Index of Thoughts

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Get yourself an orchid: A Beginner's Guide



I just love my orchids! They are exotically beautiful, and their blooms last forever. I have always surrounded myself with plants inside and out. They really help ground me. Unfortunately, in my current home the lighting isn't the greatest so my collection has dwindled. Another factor is due to little hands digging in the dirt and eating my plants so they have to be higher too.

I am the most proud of my Lady Slipper that is reblooming!  It can be a tricky one to get to rebloom.  It is so stunning.

Here is my mini Phalaenopsis that is almost at the end of it's blooming.
Orchids can be a little intimidating at first since they seem so foreign but I have found that they are actually my easiest plants to take care of.

This is my Oncidium Orchid right now.

Here's what you need to know to take of orchids indoors:

- They prefer a morning sun window.
- They like little bits of water but never sitting in water. I have even been neglectful of watering and they are super forgiving.
- I have them in my bathroom where they love the steam from the shower. Misting them every now and then will also work though but never mist the flowers.
- Be patient with blooming. If they like their spot, it will happen.  I recommend fertilizing once a month with a low dose fertilizer like this one here.  Also, a lot of orchids that you buy at the stores have been forced to bloom so sometimes it takes a while to get them to rebloom.
- There are lots of varieties of orchids which have different requirements. Here is a table of the names & their 411.  This isn't every variety of orchid but the ones that are most notable to me.  I made this table almost 10 years ago.

Krista's Orchid Guide

Here are some pictures of some of these other varieties:


Types Of Orchids
Phalaenopsis
Types of Orchids
Dendrobium

Types Of Orchids
Oncidium
Brassia Orchid
Brassia

Pink Cymbidium Orchid
Cymbidium

Orange Masdevallia
Masdevallia
The Miltonia, sometimes called the Pansy Orchid
Miltonia

Cattelya






4 comments:

  1. Very pretty. I have never had any luck getting them to rebloom.

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  2. Thanks for this guide. I've had a little bit of luck getting them to bloom, but I currently have 8 (I went through a phase of buying them) dormant plants. I keep hoping - I am ready for some fresh blooms!

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    Replies
    1. They will!! I have had some of mine for a very very long time, and it did take them a bit to start reblooming. But now that they love their spot they have really been going off!!

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