Buy Orchid Plants Blog

5 Tips on Growing great Phalaenopsis Orchids

2010-04-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here are 5 tips on growing great Phalaenopsis Orchids.

Use bright indirect light.
Don't let the Orchid fully dry out between waterings.
Don't water on the leaves.
Don't overwater.
Be patient as Orchids take some time to bloom.

Review of Hardy Daylily Gardens in Connecticut

2009-08-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

A terrific outdoor plant to compliment Orchids are Daylilies. We visited Hardy Daylily Gardens in Connecticut and here is our review.

Hardy Daylily Garden is a beautiful garden set in the northwest corner of Connecticut. The owner and staff are polite, generous, and friendly. We purchased some field grown Daylilies and they were all terrific plants. In fact we couldn't believe how large the plants were for a northern garden.

This is kind of a husband and wife small business. When they could they would greet people as they came in the garden. They showed them around and answered questions. They were very helpful.

They have lots of Daylily varieties as well as some Hosta. The gardens are located in front of and behind their house.

This is not a large scale grower with tons of each variety. It is a garden with lots of varieties. I would not recommend toting a list of Daylilies into the garden to seek out as they are not set up like a mail order garden. They are set up as a garden one can browse through in person and be pleasantly surprised to discover many beautiful plants. Some would be named varieties from other growers, some will be their own varieties, and others will be their own seedlings.

Here is a link to the Hardy Daylily Garden website.

Orchid Greenhouses Can Help

2009-07-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

Using a greenhouse to grow Orchids at home can be a good way to control temperature, humidity, air movement, and lighting. We have just updated our greenhouses page here.

Jump Start on Growing Your First Orchids

2009-07-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

This post is to give you a jump start on growing your first Orchids. To me, the perfect start to growing Orchids would be to get the items below. This should all come to around $100-150 and you'll be all set to go!

Buy a good Orchid book. This is a good book if you like beautiful large photos. Or, here is a book with more copy which has a good simplification. If you want to save money, this Ortho book is always a good one. If you don't like to read and prefer a DVD, here's a good DVD.
Phalaenopsis Orchid plants are the easiest to grow if you have a shady spot indoors. They bloom for a nice long time. This is a nice Phalaenopsis Orchid collection to start with.
Dendrobiums are great Orchids for that bright window inside the house. This particular Dendrobium is a long blooming type, also called a Phalaenopsis type Dendrobium.
For repotting eventually, this is a good bark for both of the above Orchids.
This Orchid fertilizer works well for the above Orchids.
A humidity tray is very important in growing Orchids, since Orchids are from tropical climates. Here is a good humidity tray meant for one Orchid. Or, here is a large humidity tray which can work for 3-4 Orchids.

2009 Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco CA

2009-03-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

If you have not been before, this is the year not to miss the Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco CA. It takes place March 5-8, 2009 at Fort Mason. With the huge number of Orchid displays, tables with Orchids for sale, and green theme, it is sure to be great this year. Here is more information.

Top Orchid Care Tips

2009-01-23T16:29:00.000-08:00

These top Orchid care tips should help you keep your Orchids healthy and happy. Caring for Orchids can be easy or it can be difficult, depending on what Orchid you choose. Here are our top care tips:

Most Orchids love humidity. Use a humidity tray for your Orchid.
Orchids don't like a lot of fertilizer at once. Fertilize weakly, weekly as you care for your Orchids.
Orchids don't like direct sun on their leaves. Even if you have chosen an Orchid that likes bright light, it still doesn't want direct sun.
The longest blooming Orchids are Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, and Cymbidium Orchids. If you want a long bloom time, choose one of these o grow.
The Orchids that have the biggest flowers bloom 2-4 weeks. These are Cattleya Orchids, known as the corsage Orchid.

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Orchid Plants and Books as Gifts

2008-12-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

Here are two of my favorite Orchid items to give as gifts for the holidays. One is a plant, and the other is an Orchid book. These orchid plants and books are ideal to give as gifts to your closest loved ones and friends.

The Orchid Starter collection from Carter and Holmes is great for the Orchid hobby grower or brand new Orchid grower. This collection has an assortment of Orchids which are easy to grow. They are various sizes with at least one in bud. This collection includes care and repotting instructions. And, fertilizer is included! What a great deal.
Understanding Orchids is a terrific, very practical book to give as a gift. This is a good book for the new or experienced Orchid grower.

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When to Buy Orchid Plants

2008-09-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

The time to buy Orchid plants is when you have gotten the space at home ready for plants. You need to ensure you know what kind of Orchid will grow in your location. Some Orchids prefer bright light, some like medium light, and others prefer low light. Look around this Website to find out about each kind of Orchid.

Orchids That Are Easy To Grow

2008-03-08T17:45:00.001-08:00

For people who are starting or are thinking of raising and cultivating orchids, much thought is required before proceeding.

