orchids?

[Deana]

I want to start growing orchids. Anyone have any experience/success with growing them?

[Csara]

unfortunately I don't, just wanted to say that I LOVE ORCHIDS!!! They are my favorites. :) My FIL actually knows a lot about them so I will try to remember to ask him how he grows/cares for them.

[Time Traveler]

Deana, the largest mistake that most people make in their first attempts in growing orchids, is that kill their plants with kindness. They wish to treat the plant like a Rose Bush or the like. Orchids have 1000's of varieties, one of which is known as Vanda's. My Favorites. Most Orchids are epiphytes, which means they draw their moisture from the air and rainfall and generally grow on trees without harm to their host. With that in mind they really don't need soil around their roots, quite to the contrary, an Orchid will draw moisture from the atmosphere from all surfaces, including their roots. Many varieties bloom in cycles and not every year, some do. Most require filtered sunlight to bright shade and can be propagated through seed pods or division. There are liquid fertilizers that are available that can be applied with a small hand sprayer, kind of a squirt bottle type and they are not cold hardy...

That's a start for you and if you have any questions you can PM me or just post them here and I will try to be as attentive and informative as I can.. Good Luck. :)
Ron

[nicolef888]

D~I wish I could help you out with this as I LOVE ORCHIDS and I've tried growing them a couple of times at our old house and I've killed them :( Let me know what you find out.

I did have a friend who used to grow them in his guest bathroom. He had all the equipment, etc and he grew the most amazing orchids.

[Time Traveler]

That is right Nicolef888,,, you just named two of the most valuable requirements to what an Orchid needs. If the bathroom has bright filtered light the next thing is a nice hot shower that puts steam into the air,, Bingo, the Orchid plant loves it,, it draws from the water vapor and thrives along with that light source.

One of the most common varieties is called Phalaenopsis,(sp), I think I got it right, and there are 1000's of colors. There are so many varieties and one that I found pretty fascinating is called "The Ladies Slipper", A low blooming Orchid that looks very similar to its name. Vandas are beautiful and remind me of what Nicole describes about her bathroom encounter. Some even produce a fragrance, I have sniffed some that smell like fresh Cocoa and produce a small flower with speckled light green, brownish spotted petals. Dozens on the stem and they last for several weeks. Most orchids love the same sort of environment, so once you have the technic down, you can really do just about anything with your cultivations and even create new varieties, perhaps.. Here is a site that might help you in your endevours,, Have Fun and Good Luck.. Time Traveler/Ron.

http://orchidweb.org/aos/index.aspx

[starjasmine89]

Hi everyone (who is into orchids),
my dad told me to use different strength in three key minerals ( one of them is phosphate and other is potassium or the known : N, P and K). One of the three minerals is for flowering and other one of growth.

If you are happy not to have flowers ( I don't think we really want that!), treat orchids like cactus and just water when they look really dry then add not too much water. Actually, a spray bottle is a better choice than a hose.
We can also use pots with holes on the side so that the roots can hang out.
Add charcoals to the pots then put the plants in. I have to add "please find out which orchids need what". thanks.....
Yes, do give them shelter that provides mild warmth..... and light.

They are ,lastly, a reward to the carer even we don't see much flowers often enough!

starjasmine89