Knowing the Orchids

Once, most people assumed, perhaps with some cause, that orchid growing was an avocation exclusively for the very affluent. These days, most people are aware that orchid cultivation is a pastime open to almost anyone.Yet there is another myth that continues to be spread: that cultivating orchids is so difficult it is almost not worth the attempt. You might be gladdened to know that this is definitely not the case.

The fact is, some of the most lovely orchids are surprisingly rather simple to grow. All it takes is a little foreknowledge, which can be absorbed easily from books, both the printed kind and the digital kind that you can download from a website. If you live in a warm climate, you will find you can grow many varieties outdoors.But even if your climate is a cold one, you can still grow gorgeous orchids in a greenhouse or even a regular room, dedicated to the purpose.

Why grow orchids instead of other types of plants?  If you have spent any time in orchid cultivation, you wouldn't have to ask the question. Orchids can seize us with a hold that never relaxes once it has us in its grips!

Regardless, here are a few answers to the question. The great advantage of growing orchids over other plants is their extreme beauty coupled with the great length of time that they will remain in bloom. Some orchid varieites will delight you with their blooms for three or four months. A few will continue blooming for six months. Even if your collection of orchids is a small one, it is possible to have blooms the year around, due to the varying blooming seasons of different species.

The topic of orchids, and how to cultivate them, is both broad and deep. You should plunge deeply into the subject and learn as much as you can before purchasing your first plant. Nontheless, there are some basics you need to know at the very start. One of those basics is that orchids are divided into two great groups based on their growing habits.

One of the major orchid groups is the epiphytals. These are orchids that grow on the trunks or branches of trees. They are the air dwelling orchids, because they seemingly live on nothing but air and sunlight, though this of course is not actually true. It was these mysterious species that first grabbed the imaginations of collectors and resulted in the first great orchid mania of a more than a century ago. They are still the ones that most fascinate people today.

These epiphytal orchids should not be thought of as parasitic, though. The get only a little of their sustenance from the tree bark on which they grow, and this doesn't harm their hosts at all. They also draw nutrients from water, moss and fungi, as well as leaves that often get caught on and around them, decomposing in the process. Orchid growers love the epiphytals because of the fun--and sometimes challenge--of recreating their growing environment in a greenhouse or garden.

The other primary grouping of orchids is the terrestrial ones. As you probably can guess, this type grows in soil like most plants with which we are familiar. Growing them requires potting, just as with any other familiar houseplant. Many of the most gorgeous varieites of orchids are to be found here.

Many orchid cultivators begin by focusing exclusively on one or the other of these two main groups. As you might guess, though, they end up growing at least a handful of species from both groups. It's a good idea to learn about both kinds of orchids if you are serious about wanting to join the world of the orchid cultivators.

These days, of course, we have a tremendous amount of excellent information on the successful way to grow orchids. The most accurate and clear guidebook to expert orchid cultivation, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by a Mr. Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the web. Howard's wonderful guide constitutes a complete education all by itself. And, it is appropriate for beginning gardeners as well as more experienced orchid cultivators. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets website, which has an ever-expanding database of information on all topics of orchid care.