Couldn't agree with you more. In your case, you really have nothing to lose - you have the space, you get cool plants for free, minimal effort. It's just a waiting game. Let's face it, waiting for gratification has become a lost art so-to-speak. I know, I know we've had this conversation countless times before on this forum BS vs. smaller plants or parts of plants and to each his own, but I'm with you. I love the process and the process makes the reward all that much sweeter.

I do the some thing with my garden plants. Last year I did a seed trade with a guy in England for some martagon lilies. Planted the seedling out last spring and now I only have about 7 years to wait for the first flowers. Love it!

Kevin

I think most of us are guilty of this at some point. I will keep the little crumbs from when I divide or repot plants or accidentally break a good piece off. I pot it up and save it for my annual society auction. Somebody will want it, and the society treasury benefits from the sale. Occasionally, I may have to keep it a couple years until it sizes up a bit.

When you get to be 72, your thinking changes. You want blooming size plants NOW, you don't want to wait. You want immediate gratification. If it needs nursing, you give it to someone else to care for. If it's a baby, you give it to someone else to raise. If it looks weak or puny, you give that away, too. Only the best and strongest and most prolific will do. It's not that you don't want to care for these plants, it's that the time you have left is too precious to waste on them.

I used to have this problem. I am now fully recovered, unless it is a ctsm/cyc/morm. I will/can *never* pass on the tiniest or sickest pb of one of these. (so, please send me your saddest, sickest, most unworthy pbs ;)

While I don't need BS (or immediate gratification) (at 90-100 plants, and reducing every few weeks), I simply don't have patience for a nursery (the aforementioned being the exception, I will build a nursery for them if necessary). I simply can't stand lots of little pots. I am (sort of) watering now, and it takes too long.

Kudos to you Richard, you will help to save the orchid kingdom!

My part will be to save this one quiet little genus.

Carolyn

My most rare and valued plants, when I divide them, I always take the backbulb and pot it up. It's a smart way of having a backup plant, just in case the something happens to the main plant. Some years ago, I had a specially rare Lc. Bonanza and it was carrying a seed pod. But by doing so, it really taxed the plant and it eventually died. fortunately, I had a small back piece that started from a 2" pot and is now finally flowering size. I'm so glad I saved that little back division. Without it, I may have lost the plant forever.