the above = no fun!

I began to use "proportioners" to deliver insecticides and fertilizers last year. This makes an enormous difference in terms of time. It also improves the quality of the care.

I now toss plants which are not growing well in a heartbeat without a second thought. I have little patience with people who plead with me to give them my discards which are culled for health reasons.

--Stitz--

(I couldn't find specific plants when orchid friends came to visit. How embarrassing is that? ) quote
I forgot to mention that one.... why I don't do minis anymore ..

But hey, I've sometimes found minis, the kind that never bloomed, tucked away in a corner, forgotten, not watered in who knows how long... finally in freaking bloom... A last gasp at being seen before death? You know you have too many plants when this happens more than once or ten times.

Julie, it happened far too many times with me! :)

--Stitz--

It's the same with me. Much more fun now with less plants. I am taking much better care of them, thus more blooms.

Also, have moved a few times and now and don't have the best window conditions to grow.

Interesting thread. Is there a common point (or points)in the development of an orchid hobbyist where one is more likely to reduce their collection?

A number of people have stated that at some point they realized that with maintaining the large number of plants they had it was a chore rather than something they looked forward to doing. Was it just a realization of something that you were feeling all along, or did something change in your approach to the hobby? Are you as serious about growing orchids as you were before, or has it become less important to you?

I still consider myself fairly new and inexperienced, and my collection is still growing. I'm just curious if this reduction is scale happens to most growers, and is it just a point along a longer path, or does it represent an endpoint.

Tyler

Tyler - interesting question. To answer from my own experience, I am more passionate and serious about orchids than I ever was before, so I don't think it's a lessening of interest in the hobby, nor a general 'boredom' with orchid growing that explains this cutting back. Certainly of course, this may be the reason for others, but not for me.

The way I see it, once the collection reaches a certain thresh-hold size, it starts to 'take over,' encroaching on other commitments you might have. At that critical point, one typically decides whether to keep going, cutting back in other areas of life to accommodate the plants, or to cut back the orchids to a more manageable state. I think this is also the point at which I started specializing in certain things.

For me, definitely not an endpoint, but a distinct stage.

PS - how's the ang collection coming along? :)

Calvin - Parts of the ang collection are doing well, but other parts not so much. I'm finding myself going through a bit of an 'evolution' as well, moving away from the mounted orchids. They just don't seem to be doing as well for me, even inside the terrarium. I love the plants and the very elegant white flowers they produce, but I need to find an easier way to grow them in my environment. The potted angs are doing well, though with the exception of Ang. Scottianum most are still too young to bloom.

For the mounted ones I'm thinking of taking them off their mounts and moving s/h pots into the terrarium. I'll set the unmounted orchids on top of the hydroton and see if I can get the roots to grow down into the medium. From what I've read about the biloba and the modesta, it sounds like this would work for them. The mystacidii might even appreciate the added coolness around the root zone. I'm worried about this approach for didieri, lenois and fatuosa though. Any suggestions? My aim is to remove them from the terrarium altogether once the roots are established.

Tyler

Tyler, There is a common point in the development of many orchid hobbyists  exhaustion! Eventually, those of us who have enough money to feed our habit and our orchids recognize that we acquired too many plants. When the plants begin to "suffer" from a lack of attention due to too many in the collection, most of us back off .

I am more focused now than before.

--Stitz--

Tyler, for me my choice to scale back has been a variety of reasons. Moving more than once, changing careers and working longer hours, new town doesn't have much of an orchid society to keep your interest or local growers to pick up a few plants.
Unless you shop at Trader Joe's, Home Depot etc. you have only the internet to get any real plants of interest, I much prefer picking my own plant out.

Great thread! Can't say that I really ever had that many orchids, except for cymbidiums which I inherited from my mom. Just have a very small el cheepo greenhouse that is used for tropical plants including orchids.
While at first I was into the idea of having some particular plant but eventually the idea of having something just to say I have something became clique and consequently meaningless. I mean did my plants own me or did I own my plants? So for awhile I lost interest in everything and only half-heartedly cared for all of my plants, orchids or what have you. And, sadly, this lethargy was reinforced by internet retailers who did not follow up when I made some stabs at trying to regain interest by getting some particular orchid species. It just did not seem important anymore. That is, until I started getting involved in learning about how to grow some particular plant, orchid or whatever, and developing webjournals on what I did and discovered. Then it became very interesting again UNTIL topcities dumped all my journals without any warning and simply floored me. Then it was back in the doldrums again and the plants that I had been using as test subjects suffered from my apathy.
I am not too sure that I have really recovered when it comes to my interest in orchids. I have some phrags, paphs, ludisia, lycastes, assorted species left but that spark is just not there anymore.
Gladly though my attention in learning about how plants grow has remained and been refocused upon bryophytes and plants in the Lycoposida, club-mosses. These have become much more interesting to me than any of the orchids.

Here is a link that might be useful: The first Lycoposida to catch my interest

Since starting in orchids in 2003, I've gone through a similar sequence - getting to "too many" and feeling trapped.

