Cataloging your orchids?

[HollyMStewart]

So I decided today that I wanted to start keeping records of each of my plants (since I am up to 18 plants). Do any of you do this? What do you include on the page for each plant? I have put the genus/species (if known) when I got it, when I repotted it, when it bloomed, made new leaves, etc)

Before I knew of noID plants, I bought a bunch from big box stores. I am hoping that when each of them bloom (since they had no blooms when I got them) that I can add that information to those as well, at least with color and a general idea of the genus/species. Most of my noID's are phals, so I know that can be impossible to narrow down the exact plant, but I am just hoping for a ballpark. Is that just wishful thinking with phals and their hybrids?

I am also liking the idea of having a book with everything written in it.. that way if a plant tag gets lost somewhere, I have the name written down somewhere (this is especially true for my plants that actually have traceable lineage).

[Vanda lover]

That's a good idea. It still bugs me that I lost the tag to the doritinopsis I bought last spring. Usually I remember their names but this name must not be a memorable one. I should remember them, I only have 35.

[fotofashion]

I use a spreadsheet program. I was using Open Office but when I got to 250 sheets it would not let me have any more. So DH transferred me to Microsoft Excel. I am in the process of transferring the info from one to the other-a real pain IMHO.
As to what to record, well that depends on what you wish to have in your records. I mostly have: The full name of the plant, when and where I bought it, and how much I paid for it. When it spiked, how many spikes, how many buds, how many flowers, if fragrant, size of flower, when it finished blooming and any notes. I also include a picture of the flower.
I'll include an attachment of the entire sheet if I can.

Full name
Potting medium
Pot type
Pot size
Divide date

2010 2011 2012 2013
Spike date
# Spikes
Bloom date
Bloom end date
# of buds
# of flowers
Flower size
Fragrant?
Bloom notes


Location summer
Location winter

Light requirements (medium / high)
Light notes


Temperature requirements night
day

Temp. notes

When bought
Where bought
Watering
Watering notes

I hope this comes out all right. You'll have to imagine the info on a spreadsheet. HTH
Beverly A.

[tucker85]

I have a journal listing all my orchids. It's in a book form. I didn't do it on the computer because I like to sit out on my patio and write in the journal when I have coffee in the morning. I list the name, the vendor, the date I bought it, a discription of the flower, fragrance. Each year when it blooms I write down when it bloomed and how many spikes and flowers it had.
Here's a couple things I've learned. Get a journal with a lot of pages. I ran out of page on my first one. Use the first few pages for an index and write down the name and what page it's on. Get some of those cheap mechanical pencils, don't do it in ink. So many times I've gone back an changed discriptions or wanted to add something. Also if a plant dies you can erase everything. I leave both sides of one page for each orchid. The yearly blooming just takes one line. With NOIDs I just put phal. 001, phal. 002, catt. 001. Again if it's in pencil so you can put down a name if you learn what it is.
The most useful information that I refer to often is when it bloomed and how many flowers it had and maybe the fragrance.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I used to log my plants down.

Some of the info that others had mentioned to write in there is good, but one thing has not been mentioned yet...

*Dormancy* - summer?; winter?

This will be critical once you start getting into orchids that have dormancies.

Another one might be when the heaviest rains in the orchid's natural habitat occur. Some orchids get water all year round, but more rain during certain months than the rest of the other months in the year.

Regarding temperature requirements, I'd also include seasonal temperature ranges as well.

Another thing to think about is whether the orchid grows as an epiphyte, terrestrial, semi-terrestrial, or lithophyte.

You might also want to note the elevations that the orchids are supposed to be recorded to be found if you're dealing with species orchids in the future.

If you know what kind of environment an orchid grows in in the wild, you may want to put in a brief or detailed description of it.

For example:

Lepanthes telipogoniflora

Habitat: Tropical lowland rain forests of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, growing on mossy trees.

or...

Dichaea glauca

Habitat: Midland tropical cloud forests of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, growing amongst mossy trees.

or...

Disa uniflora

Habitat: Mid to highland temperate mountains or hills in the semi-arid deserts of South Africa, growing on wet acid sandstone rocks often covered in moss along perennial stream banks, or acid sandstone cliffs near waterfalls.

You may even want to consider inserting photos not just of the flowers themselves, but the vegetation as well.

[Paul Mc]

For the time being, I am using excel to keep a running list, but I plan to print this and add page numbers and put it in a 3 ring binder - just because I LOVE the idea of sitting outside and reading it with my morning coffee (or adding notes)! Thank you for that thought!

Here's what I keep, though it may get more detailed as I go along.

The full name
Cross if I know it
A chart of when it blooms along with a picture of it (I take pictures of each orchid as it blooms each year and then label the picture with the date so I know for future reference which year and date the picture was from so I can watch for changes in size, etc...)
Minimum temperature
Max temperature
Light requirements
Does it stay inside or go outside from spring-fall (or is it in my terrarium)
Which needs a mild or complete winter dormancy
Year I repotted
Frangrant

I'm not so concerned about the price I got it for at this point, but I might be in the future.

One good place to look to see if what they have listed is here on the OB. Click on your User CP and you'll see in the left column "Add Orchid" and "Manage Orchids". Click on Add Orchid and you'll see what the database here has.

[HollyMStewart]

Lots of good info, thanks everyone! I think I need a bigger books now... hahaha.

[bballr4567]

Very good info. I was just thinking about this last night as well.

[Paul Mc]

I'd go with a 3ring binder if I were you so when your collection grows or dwindles you can move them to either te book of the dead or get a bigger binder.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Oh yeah, one more thing that might be useful to note is whether the plant goes fully deciduous, semi-deciduous, or is evergreen.

Dormancy and deciduousness are 2 separate things. Don't automatically assume that a dormant orchid goes deciduous. Sometimes they are dormant, but can retain their leaves even through dormancy.