what exactly are "bag babies" and is this at any lowes or just certain ones?

why oh why isn't Lowes like that here in Nor Cal?!
seems that everyone but me lives near a Lowes that gets tons of orchids and carnivorous plants
:well, at least i have Trader Joe's where i can get nice phals and such for $8-11

I think "bag babies" only happen in certain states...they come from SunBulb, a company in FL

nice finds, Clint! I want C. Summer Spots 'Carmela'!

Olya

Not everyone......Colorado Lowe's and HD only get in phals. And we don't have Trader Joe's or a decent Orchid House either.... :(
I need to move.

Good for you Clint. Yes, I'm jealous too. I was even in Houston last week and checked out a nearby Lowe's, no luck.
Cinnamon Stick has been on my list for a while and I'd grab Summer Spots in a heartbeat!

Happy growing. Sheila :)

I don't think MN is a bag-baby-state either. We seem to be a phal and den phal territory only. Bummer. Bag babies would be fun.

Kevin

I saw a healthy Epi Rene Marques(baggy at HD), was going places before getting home, and did not want to cook those in the hot car(did that to Trichoglottis fasciata- bad me). I am sure it is gone by now. Yes, there were tons of catts and Vanda.I guess it is the season. Found some species in the baggies a couple of years ago.

I finally picked up a bag baby about six months ago, surprise, surprise, it's doing great. Some kind of splash catt cross.

I always see them in Lowe's or HD here. They sold them in NC too in a separate display area, from the other orchids, but still not easily missed.

The real "find" in Lowe's were the huge, and I mean huge, Phaius tank's for $15 that were in with the flowering landscaping plants but if you didn't know what they were....

Wow. Nice haul, Clint. Summer Spot is a particular favorite of mine. Great finds!

Marci

I've probably killed more bag babies (with kindness, I swear!) than I can count. About how long do these take to reach blooming size? I have much more success with getting plants that are purchased in bloom to rebloom a few times that to raise a bag baby. Nonetheless, I have two bagged orchids [Zygopetalum ("Advance Australia") and Epicattleya ("Pinta")] currently doing well outside.

I fully expect my bag baby to bloom within a year, it's putting out new growth right and left. I never baby orchids, okay there are a few exceptions, but catts aren't one of them. This thing is thriving along side my older blooming size catts and laelia and seedlings blooming for the first time. It gets no special attention. Where we live, catts and epicatts are no-brainers. Take the hose to them daily and forget about them.

Nice collection of mericlones. Most of these I have (mature) and bloomed them; they are excellent. Lowe's and Home Depot don't seem to carry bag babies in S. Cal. Mostly just phalies and some dendrobes.

We only get 'em once in a while here in NYC but I always find something to take home when I do run across them at Home Depot.

To the poster who asked what they are, the "bag babies" I'm familiar with are small to moderate sized seedlings in plastic baggies (with air holes) or plastic mesh. Prices are pretty low, much cheaper than the typical in-flower orchids the box stores are selling at this point though I haven't bought one in a couple of years and prices have probably gone up a bit. The ones I've seen are from Sun Bulb, I assume other production nurseries like Kelly's Bromeliads probably does too. What I've mostly seen - sort of oddly - are Cattleya and Vandaceous alliance hybrids - with some neat species and remakes of old hybrids among the more run of the mill hybrid plants if you get there before they've been too heavily picked over...

All of the bag babies that I bought last year have all bloomed or have sheaths. They are really healthy if you catch them within the first week of shipment. After they sit in the store a while, that's another story.

Yes, they are Sun Bulb plants (Gotta love 'em). I've been looking for Chia Lin for a couple of years and I about fell outta my chair when I found her! I also found one of her children, Sanyung Ruby (which I bought just because it's supposed to have an awesome fragrance).

Be on the lookout guys! You can find some real treasures if you time it just right.

What do you pot your baby catts in. I've got mine in straight sphag in ceramic pots. However, since yours have sheaths, they might be bigger than mine. Mine only have 3-5 tiny pb's, and I'm not expecting any blooms any time soon.
Bob

Baby catts are in fine bark and perlite. I have a couple in spag in clay pots that are doing well.

I call them "bag babies" but most are not babies. They are NBS in 4" pots and some of them I bought with sheaths already (Gold Digger and Summer Spot). These are in perlite/bark/charcoal.

to granniek,

I found a good selection today of "bag babies" including Lc. Marcia Foster 'Picotee', which I picked up at the Port Arthur (Texas) Lowe's. If you are not too far away, you may want to stop by.

hello to all. yes it is that time again and for some of us (Lowes stores) the first time in a couple of years. I have been trying for the last year to get the "bag babies" back in my store in saginaw michigan. This year is the first year in the last 2 years that we will see them. its not a matter of what sells well all the time. sometimes its the deals we make with vendors to sell their product. I do not know about the other stores, but I have tried hard to get these items back in, and after a year of trying I finally have them coming back to my store!! I find it upsetting that some of your local Lowes do not get them. So I offer this to you....if you wish to get some and are interested in emailing me that you are, I will email you with a listing of what I get in. I dont have them yet but they are on the way as soon as weather warms up. if you are interested in any of them I will purchase them and I can set up arrangements for you to purchase them from me. I am an avid orchidist, and I will make sure the orchids are in good shape before shipment. I do not sell junk plants (thats why we have a clearance rack for items that turn by means we can not control). if they are bad when shipped I get credit and you get pristine plants in the end.

You can email me at jrichards7376@charter.net for further information or if you want me to place you on a "want list".

bag babbies expected are 2.5 inch cattleya, 2.5 inch vanda, and a 3 inch orchid division (species to be determined)But we have more than just those....email for listing of what my store carries.

Home Depot & Lowes have some great bagged orchids for sale year round! It seems that there are some really REALLY awesome plants available at this time of the year! I bought my first Vanda as a bag baby (that got the whole orchid obsession started) about 2 years later, it finally bloomed, it was beautiful! It was also great not to pay the $30 or $40 I would have paid at a growerÂs nursery!

-Ray-

I'm curious, how much are 4" bag babies at everyone's stores? Here in NJ they sell for $12 each.

Larissa

I think they are something like $10 or $12 each. It seems that I've seen them on sale as we transition into fall for only a couple dollars. Of course, many of these were turning into rescue plants, but with a little care, they will most likely come back & make a great additions to your collection.

-Ray-

I have three bag babies that I bought last year two were rescues in the 2" pot and one in a 4" pot all three are doing very nicely and I hope to see blooms in the near future at least on the larger of the three the others are 2-3 years away from blooming size. The 4" pots are also about $12 here I had been wondering if location had an effect on price.
Larissa

Few day ago, my boss bought 2 big Phals with flowers for $5 each. I think it cheap. Today, she buy a giant cymbidium in 6' pot (no space for it to grow) with beautiful flower for $15. I could believe it. Last year, it costs at least $36 at Homedepot. I believe that some vendors try to kill each others?

Here in Central IL, no matter what large retail store you're talking about, the pickings are incredibly slim when it comes to orchids of any kind! Phals are the most common here, and sometimes the ONLY kind available. The prices are beyond what I'm willing to pay for a poorly cared for, half-bedraggled looking, common Phal. The cheapest tag I've seen on any orchid in my area is about $21.

Why is it that all the cool flowers and plants are only available elsewhere?! Doesn't anyone else in this Godforsaken area garden?! Man... you guys are all so lucky!

I have never seen any "unusual" orchids at my Lowe's or HD either, only the abused phals. That said, it was a couple of abused $5 phals that started my interest, so I shouldn't complain too much.

I would love to find some of those other kinds!

Alexa