For me, 120+ was too many. My goal was to get down to 60, but the number hovered around 75. No discipline.

Then a health concern zapped my energy. It was either care for and train the new puppy or take care of the orchids. The orchids were watered maybe 6 times total in 6 months. Thank goodness it was over the winter!

About 35 survived or didn't get pitched, although a few are still undecided about living or dying after the drought.

For several months, the number was fine. In the last few weeks, I've ordered 3 new Phals. One is to back up a beloved hybrid Phal that was harder than hell to find and isn't doing the best after the dry months.

A friend of mine who collects watches has a rule that he must first reduce his collection by one watch before he can acquire another one. Interesting concept, but I don't see myself implementing it any time soon.

Good thread, Terpguy. Thanks

I tried implementing that '+1/-1' rule last year, but it didn't last too long - just received a shipment of 10 new plants last night.

Opening a box of new plants is my second favorite part of the hobby after blooming a plant, but I might not have a choice soon... Between the orchid collection and a renewed interest in succulents, I'm quickly running out of space, and my friends are already calling me 'the crazy plant lady' (I am a guy).

Tyler, I have also used the +1/-1 rule in recent weeks. It doesn't work!

I trashed THREE pots (3") and replaced 'em with TWO pots (6"). I need to go back to skool.

--Stitz--

What does work, however, is if you have a plant which you know is blooming size or previously bloomed and it has been sitting there for years taking up valuable space without a hint of a spike, all you have to do is give it to someone else; and then watch it thrive and bloom just to spite you. This has happened to so many of us over and over again. Gives you a chance though to buy something which will bloom for you ... hopefully.

Great Thread!

It is interesting to see the many others that love orchids however, I have not even scratched the surface of owning orchids (own 4 phals) and am wanting more more and more. I have even looked into building a greenhouse in the spring as well. I hope it does not become work like many of you have described it. I am a HUGE lover of all plants, and when something a bit challenging comes along im a sucker... I will do whatever it takes to flower a plant, grow a big garden, large tomatoes etc. Great post though, I will take these things into consideration on my journey.

I just hope it does not become what some of you talk about. =/

On a side note, if anyone is "cutting back" I guess you could say I am collecting.

Great timing that someone brought this up again. I'm giving the culture session at our society this Friday and this fits right in. The last culture session was given by one of our meticulous growers who measures the ph and ppm of tap water and maintains a meticulous record when his orchids need to be repotted etc.

Mine is entitled: 'Keep your eye on the ball' The 'ball' should be different for different people as long as it gives you personal happiness and satisfaction. Getting AOS awards and growing perfect orchids may be the goal but not necessarily so. Growing them so that it makes you want to go out there in the morning and so that it never feels like work is more important as long as you get: 'Results that are good enough for you'.

I have numerous examples, will only relate one here. I have about 100 Cymbidiums. I'm not into Cymbidiums and will never get an award or Ohs and Ahs for my plants. They are just there. 10 years ago I over potted them in rock, have never repotted them and except for a few who busted their pots and needed bigger pots, they are all sitting there, make new growths and blooms on a regular basis. Mine and my 3 daughter's homes get decorated with them every spring and that is 'GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME'. I plan to show a Cymb Sara Jean Ice 'Cascades' which has 12 spikes and has been in the same 2 gallon pot 11 years.

I'm sure there is a better way of growing them, the Cymb greats in our area don't grow them in rock, but having to repot 100 big Cymbidiums in the spring gives me a chill. The message to our group is to grow them in such a way that you don't get tired of it, as long as you get reasonable results. If it's in your nature to be meticulous and spend lots of time repotting, then do it but never let the hobby become work, that's the beginning of the end.

Nick

Thanemarr, I think thats exactly how it does become work over time. You want all these different plants, so you get them. With time your skills improve, and you realize you can handle care for even more, so you buy more. Ultimately, and almost invariably, it gets to the point where you have more than you WANT to take care of (what that care looks like is up to you, as Nick so adeptly illustrated in his story; hands off, heavily involved, or somewhere inbetween). Most of us lead very busy lives, and as much as we love orchids, they are secondary to everything. In many cases, people become burnt out and just give up.

Speaking of, since i started this thread there's been a development: I'm no longer really bitten by the orchid bug. I have no drive to buy plants at all (might have to do with working 70 hrs a week on top of full time graduate school). I have a grand total of maybe 18-20 orchids, and even now I'm not happy about having all of them. I could see in the future (depending on how my 2 plants go), keeping a small collection of Phal violacea varieties and chucking 90% of what I have now. I'll keep a few plants that really do mean the world to me, but everything else is superfluous.

I understand the business. I go to school as well, and a full time job. 70 hours a week of work with school, I am surprised you have time to sleep or eat. It hurts to hear you say throw them or "chuck" them. Much money spent on the plants. Glad to hear you have your collection to a great size though. Still a lot of work goes into that amount of plants. Just the 4 that I have takes a bit of work to clean/check/water/drain/fertilize/monitor humidity/temperature. lol goes on and on eh.

-T

Thats just the orchids! I have a good 15 other non-orchids that I think I might value more than the orchids!