Buy Orchid Plants Blog

Here are 5 tips on growing great Phalaenopsis Orchids.

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

Labels: 5 Tips on Growing great Phalaenopsis Orchids

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.

Labels: connecticut, garden reviews, hardy daylily garden, hardy daylily gardens, reviews

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.

Labels: buy orchids, greenhouse, greenhouses, orchids

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!

1. 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.
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
4. For repotting eventually, this is a good bark for both of the above Orchids.
5. This Orchid fertilizer works well for the above Orchids.
6. 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.
   

Labels: buy orchids, first orchids, new to orchids, orchid collection

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.

Labels: buy orchids, california, orchid shows, orchids, orchids for sale, san francisco

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:

1. Most Orchids love humidity. Use a humidity tray for your Orchid.
2. Orchids don't like a lot of fertilizer at once. Fertilize weakly, weekly as you care for your Orchids.
   
3. 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.
4. The longest blooming Orchids are Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, and Cymbidium Orchids. If you want a long bloom time, choose one of these o grow.
   
5. The Orchids that have the biggest flowers bloom 2-4 weeks. These are Cattleya Orchids, known as the corsage Orchid.
   

Labels: orchid, orchid care, orchids

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.
  
  

Labels: book reviews, orchid books, orchid gifts