Orchid Care Tips Blog

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.

This article I just posted on Orchid Care Tips is all about interesting reasons to grow Orchids in general, Wild Orchids, Young Orchids, etc.

For some, gardening is an activity or even an art that provides pride, pleasure and relaxation since you get to toil and enjoy the beauty you create. One of the many flowers that ardent gardeners grow is the Orchid, surely one of the most decorative flowers.

In each area of the world, there are different kinds of Orchids that grow either in the wild or at home. Each variety has a different quality to it, as well as location they are from. Some of them are as follows:

• In the Netherlands, many different types of Orchids bloom and come from, such as the Lesser Butterfly Orchid that has a scientific name of Platanthera bifolia, the Common Twayblad, which is also called Listera ovata, the Fly Orchid or Ophrys Insectifera. These kinds of Orchids typically grow in the forest and vanish each time the forest gets thick. They only appear when the forest has been cleared. These Orchids are some of the most uncommon and endangered types in Netherlands.
• Costa Rica, particularly the Southern Nicoya Peninsula, is known to be a haven of Orchids, hosting about one thousand and four hundred types of orchids. Here, different kinds of Orchids grow such as the Brassavola Nodosa, a very common variety with spiky petals and blooms, located in the ground around large areas speckled with trees. An uncommon type of orchid that grows in this region is the Maxillaria cf. Neglecta, which has been sighted in the Quebrada Buena Vista jungle. Another rare type of orchid is the Dimerandra cf. Emarginata, which has only been spotted in the abode of a Tica woman but originally bloomed in the jungle in Malpais.
• In the USA, there are many varieties of Orchids that usually bloom in late spring. One such Orchid is the Cypripedium Acaule, an Orchid that grows in Minnesota which is the official flower of this state. It possesses huge flowers, and its petals and sepals are of the hue dark reddish purple. Another Orchid that is typically seen in Georgia is Parviflorum, which has petals that are tinted in golden yellow. Other than these two, the Cahfomicium variety grows in the California Mountains during summer. It has petals colored brown and yellow and tinted in white.
• The genteel atmosphere of Canada is best suited for growing the Spectabile, which is also known as the Reginae, blooming in late spring.
• The Barbatum, which grows in India and the Malay Peninsula, is in season from February through August. It is colored white and purple, striped with green hue.
• Thailand is abundant with Bellatulum, an Orchid that grows during springtime. It is very small and has petals that are of creamy ivory hue.
• China has a climate that a Callosum Orchid can acclimate to. It has huge gorgeous flowers colored in green, purple, and dark red.

This information should help give you some more ideas on interesting Orchids from a variety of areas, that you can consider growing. Growing great Orchids may not an easy feat because they do require some TLC, but it is worth the effort when they bloom.

This is an Orchid that likes to hang in a basket. Very nice petite flowers and a rare Orchid. Not the easiest to grow, but with some good air movement, humidity, light, and care, it will grow just fine.

Here is information about this Orchid from Carter and Holmes Orchids 

This is an Orchid that likes warm temperatures with very good air movement. It is easy to get spotting on the leaves of this exptic, tropical plant. The flowers are wonderful, usually in sets of 2-10.

View more information about this Orchid from Carter and Holmes

This is a very interesting Orchid. Not because it blooms a very long time… or even is a large Orchid… in fact it is very small. What is interesting is just how compact and detailed this Orchid is. Beautiful plant.

Read about this plant from Carter and Holmes on Amazon

This Paphiopedilum flower lasts quite a long time and is very refined and delicate. This isn’t a plant for the novice grower, but with some good attention to detail, this plant can be grown well. This is a very compact Orchid that likes to be kept moist between waterings.

Read about this Paphiopedilum from Carter and Holmes Orchids

Orchid Epi. Lee Ward is unique as it is a purple Epidendrum Orchid. Most of these Orchids are red, orange, or yellow, so this is truly special. This Orchid is very easy to grow, blooms for a long time, and in some climates, such as CA, can often be grown in a pot outdoors. A very interesting plant.

Read more about this Orchid from Carter and Holmes on Amazon.com