Hey!
I'm under enough pressure to slow down buying new ones.
I don't need to hear this sort of talk from the pot! ;~)

I always get confused, is it he who has the most orchids die...
...or he who dies with the most orchids?
Who wins?

I'd say that I can't imagine having that many, but I sort of can!
Unless I get a greenhouse going, I'm pretty much past my breaking point with 600ish!
The neglect factor is getting disturbingly high.
My Slc. Petite Purple just bloomed and I didn't even know that it was in bud or big enough yet!
I just can't spend that much time with them with my curent situation.

What makes it even worse is that I won't specialize.
I love my cold/cool growing Dracs./Lepanthes/Trisetellas...
But I also love my hot/warm growing Bulbos/Catts and Cory/Stans, and...!
I've become a little more obsessive about my Neos, as well! ;~)

I really do need to slow down and give some quality time to the ones that I do have.
(Maybe, I'll just have to automate things!)
Especially the rare ones and, specifically, the ones that do the best for me.
They've been so patient with everything so erratic, at best.
I don't require that many blooms.
Some, every so often, is fine.
I have several in bloom now and I haven't bothered to take any photos.
(My B. nodosa perfume is actually overpowering the pile of dogs on the couch!)
I do, however, like lots of new and healthy growth! :~)
New roots are highly encouraged!

Since this is perhaps a wake up call...
I should just reach over and smack you like I do the alarm! ;~)

Scott

1. Never get seedlings and NBS. Only get mature plants in bloom. Be wary of big box orchids, they are forced into bloom and will likely not bloom at the same time next year. Also, their health is suspect.

2. After the first blooming season missed, bump up the light for a plant. Get rid of any plant that has missed its second blooming season. It is not right for your conditions.

3. Get rid of any that do not 'wow' you and are in bloom when others are also.

{{gwi:180265}}4. Research blooming season, growing conditions and duration of blooming BEFORE actually buying the plant.

5. Get ideas only from those in your area who grow in similar conditions.

6. Join a 'plant of the month' club.

Thinking about the impression that my greenhouse gives, I can see that one might think I have a low ratio of blooming. The first impression is green leaves. At this moment I have only two big Catts in bloom and a Colm Wildcat near the door. Many people see only those and have to have others in bloom pointed out to them. Yet I have quite a few in bloom in many more in spike. The Masdevallia floribunda 'Samantha' on the right is 3/8" and nobody notices it until it is pointed out. And yet to me it is wonderful, way better that many of the showier orchids. For me, the main pleasure is in the growing and the flowers are a 'merit badge' that the plant awards me for treating it well all year.

Scott, you have way too many. You should just go ahead and send me some of those Pleuro types you have that are taking up all your space. :)
-MB

That's a good tip sheet, richard. The "Wow" factor and comparing them to something that you think is exquisite are both ways to get yourself to part with things that may not be worth the effort.

fraser, I "need" at least 9 in bloom all the time. A minimum of three each for windows in mine and my husband's office, and three for the living room. The ones in my husband's office are absolutely essential, because otherwise I think he might grudge me the money I spend on them.

I'd really like twice that many, and I hope to by next winter.

I never was able to get that with catts-- even after so much hard work trying to get good light for them in summer, I've only been able to have 4 or 5 in bloom at once. So I'm trending off them. I can't supply their light needs in winter, and I'm not content with the flowers I get from them.

With phals I have my "nine" now, and have had about a dozen or so in bloom earlier. That's with about a dozen mature phals. I've been adding plants, and have about 6 or so in spike to bloom fairly soon. And I expect new spikes as the fall comes on.

I have bought seedlings, and some (phals) race up to blooming size in less than a year. Others have expired, of course (sigh). I don't know if the seedling are worth it yet, but my greed overcomes my $$ sometimes, so I fill up on seedlings.

If I had a greenhouse, I would fill it with fragrant tropicals-- the kind I found got too big for me to carry and too big to winter indoors, so had to give up growing. Then, of course, I'd need a second greenhouse just for orchids, as well as a full time handy man to move the big plants, fix things and clean up after me, etc. etc.

And if I had that much money I'd "need" a huge perennial garden with lilies, columbines, daisies, phlox and every other beautiful thing, a wildflower area, and a couple of dogs to keep the rabbits away.

Oh, and I'd have a butler to answer the phone and terrorize the maids :)

There's never a thought of how many orchids do I NEED. It's more like which particular species variety or hybrid variety I need. I collect large-flowering historical heirloom cattleyas. Mostly pinks, reds, and lavenders. You can be an orchid enthusiast, or you can specialize in a particular type of orchid. When I first started out, I decided right away that I wanted to collect cattleyas, not just any catt, but awarded and significant breeder cattleyas. This gave me a goal. I started when I was in junior high. I'm in my late 40s now. I have to give myself a pat on the back for being so insightful to at a young age to know the value of very old and historical cattleyas. Some plants now are one-of-a-kind. Gone forever. I do collect a few paphs, but it's cattleyas that I truly love. As a beginner, you will soon gravitate to certain types of orchids. Study all about them. Subscribe to the AOS Awards Quarterly. See what the best of best should look like. And then be picky when you go out and buy more orchids. Look for full form, good color, and vigorousness. Don't buy orchids just to buy orchids. Soon you will become discriminating. Understand what makes a good hybrid. Understand a seedling's parental background. Buying cheap orchids will get you nowhere. Avoid "noids". Those plants that don't have a label. Be vigilant about keeping labels. I wire my labels to all my plants. A plant without a name is useless when it comes to awards or futher breeding. Be aware of orchids that are mislabeled. Become familiar with what a particular orchid should look like in bloom. Some unbloomed orchids at big box stores may have a pretty paper photo label, but unless you can find an exact plant label, you won't know what you are getting.

"I collect large-flowering historical heirloom cattleyas."

I'm still waiting on that grow list!
You've had all day!
Now cough it up!
You can't just throw that out there and leave it!

I want names!
...and divisions! ;~)

Scott

I don't publically list the plants I have. They are too rare and valuable to be advertised. If there is a particular plant you are looking for, just ask.

How many orchids do I need?

Just one more...

How many orchids do I need? None.

How many orchids do I want? Nearly every one I see.

How many orchids can I successfully maintain? About 45.

A couple of years ago I decided I had too many orchids that were taking up space and providing nothing in return. So as Richardol advises in his suggestion #3, I decided to grow only the knock-your-socks-off plants and I got rid of the freeloaders and in their place put plants that bloom several times a year. I'm happy that I did that, and am constantly evaluating the plants I do have and eliminating the slackers. I'm rewarded with blooms.

One is too many and 1000 is not enough. Thank God for greenhouses.

Although I do have a tentative/serious want list, I'm just really nosey!! :~)
After I posted, I did realize where I knew your name from.
I have seen you bidding on orchids that I've had on my Ebay watch list. (I did say that I'm nosey!)
Although I'm an amature collector-type and unfamiliar with many cultivars, you and many others here ave very good taste! ;~)
Thanks and apologies if I'm too nosey!

"How many orchids can I successfully maintain?"

Well, if you're going to put it that way...
That changes everything! ;~)
Most of my "just plain ol' orchids", were early buys, gifts or I wanted it anyway and didn't ask for opinions! ;~)(big grin!)
Scott

One aspect not covered in the answers above is the number of Genera you need to get blooms all year and what sort of blooms are you talking about? Does something that is best viewed under a glass count as a bloom?

Here is a figure. I have about 1000 orchids and exhibit about 150 per year.

Perhaps you could get by with less if you had a complete collection of species and hybrid Phals selected for various blooming periods.