Recommended Online Orchid Sellers, Questions About Orchid Care.

[tmoney]

howdy!

well, if you are interested in phals (especially hybrids) there are sooooo many to choose from you almost can't go wrong. i agree with roberta to go slow in the beginning, cause like many folks, you get bit by the bug and start ordering stuff you have no business growing in your conditions and you find out you actually don't like it. not just cause of the flowers, but all the other factors like size, growth habits, rate of growth, finickiness, etc.

also, try different vendors. it IS daunting in the beginning but you can get a feel for good ones and bad ones by comparing the shipments and plants. soon you will see the ones you like and trust and the ones you only pop on something super rare or desirable. after you see the flowers and grow different plants (even within just the phals) you see which areas you gravitate towards.

my advice is to draw a distinction between species and hybrids, cause while the crazy hybrids are alluring, we have found some greater satisfaction in species. they really push your growing abilities and have the most rewarding habits. our , but have fun!!!

[alecStewart1]

Originally Posted by tmoney

i agree with roberta to go slow in the beginning, cause like many folks, you get bit by the bug and start ordering stuff you have no business growing in your conditions and you find out you actually don't like it. not just cause of the flowers, but all the other factors like size, growth habits, rate of growth, finickiness, etc.

Oh trust me, I know this with all of the carnivorous plants I've bought over the past year.

Originally Posted by tmoney

my advice is to draw a distinction between species and hybrids, cause while the crazy hybrids are alluring, we have found some greater satisfaction in species. they really push your growing abilities and have the most rewarding habits. our , but have fun!!!

Hmmm good to know. I'm having a hard time finding singular species, though. It seems most everyone sells a lot of warmer weather mini species, more fit for a greenhouse or terrarium than just in ones home or office, and then the rest are mostly hybrids. Maybe there's not as much in stock because we're coming to the colder seasons. Shoot I should've just gotten one of the ones I saw at the grocery store the other day.

I'm still stuck on Neos as my first choice, as I can grow them outdoors in the shade and use a tray with some clay balls and water to up humidity. New World Orchids, Andy's Orchids and Orchid Limited all have a good selection of Neos.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by alecStewart1

Hmmm good to know. I'm having a hard time finding singular species, though. It seems most everyone sells a lot of warmer weather mini species, more fit for a greenhouse or terrarium than just in ones home or office, and then the rest are mostly hybrids. Maybe there's not as much in stock because we're coming to the colder seasons. Shoot I should've just gotten one of the ones I saw at the grocery store the other day.

I'm still stuck on Neos as my first choice, as I can grow them outdoors in the shade and use a tray with some clay balls and water to up humidity. New World Orchids, Andy's Orchids and Orchid Limited all have a good selection of Neos.

Neos sound like a really good choice given your conditions. But also know that there is a range for a lot of things. Take a look at Tarzane Group. I have gotten some really neat minis - that grow outside for me (and get chilly), would do fine in an indoor environment too. Part of the fun of the hobby is learning what you can get away with.

[alecStewart1]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Neos sound like a really good choice given your conditions. But also know that there is a range for a lot of things. Take a look at Tarzane Group. I have gotten some really neat minis - that grow outside for me (and get chilly), would do fine in an indoor environment too. Part of the fun of the hobby is learning what you can get away with.

Hmm looking around it looks like I could get away with certain Dendrobium, Bulbophyllum or Lepanthes crosses.

This Dendrobium 'Nagomi' cuthbertsonii X bracteosum looks really cute: DENDROBIUM '''NAGOMI''' CUTHBERTSONII X BRACTEOSUM MINIATURE ORCHID CROSS POTTED

And so is this Lepanthes pulchella: LEPANTHES PULCHELLA MINIATURE ORCHID MOUNTED

Only thing with mounted ones is I'm not 100% sure where I could hang them up at the moment.

[Roberta]

That Den. cuthbertsonii cross is great - Den cuthbertsonii itself is challenging - hates even moderate summer temperatures. But cross it with a warmer-growing species like bracteosum, and you get something that looks like Den. cuthbertsonii but is much more forgiving. (and that one is potted) It is "Den. cuthbertsonii for the rest of us". Den. hekouense is a total charmer. Great flower-to-plant ratio. Also grows over a wide range of conditions.

[alecStewart1]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Den. hekouense is a total charmer. Great flower-to-plant ratio. Also grows over a wide range of conditions.

You mean this little guy here?

Dendrobium hekouense: Orchids By Hausermann

Also on the Hausermann site I found these:

Dendrobium Dragon Fly: Orchids By Hausermann

Yonezawaara Georgia Peach x Neofinetia falcata: Orchids By Hausermann

Not quite sure what "Yonezawaara Georgia Peach" is unless it's something like this

Vanda Peaches

this

Vanda Peaches - New World Orchids

or this

https://www.orchidroots.com/detail/i...45785&role=pub

[Roberta]

Right on the Den hekouense. A very cute little species.

The Yonezawaara Georgia Peach x Neof. falcata, took a little translating, the genus for Georgia Peach is now Vandachostylis (the taxonomic renamings made a muddled mess, sometimes things can be found as synonyms and sometimes not) The cross isn't registered, but it would be about 2/3 Neof. (V.) falcata, the balance a couple of warmer growers, but should be quite forgiving under your conditions.


Den. Dragonfly is going to be a warm-grower. I don't recognize all the species in its background, but know about enough of them that it's definitely a greenhouse baby. That one doesn't sound like a good fit for your conditions at all.

Dendrobium is an enormous genus. It is divided into sections that have various degrees of relatedness. It's hard to generalize a whole lot even within most of the sections, really necessary to get into the weeds, at the species level, to make any sense of their requirements. This stuff is knowable and somewhat predictable, but in many cases not easy...

[alecStewart1]

Hmm, well, all very interesting and exciting!

I'll have to ask if my fiance has any opinions on any of the options I found here, as she's said she'd love to try to grow orchids together.

Granted, I'm the one with the green thumb, not her so I'm sure it'll end up being me making the decision.

We just got accepted for a house that's our first rental together, so may have to wait a little bit before I get yet another plant after paying security deposits, first month's rent and moving all of our stuff in together.

Thank you very much for all of the information!

[Jmoney]

careful, orchids get out of control very quickly. the better half may not like all the windows filled with plants. (obviously I speak from personal experience)

[alecStewart1]

Originally Posted by Jmoney

careful, orchids get out of control very quickly. the better half may not like all the windows filled with plants. (obviously I speak from personal experience)

Oh I have like 40 plants already. There's quite a few that are outside only, some venus fly traps and a Sarracenia. The rest of the carnivorous ones are inside in a grow cabinet, but some of them I'm thinking I could move a few outside and they'd be fine.

I'm also thinking of getting another grow cabinet to split up some of the plants, mainly the Nepenthes as I have a few lowlanders that need to be in an environment that's a bit warmer than 75 degrees Fahrenheit and don't need higher night time humidity. The more intermediate and semi-highlander (I don't have the means to grow ultra-highlanders) Nepenthes could, in the future, chill in a cabinet of their own with some orchids that have similar growing conditions.

Some others are pretty common houseplants; Pothos, Calathea, some succulents, Philodendron, Dracaena.

Luckily none of the windows will be just filled with plants.

So right now for an orchid, I'm thinking a Neo that can go outside in the shade would be a good starting point.