Beginning a micro/mini orchid collection

[astralmimi]

This is my second ever post to these boards and I wanted to get involved in the discussions in a way that was interesting personal and hopefully not just anther newbie repeating an older thread.

So I really want to start a micro/mini collection, which was the main reason I joined. (That and to fix my abused Noble and no longer mystery orchid) So this is going to be the thread I update as I research and buy each one.

Are there any others currently with a collection of this type they can let me drool over? Or have any good suggestions about any types that may be more tolerant to the beginner with high aspirations?

I'm looking for a Schoenorchis fragrans to be my first addition potentially (If I can find any seeds) As I love the bark mounting and plan to have a go at building a terrarium micro climate to hang it in.

Thanks for reading

[Roberta]

There is a recent lively thread over in the Advanced Discussion forum with a bunch of excellent suggestions. A good place to start!

Compiling a List of Miniatures - Share your Suggestions!

---------- Post added at 10:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 AM ----------

Originally Posted by astralmimi

I'm looking for a Schoenorchis fragrans to be my first addition potentially (If I can find any seeds) As I love the bark mounting and plan to have a go at building a terrarium micro climate to hang it in.

Thanks for reading

For a start, you won't be growing orchids from seeds... that's a laboratory operation. ("Orchid seeds" that you may find being peddled on the 'net are fake. ) You may want to read up on what is involved in growing orchids from seeds, which are like dust. Even growing very young seedlings from flask is not a good place to begin. (Besides, you don't want 50 of the same plant when you have limited space) Buy established plants, and research the conditions that they want, while considering what you can provide.

[astralmimi]

Originally Posted by Roberta

For a start, you won't be growing orchids from seeds... that's a laboratory operation.

Bloody hell you're right, I went and looked it up and it looks like a gene splicing lab.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by astralmimi

Bloody hell you're right, I went and looked it up and it looks like a gene splicing lab.

Not quite that complex, but keeping things sterile is very important (an autoclave and a laminar flow hood help) - the medium that feeds the baby orchids (as a substitute for the very specific mycorrhizae that they require in nature) can also feed fungi that will totally overwhelm them. So, while a few species may be more forgiving, most seeds do need to be placed in their flasks in a sterile environment, to develop under controlled conditions. Then when they are ready to emerge into the world (from somewhere around a year to a couple of years later) they are fragile and need considerable TLC to survive the transition. On top of that, the time to bloom out of flask ranges from a year or two for Phalaenopsis (that have been bred for fast turnaround) to 5-7 years or so for many Cattleyas, Cymbidiums, etc. So a huge investment in time.

So... if you want to grow and enjoy orchids at home, let the pros do the "birthing" and "infancy" part. Established seedlings can be a relatively low-cost way to get started (with reasonable success rate), for a few more coins you can get a plant mature enough to be ready to bloom in a year or less.

[Mountaineer370]

On the left-hand side of your screen is a box that says "Site Menu." Click on "Forums," and it will take you to a list of all the sub-forums here. There are a few entitled "Terrarium Gardening," "Miniatures Show and Tell," and "Growing on Mounts," all of which may be interesting and informative to you if you feel like browsing. Using the search feature in general for the whole board may help you find relevant posts, also. Good luck to you. Getting started in orchids is a lot of fun. Feel free to ask if you need help navigating the board.

[KE8ICR]

I am new too and love the tiny orchids . All I can tell you is I have had great success with my Harella Retrocalla aka Harella Odorata, mine has bloomed !

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by KE8ICR

I am new too and love the tiny orchids . All I can tell you is I have had great success with my Harella Retrocalla aka Harella Odorata, mine has bloomed !

Yessss. Congratulations! I hope that you had a chance to smell it too (a lot of sweet fragrance for a little flower but you do still need to get close)

[KE8ICR]

Yes it has a nice lemony scent