Good beginner orchid?

[musicts]

Hello! I've had two phals for a bit more than a year, and have had a lot of success with them. I do have a third, which was sick when I got it, and other than that haven't had any trouble. I'm looking to get another plant, one that isn't super difficult to look after. Where is a reputable place to get one? I'm looking for something other than a phal. Thanks!

Tiffany

[james mickelso]

My suggestion would be to get to your nearest orchid club and see what they have. Most like;ly get a couple and all the help you'ld ever need. other than that, I would look into a brassavolalaeliacattleya or BLC. It is a big cattleya. Or one of the superb mini calleyas. Very easy to grow and flower. Dendrobiums are nice too. Epidendrums are cool as are cymbidiums.

[WhiteRabbit]

It depends on your conditions, how much light you can provide. Mini-catts, many Dens (Den-Phals, most Latouria, as well as others), most Oncidiums and Oncidium alliance intergenerics are good windowsill growers.

Big Catts if you can provide the space and light. Cyms if you can grow outside part of the year at least, and have a nice sunny spot.

I still struggle with Phals myself, after a number of years, so don't feel bad Paphs are usually considered good beginner orchids, tho some are harder to grow than others I believe - and myself, again, not my best ones (they grow ok, but have only rebloomed one one time)

Hopefully someone in Canada can recommend some vendors for you.

James' suggestion of Orchid Societies is a good one as well!

[Silje]

I don't have a huge collection of orchids compared to many on this forum, and it's also not very diverse. All my plants are NOIDs, and bought without name tags or anything at local nurseries.

I've killed several oncidiums and a couple of phals, but I've never managed to finish off a cymbidium or a maxillaria tenuifolia. And my cattleya is also fairly happy. I've got to admit I'm pretty impressed with their will to survive, and would definitely recommend them to other newbies.

My cymbidiums and epidendrums stay outside for most of the year, and are only moved into frost free areas when we're having cold spells. The cattleya, onc, phals and dens are standing in window sills around in the house, and moved into a small homemade hot house to provide higher humidity during the driest periods of the year.

[Rowangreen]

Orchid societies are great. Other than that I'd look at a good site, pick out a few you like the look of, and research them. I'm not sure there's really such a thing as an easy or hard orchid: it's whether you can provide what they need. When choosing think about whether you'd like to make sure you get flowering/flowering sized: younger ones will often be cheaper, but might be more delicate and take years to flower.

I think Paramount is generally recomended in Cananda?

You might also want to look down the board at the project forum: few nice easy orchids with long informative threads about them there!

[Arenalbotanicalgarden]

Brassavola Digbyana. That's what the tag says.

[musicts]

Thanks for all the great responses! I will be growing inside, as here in Newfoundland our temperatures generally don't get warm enough to put them out.

[james mickelso]

Wynn Dee can help you find orchids that will do well in the north country. Phals can take temps down into the 50's and still grow though only slowly. Miltonia hybrids can grow at lower temps too. But most of the time in NFL your house temps can grow very nic ochids. There's someone else here that lives by you.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Cymbidiums can take cooler temperatures.

Certain Dendrobiums can, such as Dendorbium victoria-reginae, Dendrobium garrettii, Dendrobium gregulus, Dendrobium delacourii.

Some Cypripedium spp. can. Cypripedium may be easier for people who live farther up north than people who live in Southern California, for example.

You could try the easier to grow cool growing Masdevallias, like Masdevallia caudata.

[Rowangreen]

If she's growing purely inside then warmer plants might be better. Depends on how she likes her heating! Orchids that need a cool winter are a problem if you live somewhere really cold and don't have a cool greenhouse. I've got some I'm intending to try putting on the windowsill outside the curtain, but there's a risk of them getting cold burns, or not getting cold enough: only time will tell. I'm willing to give it a try, but it's a risk buying plants like that. For most of us Notherners our house temperatures might be a bit cooler than for Califonians. But there's also those who like the heat turned up.