It Starts in the Laboratory

Our laboratory was established over 35 years ago and was one of the first in the US to clone orchids. Hundreds of thousands of orchid seedlings and clones are produced by our laboratory each year.

By producing our own plants we are able to assure you that they are true to name and virus free. Our “shoot-proliferation” method takes a longer time to produce an orchid plant, but greatly reduces the chance of any mutations in our clones. In order to keep our laboratory as clean as possible, it is only open to laboratory personnel.

Then the Growing Room

This is but one section of shelves in the “growing room” of the laboratory. Plants are carried through three stages - seed flask, transplant flask, and final flask. We do not have lists of flasks for sale, but we can sometimes supply your needs. The inventory constantly changes, so contact us regarding your needs.

Final Step - The Greenhouse

Once they leave the laboratory, our orchid plants are cared for in one of our 18 greenhouses. (The greenhouses are open to the public, so please stop by and visit us.) As each plant grows it is periodically repotted to allow it to reach maturity. The following is an estimate of the time until flowering for standard cattleya orchid plant:

• 2.5" pot - 2 to 3 years
• 3" pot - 2 years
• 3.5" pot - 1 to 2 years
• 4" pot - Near blooming size - 12 to 18 months
• 5" pot - Blooming size - within 12 months