Suggestions for starting collection

[Bombotany]

The cool thing about a large south facing window is that it can be whatever kind of window you want it to be, given that south is the brightest direction. You could add shade cloth, or put plants further from the window, etc. Caution though - in summer in southern US, the sun goes so high in the noontime sky that you might end up with total shade.

I would go with just about any DenPhal (Dendrobium Phalaenopsis type). They're somewhat forgiving of neglect, like it bright, and are pretty easy to read. I.e. they'll lose leaves one at a time from the bottom if they're under-watered. DenPhal's are the second most frequently retailed orchid, and that's for good reason. They're almost always putting out either a new cane or new flowers, so if you make a mistake you won't be able to tell in no time at all!

Word to the wise -- don't waste your money on some rare/special/specific breed until you've made the mistakes everyone normally will. Grab yourself a NOID or who-cares-ID for $15 bucks and love it for what it is.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Den Phal hybrids also go deciduous because they actually have a light dormancy during fall - winter.

[Rid]

Well I’m already getting the urge to expand my collection. I understand that it would be smart to wait and see how my current plants do under my care, but my question is how long will it take to know if the plants are thriving or dying under my care?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Rid

Well I’m already getting the urge to expand my collection. I understand that it would be smart to wait and see how my current plants do under my care, but my question is how long will it take to know if the plants are thriving or dying under my care?

Orchids don't do anything fast, even die...and life is finite. So take a good look at the conditions that you can provide, do a little research, and buy a few more that seem reasonable. Observe your plants, learn from the successes and failures (and there will be some), it's all about constant learning. But then, I am a "What can I get away with?" orchid grower, and the small successes just encourage me to push the envelope a bit more. So success is never 100%, but I'm having a lot of fun figuring out what works, and challenging conventional wisdom now and then.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Rid

Well I’m already getting the urge to expand my collection. I understand that it would be smart to wait and see how my current plants do under my care, but my question is how long will it take to know if the plants are thriving or dying under my care?

If you can't stop the itch, none of us can stop you.

It is true that it takes some time for you to really know if your orchids will do well under your care. (It will take at least 1 month for you to have a vague idea of whether the plants are thriving for some of the faster growing or easier to establish species or hybrids. In some rare cases, it could take up to 1 year. Usually, it is around the 3 month mark that you can really tell.)

It is also true that if you expand your collection too quickly, it can become problematic.

If you'd like to try more orchids - I'd recommend getting maybe a couple from the following list:

1. Dendrobium kingianum
2. Dendrobium speciosum

Both of these are tough as nails. They are from Australia. They are both found growing around rocky areas. They both can handle bright indirect light. They are both temperature tolerant.

Den. speciosum is a large species. This one can put on a show.

3. Laelia anceps are nice too.

4. My personal favorite species of Laelia is Laelia superbiens.

5. Laelia autumnalis is also a good one.

6. Schomburgkia tibicinis could be some that you might like.

7. Schomburgkia albopurpurea

or

8. Schomburgkia thomsoniana

You may want to also consider:

9. Anacheilium cochleatum (aka Encyclia cochleata)

10. Anacheilium fragrans

11. Anacheilium radiatum

[Rid]

Thanks Philip. I’ll give it three months!

[Rid]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

My apologies - I should have been clearer. That was a Dendrobium nobile hybrid (No ID) I gave you- I believe it was Dendrobium Spring Dream 'Apollon' but I've lost the tag.

I water mine a few times a week, letting it dry out between waterings. I do this year round without rest and it blooms incredibly well each spring (and sometimes a smaller flush in fall). Since I grow mine indoors, you may find that it needs adjustment to thrive outdoors.

I've gotten many great tips from the members of this forum and it's helped me tremendously. I'd, however, stress that you need to use that as a point of reference to figure out what works for you. I keep a notebook with culturing notes/observations about each plant. Perhaps this is my chemistry training talking... but I find that it helps keep things organized when starting off.

Jeff, should this dendrobium lose it's leaves?

[Jeff214]

Ridley,

Yes, it's normal for that Den nobile hybrid to lose its leaves.

Once the psuedobulbs mature, they will rest, flower, and then gradually lose its leaves.

I've attached photos of the mother plant and its division - the same one where yours came from. You can see the p-bulbs at different points in its growth.

[Rid]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

Ridley,

Yes, it's normal for that Den nobile hybrid to lose its leaves.

Once the psuedobulbs mature, they will rest, flower, and then gradually lose its leaves.

I've attached photos of the mother plant and its division - the same one where yours came from. You can see the p-bulbs at different points in its growth.

Whoops, I confused the information you provided with other info I read about dendrobium. I put the poor thing in my basement window and reduced watering frequency trying to get it to drop it's leaves. The plant persevered, though, and is back in the warmth with regular watering.

Ridley

[Jeff214]

I've read (online) that Den nobile hybrids should be exposed to colder temps, watering/feeding reduced for successful flowering... but I've ignored all of that and it blooms fully every year around this time (Atlanta or San Diego!).

The division I gave you was small, and it may not be till next year that it's "blooming size". The third photo in my previous post shows the first time that division flowered.

It does seem to hate high temps and bad airflow... I had divisions of this plant all over my house (it makes lots of keikis...) and only the ones in my sunroom suffered. Otherwise, it's an easy plant to grow.