Orchid Care Tips Blog

People often ask me how I choose Orchids in the San Francisco Bay Area. Choosing Orchids here is just like buying them anywhere else. If going to a large store, it is important the Orchids have not been mistreated. I find the best way to find Orchids that are in good shape is to go to either local smaller nurseries or Orchid Shows. These two places usually have Orchids that have had the most care. If you go somewhere where Orchids got too hot, cold, dry, or wet for too long, the Orchid may not show issues right away. It may take days or weeks for the full effect of damage to appear on the Orchid. That is why it is very important to get Orchids from a quality location where they have been cared for carefully. If you have other questions, let me know here.

Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis Orchids tend to be top favorites of Orchid growers. The reason for the Phalaenopsis Orchid being in this group is that the perfect indoor Orchid is a Phalaenopsis. It is easy to grow, has long lasting flowers, and is compact. Meanwhile, the Cymbidium Orchid is larger, very showy, has long lasting flowers, and can be grown outdoors in many warmer climates.

Here is what I recommend for a new Orchid grower who is ready to start growing Cymbidiums or Phalaenopsis Orchids.

1. Get Orchid fever! When I say this I don’t just mean the feeling, I mean the book. The book Orchid Fever by Eric Hansen really helps show the passion of what Orchid collecting and growing is all about. Here is the best price for this book on Amazon.com.
2. Buy Orchid Growing for Wimps by Ellen Zachos. This is a great starter book for Orchid growing.
3. Get a great deal with a Phalaenopsis Orchid Collection. This good one from Amazon.com starts you out with five 4″ plants from Carter and Holmes Orchids, one of my favorite growers.
4. Get a collection of Cymbidium Orchids. This Cymbidium Orchid Plant Collection from Larrys Orchids products includes 6 different blooming size plants, all different colors. If you click on this Amazon link to purchase, you’ll get FREE SHIPPING!
5. You’ll need to repot your Phalaenopsis Orchid within the next 0-2 years. Here is the best repotting medium for Phalaenopsis Orchids.
6. When repotting your Cymbidium, here is the best potting medium to use.
7. When potting your Cymbidium, use a crystal clear Orchid pot. You will probably need this 8″ one.
8. When repotting your Phalaenopsis, you can use a ceramic pot with Bonsai Boy’s Orchid pot with attached saucer, or here is another in a darker color. You can also repot into a crystal clear plastic pot.

Here are five great Orchids you can give as gifts for New Years or a birthday. These five Orchids are quite exceptional in my book in terms of flowers, care, and quality.

1. Phalaenopsis Newberry Bouquet ‘Blushing Bride’ - Beautiful long lasting flowers on this pink and white Phalaenopsis Orchid to use as a perfect gift
2. Phalaenopsis Carolina Yellow Fantasy ‘Golden Showers’ - Great long lasting yellow novelty Phalaenopsis Orchid to give as a gift to someone special
3. Cymbidium Milton Carpenter ‘Everglades Gold’ JC / AOS - Patented Orchid from Carter and Holmes, nice plant as gift
4. Dendrobium Fire Coral ‘Super Star’ AM / AOS - This is one cool Orchid! It has long lasting flowers, loves bright light, and blooms like crazy. It is a great Orchid to give as a gift.
5. Dendrobium Yellow Chinsai ‘Little Joe‘ - Miniature yellow floriferus Dendrobium great to give as a gift.

So lets say you want to buy the perfect Orchid for yourself or a loved one. Here are six ways I would recommend you can find that perfect Orchid.