First, you have to be completely decided. One should be willing to commit most of his or her time in taking care of the plant from start to finish. Ask yourself if you are willing to be consistent in watering the plant, or in making sure that the plant's environment is free from things that will hinder their growth. And most importantly, ask yourself if raising an orchid is what you really want to do. After going through all of these and you still are eager to find an orchid and raise it, then you're good to go.

Next thing to do is, obviously, what orchid to grow. For most starters, this can become a slight problem. If you are totally new to the cultivation and plant-growing world, you might get stumped in choosing the orchid you want.

The answer to this problem is easy. If you have no idea as to which orchid is most suitable for growing, what you need to do is pick the ones that are easiest to grow.

Each orchid is unique in a way that they are easy to grow under their own perfect condition. For starters, Phalaenopsis are easy to grow. They are the most common and are cheap. So if you fail the first time trying to grow it, you can always go back to your favorite flower shop and buy one again, without hurting your pockets.

The following are other types of orchids that are easy to grow under the right conditions:

Paphiopedilums or the "slipper" orchids which come in a great assortment of colors, shapes, and sizes. Specific types of these are:
- Maudiae, a classic slipper cross and possibly the most common Paphiodeliums. They have a wide variety of colors to choose from.
- Hybrids, those that have mottled leaves are the ones that can grow well.
- Species
Phalaenopsis
Doritaenopsis which is a type of Phalaenopsis and a relative of genus Doritis combined. Oftentimes they have spikes that grow erect. One type of this is Talitha Klehm.
Phragmipedium is a previously ignored genus until recently. It is one of the easiest to grow.
Cattleya.
Vandas were widely hybridized like the Cattleyas. Some examples are Ascocenda and Ascocentrum. They like abundant amount of lightand are usually gron in baskets where their roots are out in the open.
Cymbidium are an ideal choice for cooler temperatures.

In certain specific conditions like an indoor environment, these orchids are recommended:

Phalaenopsis
Paphiopedilum concolor
Paphiopedilum sukhakulii
Paphiopedilum callosum X P. lawrenceanum
Aerangis
Angraecum Bulbophyllum
Dendrochilum
Oncidium papilio
Oncidium kramerianum

Different types of orchids for different types of growing environment. But despite these variations, all of them can be easily grown. Just throw in the right condition for your flowers like light, soil, temperature, regular watering, etcetera and you'll have orchids blossoming beautifully.

How To Choose What Orchids to Buy

2008-03-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

For First Time Orchid Buyers

Orchids are beautiful to look at. They look good in one’s backyard or garden. People who appreciate flowers will sure be taken in awe of these colorful and cute flowers.

While some are just plainly satisfied by looking at orchids, other people become interested in purchasing these plants. Some may buy orchids just to put them in their respective gardens. Others may be also interested in raising and cultivating them for business purposes. Whatever their reasons maybe, they must first decide which type of orchids they want to buy.

In choosing the right kind of orchids, one must take note of these three things:

types of orchids which you think you can effectively grow
the available space for your orchids
the kind of environment your orchids will grow in

Orchids come in different kinds, each one unique in their ability to adapt to their environment and grow depending on it. Before you decide in buying a particular orchid, make sure that what you will get is the kind that you can effectively grow depending on the growing condition that you have. One must put into consideration the kind of shade or sun available, and the space available. You must also make sure that you are committed to regularly water your plant for them to grow and bloom.

Going to the actual process of buying that orchid that keeps nagging the back of your mind, take note that there are varieties that are best suitable for first-time buyers. They are the following:

Phalaenopsis Orchids. They are also referred to as Moth Orchids. They are among the types of orchids that are easy to grow. Orchids that belong to this group have several large flowers on each spike which remain open for six weeks or more. The Moth orchids are common in most stores. They can also extend their blooming period when a spike is cut after the original flowers are gone by developing a new spike below the original one.

Phals (as some would call this type of orchids) are ideal for first-time buyers because they are inexpensive and their being common.
Paphiopedilum Orchids. They also go by the name Venus Slipper Orchid. This kind is easily identified because of its one flower per stalk quality. However, there are varieties that have multiple flowers. Paphiopedilums are fairly simple to grow provided that they have the accurate temperature range.
Dendrobium Orchids. This type is long-lasting and is characterized by many blossoms. When mature, they often times split when small additional plantlets are produced.
Oncidium Orchids. Oncidiums are easy to grow because they belong to a large group that has different species which originate in broad varieties of climate. They are commonly referred to as “dancing girls”.
Cattleya hybrids are also recommended for those first-time buyers because they are also easy to grow, and also those that belong in the Vanda group.

Most importantly, in purchasing your pretty orchids, make sure to select the healthy orchids (you can ask your friendly orchid seller for this). This will ensure that you are in the right track. Combine it with tender, loving care (flowers need this too), regular watering and the right kind of environment to grow in, your orchids are sure to bloom in no time!

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