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| - As a super novice trying to keep one plant alive, I couldn't have had a better experience at Klein's. Last year my gent bought me an orchid for Valentine's Day. When it came time to repot it, I had lots of good intentions about doing so, but couldn't find any orchid mix at my usual haunts. Nurseries have earlier hours, so I kept telling myself I'd get to one "next week." Flash forward to moving over the summer and the orchid spending a week in a storage closet while I was traveling for business, and it emerging looking pretty dead.
Eventually the stem stopped shriveling and recently a new bud began to form against all odds (like me not watering it, the roots coming up over the planter, etc. etc.). Procrastination in trashing it paid off!
I finally decided to make a dedicated trip to get a new pot liner and some chunky soil. Klein's has been undergoing construction for a couple of months now, but I finally drove around back and found a couple of warm and cozy greenhouse tents. The soil mixture was easy to find (and cheaper than what I'd found online) and while I couldn't find the plastic pot liner I had in mind, I grabbed a very inexpensive plastic pot to bring up with me to the register. I asked the cashier if she thought it would work for my orchid or if I needed to cut some more holes in it. She took me over to the clearance section and showed me a lovely yellow orchid pot that was on deep discount. Turns out I don't need a liner, I could replant directly into the orchid pot I already have. I thought it was just to help air flow, but it can serve as the pot itself. Obviously I don't have a green thumb or even a green nail. The same lovely person also told me not to worry about putting my not-needed plastic pot back, that she'd take care of it.
I appreciated getting some orchid newbie advice and that the first item I was shown was a discounted one; since I clearly had no clue what I was doing I could have been easily upsold into things I don't need/a full-priced pot, but instead I just got exactly what I needed to help my little plant survive.
After repotting it's grown even more; fingers crossed I can keep it going long enough to re-flower! If I decide to expand my houseplant collection, I'll happily head back to Klein's for guidance and to check out their new complex once construction has finished!
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