1. Excellent. Go to an Orchid Show display booths and selling booths and compare.
   Wait for the next big Orchid show. For example, every year in San Francisco Pacific Orchid Exposition (POE) happens. I would go to the show, look around the displays and note prolific or beautiful Orchids in the displays. Here you will see Orchids growing and flowering at their best. Go to the sellers booths or tables who set up the displays and see what their plants for sale look like. If they look well grown and taken care of, go ahead and purchase.
2. Excellent. Go to an Orchid Show selling booths.
   Same as number one, but just go through selling booths. If an Orchid looks great in terms of growing and flowering at a small size, you know it will look at least that good as it increases in size over the years. pay close attention to the general look and feel of plants by each grower. Some growers have plants with weak roots or leaves. Some have waxed the leaves. Some have exposed their plants to cold on the way into the show. Look for this by finding yellowing buds.
3. Very good. Niche stores.
   Go to a high quality store or flower nursery. Don’t just buy the one Orchid that looks the best. First, take careful note how all their Orchids look. Do you see bud blast? Do you see many withering flowers from care problems? Are the roots drying out? What you want to ensure is that you can tell they have been taking care of all of their Orchids well in house. The reason here is that Orchids can be slow to react. You may have an Orchid that looks great the day you buy it and one week later reacts to bad care conditions that happened to it before you bought it, such as sunburn on leaves, bud blast or withering flowers.
4. Ok to great depending on what you find. Grocery stores, department stores, etc.
   If you go to any grocery store, Home Depot, Trader Joes, Target, Walmart or other larger store, pay careful attention to how their Orchids look. Do they look good overall? Are they at the beginning or end of their blooming? How do the roots look? Although you can get a good deal here, make sure you get a good quality plant so you do not need to spend months or years bringing a plant back to health.
5. The best. Orchid growers.
   Orchid growers. If you go to the store at an Orchid Nursery, this can be great. Look up local orchid nurseries. They will probably have some great plants to choose from for sale. This is because their staff are used to caring for Orchids. They probably took Orchids directly out of greenhouses and put them in the sales room. That means no care or condition issues. In addition, there is a good chance people working in the sales area have a lot of Orchids and love them. That way they can give you tips and you know you are getting a good plant.
6. Pretty good. Orchid Enthusiasts.
   Some Orchid enthusiasts or members or Orchid Societies will sell their plants. You’ll find many care tips and such here. But, be careful. Since Orchids can have Orchid virus. The longer someone has cared at home for the Orchid, the more chance they could have cut the leaves of an orchid with virus without sterilizing and transmitted the virus to another plant.

The Phalaenopsis Orchid is the most popular kind of Orchid people buy, by far. They are not only easy to grow, but require low light. They are easily grown in the home or office and bloom for an extended period of time. As for whether to grow a white, yellow, or other Phalaenopsis, that is up to you. It isn’t the color that determines how long the plant will bloom. It is the breeding of the plant. A person can look in books, the internet, or at a garden/greenhouse and see what traits the parents of a given hybrid Phalaenopsis has. Knowing the parentage is an ideal way to find out what to expect.

My favorite kind of Orchid is currently this kind of Orchid. I, as many of us do, enjoy the extended blooming one gets with a Phalaenopsis Orchid. If the plant is cared for well, it can bloom up to a year. This may mean cutting the stem one centimeter below the node under the bottom flower when the plant is done blooming.

There are many Phalaenopsis Orchids that can be bought affordably. When purchasing a Phalaenopsis, look for Orchids without all flowers yet open. You also don’t want a plant with no buds open, since you’ll need to see the flowers to choose a plant, and ensure that the buds are strong enough to survive transport home.

Phalaenopsis Orchids do well with a humidity tray that fits the size of their leaves, and fertilizing weakly during most waterings. Make sure to water with no fertilizer every number of waterings so that no salts build up in the medium.

Article by Jordan Hardy of Orchid Tips and JordanHardy.net.

It is not necessary for you to be an expert in gardening in order to grow orchids successfully. There are many species of orchids that are easy to grow and maintain even for a beginner. It is important to note though that there are certain types of orchids that require special care and attention for them to live and bloom. “Ortho’s All About Orchids” which is a book with description and tips about the proper care for orchids offers a guide for beginners and experts alike about the proper care for different types of orchids.

