Jan 31 2009
Why Get Into Orchids?
Once, most people just assumed, perhaps with some justification, that puttering about with orchids was a hobby exclusively for the very affluent. Nowadays, most of us know that growing orchids orchids is a rewarding pastime that is open to people whatever their means.Yet another false and unfortunate perception is still around, though: that taking care of orchids is very hard. But this is certainly not so.
The fact is, many of the most stunning orchids are really pretty easy to grow. All it requires is a little foreknowledge, which may be gathered easily from books, both the printed kind and the digital kind that anyone 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 had any experience growing orchids, you would not need to ask the question. Orchids can grip us, infecting us with a sort of fever that never goes away once we catch it!
Regardless, here are a few answers to the question. One huge advantage of growing orchids as opposed to other flowering plants is their extreme showiness paired with the great length of time they will stay in bloom. Some orchids will continue in bloom 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 subject of orchids and orchid cultivation is an extensive one. You should plunge deeply into the subject and learn as much as you can before purchasing your first plant. Nevertheless, there are a few basics you should know right off the bat. Among those basics is that orchids can be classed into two great groupings, based on growing habits.
One of the major orchid groups is the epiphytals. These are orchids that grow on trees, or sometimes in moss or fungus on rocks. These are the “air dwelling” orchids, that seem to thrive on nothing but sunlight and air, although this, of course, is not really the case. 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 remain the ones that hold the most fascination for people.
Epiphytal orchids are not parasites, 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 pull nutrients from water, fungi and moss, as well as the decomposing leaves that sometimes get caught on them. Orchid devotees adore the epiphytals because of the enjoyment of recreating their unusual habitats in a garden or greenhouse.
The other main grouping of orchids contains the terrestrial ones. As you can guess, these are the kind that are rooted in the soil like “normal” plants. Growing them means pottting them, as we do with most other of our familiar houseplants. Many of the most gorgeous varieites of orchids are to be found here.
Many orchid growers start out by concentrating on one of these two main groups of orchids. Invariably, though, they wind up cultivating at least a few varieties from both. 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.
Now there exists an abudance of excellent, accurate information available for anyone who wants to grow orchids. The most complete guidebook to contemporary orchid gardening, many people are finding, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard’s guide is a thorough course, helpful for novices as well as the more experienced cultivators alike. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets site, which has an ever-expanding library of entries on many facets of orchid care.
