Years ago, a
renown South Florida orchid hybridizer told a group of novice growers
how he had let an elderly gentleman and his wife into his stud house. In those days this was seldom done because of the uncertain risk
of transferring disease and the intense competition that existed between
commercial growers. But this
was a very nice gentleman that had just a few orchids.
A sudden phone call interrupted the tour with the couple left
to look around for a few minutes. When
he returned, the elderly couple thanked him for this wonderful opportunity
and as a token of their gratitude noted that they had cleaned all of
the dead flowers off the plants. In
the bottom of the garbage can was just about every seedpod made that
winter.
The
purpose of retelling this story was that there are certain rules of
Orchid etiquette that should be followed when visiting a greenhouse,
whether commercial or not. Most novice orchidists are not aware of these unwritten rules and
often learn “the hard way”.
Orchid etiquette is not intentional thievery.
Removing keikis or switching tags to get a cheaper price are
illegal. Etiquette is avoiding
the little things that irritate people, which can also cause great harm
or damage. Many commercial growers
do not let the public visit their growing areas because of their past
experiences and some of the most expert hobbyists also refuse visits
from all but the most well-known growers.
Here are a few of the dos and don’t that will make you visit
a pleasant one for both grower and visitor.
1)
Never take a purse, especially a large one, into a growing area. Growers are not as concerned about thievery
as the damage done as the purse trails along the aisles or when the
purse smashes into flowers as you lean over to smell a nice blossom. Growing houses are different than displays
areas, as the typical one does not waste space leaving just a little
room for you and none for your purse.
2)
Do not touch flowers unless you ask. Some flowers are extremely delicate
and easily damages while others can be handled.
Others will eject their pollen with even a slight touch. This
is especially important for plants on Show Tables or at judging centers. Even a little damage can disqualify the perfect
flower.
3)
Never pull tags from pots as you may not get them back into the same
pot. If the grower is nearby, ask about parentage
or if removing a tag is permissible.
Be sure you get the tag back in exactly the same place.
4)
Obviously, it is necessary to remove a plant from a bench if you are
going to purchase it. Often
they will be growing into an adjacent pot.
Do not use a pocketknife or other utensil to help.
If plants do not easily separate from one another ask for help. Viruses are easily spread by pocket knifes.
In stud houses or in non-commercial greenhouses never pick up
a plant without permission as roots, flowers, and leaves can be unintentionally
damaged.
5)
Never remove a flower, dead leaf, or any other part of a plant without
permission. While viruses
are not easily transmitted, bacteria and fungi can be moved from plant
to plant with ease.
6)
Seedlings growing in flats are not usually for sale. Removing a plant or two disturbs the others. Often there will be seedlings already potted
into individual pots that are for sale.
Ask before disturbing a flat.
It takes many years to learn all of the
unspoken rules and especially those peculiar to individual nurseries. Most orchid growers are generous with both
their knowledge and experience, so developing a good relationship is
important. They can tell you
all about the many hybrids and clones that have more history behind
them than is in the books. There
is also more to growing orchids than can be grasped from the pages of
any book and hobby growers are an important source of information.
Remember, when in doubt, ask, and you will
make many orchid growing friends in the process of learning the fine
points of “Orchid Etiquette”.