Help me choose?

[cirillonb]

I have been doing orchids for about 18 months. I also started out buying the inexpensive orchids on Ebay. I am currently throwing them out one by one as they fail. I suggest going to someone who sells orchids as a business, not the big box stores, not Trader Joes, and not Costco (although all of these have great bargains once you know what you are doing.)
As someone else mentioned big and small orchid shows are also great place. Buy your first orchids blooming so you will at least know they can. With proper care, you can expect another bloom in a year.
Nick

[jess_hawk]

Thanks all! I always forget that there are probably clubs/organizations/shows for anything I'm interested in, near my college. I come from one of those lovely tiny towns where getting to a show or club meeting gets pretty expensive. This Wednesday I will try to get over to a meeting of the Illowa orchid society. There is also a small show coming up at the end of the month.

I'm looking at MINIATURE ORCHIDS<b: Orchids By Hausermann - people in the review area of this board seem pleased with this site, and combined shipping+orchid costs place many of these minis within my price limits.

I like the Aerangis biloba, of course a couple of the Tolumnias, Bulbophyllum biflorum, Masdevallia (ignea x constricta), and Neofinetia falcata. Especially the first three... Still researching how to care for them.

Thanks again!

[Dorothy]

When you receive your orchids from Hausermann .. check the medium .. you may have to repot
Other than that .. go for it!

[jess_hawk]

Well, I had settled on the Aerangis biloba, but reading a thread on here about them, the way they grow (leaves up, spikes draping, which is what kept me going back to that choice) probably would not work well with the space I have available: my window ledge or, if hanging, about 24" total above my biggest aquarium and below my loft bed - for a small enough hanging plant, I could close this space off too whatever degree necessary and it would be a good way to control heat and humidity, but sounds like A. biloba will get too big? It might fit in the window area but I don't know.

So I'm back to debating, and searching other sites, with a (slightly) higher maximum price in mind. I'm hoping to find something really, really tiny (because they are so cute!) but not impossible for a beginner to care for (remembering that I have no problems taking on slight challenges... sometimes things really are best left to the pros). And, of course, affordable (=cheap). What are the chances, right?

[Zozzl]

You know what? Considering all the research you have obviously put into this, you probably would be successful with something other than a very beginner orchid because it sounds like you would research the cultures requirements and make sure you provided them.

You can find some really interesting photos and info over on the Troy Myers Conservatory website. He also sells seedings and sometime larger plants although mainly it is conservation effort of flasking species orchids, many of which are endangered. If you click on the "comprehensive list" you will probably spend a great deal of time looking through all the different species. If you want reaallly tiny, check out the "Ionopis."

[Bird Song Farm]

jess_hawk

If you haven't already done so, reseach Phalaenopsis equestris. This just might be the one for you to start with. Small, easy to care for, lot's of blooms and keikis, fast growing and not to demanding.....check it out.
Al

[jess_hawk]

OK I think I may have made a choice... and (typical) it is totally unrelated to my original thoughts.

Unless in the next day or so I find something that absolutely changes my mind, I'm going to order Lepanthes ovalis AND Haraella odorata from Andy's orchids. A similar-looking Lepanthes, Lepanthes magnifica was one of my three favorites from the orchid garden we visited on our way back to Quito from Mindo, Ecuador. (One of the others was closed like the Zootrophion atropurpureum sold at coolphrog.com - maybe endresianum, and the third was one that was wasp-pollinated, which I thought was pretty cool.