I need a push and confidence!

[mimigirl]

I bought a binder to start a diary on my 30 orchids. I have a great idea of the info to list and how i want to lay it out. I went to several orchid websites to gather care tips. Some had small differences on the same plant, but i can deal with it. Problem is, i haven't anything down yet because I am afraid I will write down the wrong thing if the advice was not exactly the same. I even bought erasable pens to be able to make corrections! Somebody help me! help

[Cym Ladye]

I have found that you will get many different answers on how to care for each genera when in cultivation. Start a genera care sheet and enter the different methods of care. Each genera differs in some degree within the genera, but most can be lumped into cool growing, intermediate growing and warm growing. That is the first step.

Then you will find that each plant you have may vary in its cultural requirement based on the species most dominant in its parentage.

Finally and perhaps most important: USE YOUR COMMON SENSE! Listen to others on the forums, see what part of the country they are from, and see if your conditions are similar. Then it is a matter of trial and error. Do not be afraid to take the first step. Caring for orchids is not an exact science.

[cbuchman]

Oh dear.... All that advice is guidance. Nothing is written in stone. Start with what you read and observe your orchids and adjust your care based on what you see. Everyone's environment is different.

Read about how the orchid grows in nature (if it is a species) or if a hybrid, how its parents (ancestors) grow. This will give you good clues on how best to care for it.

Good Luck! Trust your instincts!

[mimigirl]

OK. Thanks to both of you. Now i m ready to write! And is i find something different as info, i can erase or add to what i wrote. Thanks for my nudge.

[tucker85]

I use #2 mechanical pencils in my orchid journal. I numbered all the pages and I left 5 pages in the front for an index. I usually leave two pages for each orchid. I find an open slot, say page 15, I put the orchids name at the top of the page and go to the index and list the orchids name and show it on page 15. Then I keep track of all the pertinent information. Where and when I got the orchid. When did it bloom. How many spikes and how many flowers. When did I repot, etc..

[Leafmite]

Cym Lady is right. Use your common sense. Methods of growing an orchid depends on what medium you are using, the type of pot (clay, basket, solid plastic, vented plastic, etc.), your environment, how the orchid was grown by the vendor, and how large and healthy the orchid is. I learned long ago that, just sometimes, a little experimentation is in order to get things right for my environment. Ohio is not exactly a sunny, tropical place.
I think this is one of great reasons to join an orchid society. I find that not only can I ask around and usually find someone with the same conditions and growing methods as I have who can give me advice but I can also find what orchids grow well in my environment.

[PaphMadMan]

Most commonly grown orchids are tough plants that will respond well under a wide range of conditions. More important to document exactly what you DO and later evaluate your results so you can continue or change, than reproduce one set of instructions or another in your own format.

[mimigirl]

tucker85 i bought a small ring binder so that i can add pages as needed. Also erasable pens cause i find pencil smears for me. Thanks all of this great input!

[Optimist]

Gosh. I have a writing degree. Writing is messy and requires a lot of editing and cleaning up before a perfect product or account comes to light. Write on anything. Erase, underline, make crazy notes. Keep folders of separate paper. Little scraps. Then stitch them all together to a logical plan.

Binders and loose leaf pages, and note books were made for making mistakes. If it is one of those expensive types, then work in the cheap ones and carefully copy into the expensive one.

[lotis146]

I keep track of my orchid care and changes/developments using Microsoft OneNote on my laptop. I keep a chart of all my plants, when I got them, from where, how they arrived, when I repot them, if they get any pests & how I treat them, when they start to spike, how long the blooms last and every other detail I think I'd like to be able to keep track of and follow over time. Then I take notes, a sort of diary, in more detail including when I water, feed, and what kind of fertilizer I use.

I second everyone else's remarks about differing forms of care and finding your own methods. I like to pick up the basics - preferred temps, lighting, watering - and then figure out how best I'm going to meet those demands. I pay more attention to specifics if I'm having trouble, or the Orchid is, and I need to do more tweaking.

Good luck and happy note keeping!