On the other hand, you may also want to look into the book, “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids” to know the varied types of orchid species and choose the best orchid that is best for you and your level of expertise. But for you to successfully choose the right kind of orchid for you and your home, here are some things you might want to know first:

Orchid Nomenclature

All kinds of orchids have scientific names. This term is a two-part name in Latin that aids in letting everyone speaks the same language when they want to identify living things. Identifying orchids are the same because when you look at the names of orchids, you will notice that the plural genera (genus) will be capitalized and it will be followed by another name in lower case.

Orchid Hybrids

There are orchids that are mixed with each other, these kinds of orchids are called orchid hybrid. You can know if an orchid is a hybrid or not by looking at its name. For example, hybrid plants will have the term “X” between the names of each of its parent. Orchid hybrids are also sometimes cross-bred to create new kinds of orchids and it can be seen in its name.

Orchid Genus

If you are only beginning to discover the world of orchids, it is first essential for you to be familiar with the name of genus. This is because orchids with the same genus require the same growing conditions and techniques so you will know how to grow different types of orchids under the same genus.

Orchid Genera

Although being familiar with the orchid genus is very important for a beginner, there are also some genera that a beginner should be familiar with such as Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, and Oncidium because these are common types of orchids.

Orchids have intrigued serious gardeners for centuries more than any other plant. In fact, if people think of exotic and delicate flowers the first thing that comes to their mind are orchids. Orchids have been loved by many for a long time but it looks like their popularity still hasn’t dimmed to this date as there are still thousands of people who grow and take care of orchids in their own houses.

There are actually a wide variety of orchids; you will simply be astounded by the number of plant species of this flower. The orchid species number around 30,000 and each of these orchids has its own characteristics that make it unique from other types of orchids. Of course, with such a wide variety, you can expect that the care and maintenance of each plant varies from one plant species to another. In addition, not all orchids have the same beauty because some orchids stand out from the rest.

The Purple Dendrobium orchid, in particular, is a favorite among many because it is very beautiful while being easy to grow and maintain at the same time. The Dendrobium makes for an excellent houseplant because it blooms extraordinarily; thus it gives the house the enlistment and embellishment it needs.

Another great advantage of orchids compared to other types of plants is their longevity. They can last indefinitely as long as they are cared for properly. Because of this, the the Dendrobium Orchid is the favorite of many. It stands at around 18” – 26” tall and it comes with its split bamboos planter. You will also find care instructions for this plant so you will never go wrong. The most important thing to remember about orchids though is that they need to be watered carefully and should always be placed in an area with indirect sunlight.

The Purple Dendrobium is said to be very hard to find and the truth is, sometimes it is especially if you want the kind that looks extremely healthy and vibrant. But it is not impossible to find the perfect Purple Dendrobium. When you do find it, you will agree that this plant has been worth the search after all. After having a great experience with your first Purple Dendrobium, you will surely want to buy another one as a gift to a special person. This plant can certainly capture the heart of anyone.

Click here to purchase this Orchid on Amazon.com (link opens a new window).

Safe shopping - ensure anytime you click on a link to purchase on a shopping website that the part before the .com is the website you want. In this case you’ll see the link above click to a valid URL starting with http://rcm.amazon.com in the browser.

Why are pink Phalaenopsis Orchids the most popular?

• They can bloom a very long time, on average 2-6 months depending on plant strength and care
• They are beautiful
• They are compact yet not too small for the average home grower
• There has been a lot of work put into creating hybrids to extend the “potted plant” phenomenon by Orchid growers, to get the perfect plant for the home
• The “blush” to the flower is often different from one plant to another
• They are each unique and not from meristems

When I worked for Rod McLellan Orchid Company (before they were bought so many years ago) this was a plant we grew hundreds of thousands of as they were so popular with customers.
Read more about this Orchid or you can purchase this plant at a discount at Amazon.com by clicking here

I’ve been asked where people can find some great long lasting cut Orchid flowers online to buy that look as if they are the kind from Hawaii. These are the best I’ve seen at a good price, with a nice variety.