Hit 500 rare orchid seedlings this morning and it freaked me out a bit

I've been growing orchids from seed in my basement setup for about 3 years now, nothing fancy just a couple shelves with lights and a humidity tent. This morning I did my weekly count and I hit exactly 500 seedlings that are past the flask stage. That number really threw me because I started with maybe 40 seeds from a single hybrid pod I got at a local club meeting in Columbus. They're mostly crosses of cattleya and laelia, nothing super rare but still. I guess what worries me is that I don't have space for 500 adult plants and I'm already running out of room on my second shelf. Has anyone else accidentally grown way more specimens than they planned and had to figure out what to do with them all?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_nguyen1mo ago

6 months ago I would've said just sell them online or try a Facebook group but honestly the retirement home idea hit me. I gave 30 to a local assisted living place near me in Fairfax and they put them in the common area. The residents love checking on them and it actually freed up my second shelf.

john_fisher1mo ago

I hit that exact wall last year with my phalaenopsis setup, ended up with over 200 that I had no clue what to do with. What finally worked was talking to a local garden club president who let me sell them at their spring show for cheap, like five bucks a pop in little pots. Other than that I gave a bunch to a retirement home and they were thrilled, so maybe check around at places like that.

riverh491mo ago

Did you check if your local high school has a horticulture program? A lot of ag and biology teachers are always looking for live plant material to use in class. They might take a bunch off your hands for their students to learn from, and you could maybe trade them for some supplies or get a tax write-off if it's a school donation. That way the seedlings get used for something practical instead of just sitting around. Also saves you from having to figure out pricing or negotiating with a club.