midity.  Because of this, they have not developed the cuticle, which keeps the leaves from drying out.  By keeping the humidity high after removal for the first six weeks you greatly increase the survival rate.  Placing a clear dome over the pot to keep the humidity can do this.  As the weeks pass by, you raise the dome until it is finally off.  Eleven to twelve months later the palnts are potted into individual pots.  During the next 18 to 24 months they are repotted several times and with most genera they will have their first blooming.  As I said before, there are always exceptions.  Some genera will bloom months out of the flask where others can take as long

as eight to nine years to bloom.
        an orchid in So the next time you are admiring bloom and asking yourself, why does it cost so much?  Remember that someone has been caring for the plant for at least the last four years.

Compot of Bulbophyllum

So you have some orchids, do you put them in pots or do you put them on a plaque to display your collection more naturally?    I am a firm believer in growing your orchids as naturally as possible.  I like to mount my orchids on cork plaques or on tree fern plaques.  This does require a little more work though.  You have to water the plants more often in the growing season as the plants dry out much quicker then when growing in pots surrounded by water retaining me

CLAN Tropicals is ever expanding.  We have built a new office that is larger and closer to the greenhouses to better serve you.  It has a better location then the old office, which will be turned into storage and the ever expansion of our flasking lab.  The new office has product dis

plays of fertilizer, wire supplies, books, and all the other survival gear your orchids need.  It also has a spacious deck built onto the front with chairs so you can sit relax and trade orchid stories, or just wait for your better half to finish browsing the greenhouses.  We also have instant

access to all the computer data bases right here at the greenhouse location.  No more running back and forth.  Our two story office will be open for the public by July.  Stop on by and see how we are always expanding to better serve our customers.