WHAT HAPPENS AFTER CALIFORNIA ORCHIDS PICKS UP MY PLANTS ?

It is fine to send your plant back to us with the flowerless spikes intact. If you would like to remove the old spikes yourself it is very important to sterilize your cutting tool by holding it in an open flame for a few moments or by soaking the tool for ten minutes in 10% solution of chlorine bleach (alcohol does not kill virus). This helps prevent the spread of viruses. Cut the spike at the point where it emerges from the plant, making sure you cut only the spike and none of the leaves or developing new growths.

A WORD ABOUT VIRUSES
There are several viruses that attack orchids and may or may not cause problems. Is it standard practice in the orchid world to use potting and growing techniques that avoid spreading virus. Generally a virused plant will grow less vigorously and suffer a general decline over a period of time. The flowers and growths often cripple and flower color is streaky. Orchids can pick up viruses when the sap from a virused plant is introduced to the sap of a healthy plant. Once a plant is virused we cannot cure it. If we think one of your plants is suffering from a virus we will sent a note with the delivery recommending that you enjoy the flower and then discard the plant rather than send it back to your collection. Some plants can be virused and produce well for many years, but it is best to take them out when a virus starts to affect the vigor of the plant.

MY FLOWERS HAVE ALL FADED-WHAT DO I DO NOW ?

We have a strict routine that everyone is trained to follow. Plants are labeled with your name as soon as they are picked up and a current date is added to the yellow tag. This means that even if you are adding a new plant to the collection it will have a white tag with your name as soon as we get it. Plants are inventoried as they come into the greenhouse and we note the condition of each one.

If a plant needs repotting, bug, or disease control it is sent to the repotting room for treatment. Many of the plants that return to us need repotting.

When a plant is ready for the greenhouse we send it to one of 6 different greenhouses where it is essentially 'filed' according to the kind of temperature, light and water it needs. Within this structure plants are organized by pot size and finally alphabetized by client name. Growing is simplified and more successful if plants grow next to others that require similar culture. We are constantly working to improve our understanding of microclimates that can enhance growth and flowering of individual plants.

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