Reading advice.

[bil]

I got given 'Understanding Orchids' for christmas, and a nice basic book it is too.

Now I would like to get my teeth into something a bit more advanced.

Any recommendations please?

[DeaC]

Have you checked your library if available? Online info is certainly abundant but I do love handling a book and have a decent collection.Will let you know some titles and am sure others will do so as well.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by DeaC

Have you checked your library if available? Online info is certainly abundant but I do love handling a book and have a decent collection.Will let you know some titles and am sure others will do so as well.

A large university library might be a great place to start.

[bil]

I am in the depths of Spain, and libraries are out of the question.

Pus, I like OWNING books. That way I can go back to them as much as I like.

Plus, real books are so.... real

[estación seca]

General orchid books are usually so basic they aren't of much use. But, if you look for books with subject matter limited to one genus or one geographical region, there are many good books available. So pick a genus or country and do some investigation. There are a lot of used books available online from places like abebooks.

[bil]

Originally Posted by estación seca

General orchid books are usually so basic they aren't of much use. But, if you look for books with subject matter limited to one genus or one geographical region, there are many good books available. So pick a genus or country and do some investigation. There are a lot of used books available online from places like abebooks.

Interesting. So, in a word, the general books are so basic that you need to specialise.

That makes sense. Thanks.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by bil

Interesting. So, in a word, the general books are so basic that you need to specialise.

That makes sense. Thanks.

I agree.

In terms of basic cultural info, a current book for intro orchid growing is fine. Beyond that, specialty books will be of greater interest. For example, are you interested in:

Taxonomy of plants from a particular region? Try, for example: Orchid Flora of the Greater Antilles, 2014 by James D. Ackerman, Bobbi Angell (Illustrator)

How to grow plants from a particular orchid alliance (Dendrobiums, for example)? Try: Orchid Species Culture: Dendrobium, 2005 by Charles O. Baker, Margaret L. Baker.

Other interests could include propagating orchids from seed, meristem cloning, etc., or growing orchids under lights. Whatever floats your boat.

[tucker85]

In my opinion "Understanding Orchids" is one of the best orchid books available. I think you made a good choice. I still use that book all the time, even though I've been growing for a many years now and I have many orchid books. But I do agree that if you're interested in more advanced reading, you should buy books on specific subjects. What kind of orchids do you like to grow and what kind of information are you looking for?

[bil]

Originally Posted by tucker85

In my opinion "Understanding Orchids" is one of the best orchid books available. I think you made a good choice. I still use that book all the time, even though I've been growing for a many years now and I have many orchid books. But I do agree that if you're interested in more advanced reading, you should buy books on specific subjects. What kind of orchids do you like to grow and what kind of information are you looking for?

This is slightly difficult to answer. The joke is that it is impossible to ask a question without knowing the answer. Sounds silly, but if you dive into it you realise what is meant.

I am in a position where I have to work WITH what I have. It's hot, it's bright, and while I can create a couple of shade levels, it would be prohibitively expensive to fight the conditions. I do mist when it gets to 40C, and I heat the greenhouse in the winter, but beyond that it isn't terribly practical.

Catts and denphals love the hot side of the greenhouse all year round. so the cooler side houses the den nobiles and acts as winter storage for the Miltonias, Cambrias and odontoglussum I experimented with last year. So far they have done well, and some of the milts even bloomed this autumn.
So, as is my way I am experimenting with a couple of paphs and a Stanhopea. If I can pull it off between greenhouse and garden, it would be rather nice, but I can't afford to specialise in anything that doesn't like it here and do well without major alterations.

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by bil

This is slightly difficult to answer. The joke is that it is impossible to ask a question without knowing the answer. Sounds silly, but if you dive into it you realise what is meant.

I am in a position where I have to work WITH what I have. It's hot, it's bright, and while I can create a couple of shade levels, it would be prohibitively expensive to fight the conditions. I do mist when it gets to 40C, and I heat the greenhouse in the winter, but beyond that it isn't terribly practical.

Catts and denphals love the hot side of the greenhouse all year round. so the cooler side houses the den nobiles and acts as winter storage for the Miltonias, Cambrias and odontoglussum I experimented with last year. So far they have done well, and some of the milts even bloomed this autumn.
So, as is my way I am experimenting with a couple of paphs and a Stanhopea. If I can pull it off between greenhouse and garden, it would be rather nice, but I can't afford to specialise in anything that doesn't like it here and do well without major alterations.

If you're looking for culture information, it's best to find books written by someone in your area. For instance, here in Florida, lots of growers use a book called "Florida Orchid Growing" by Martin Motes, because the culture section is specific to our conditions.

For Cattleyas, I really like "Classic Cattleyas" by Arthur Chadwick. It only covers the large blooming cattleya species (less than 20 species) but it has some wonderful stories about the discovery of each species and the early hybridizing attempts. It has a little information about hybrids but not a lot. I also like "American Cattleyas" by Courtney Hackney. It covers the history of hybridizing in the US and gives a lot of information about how breeders try to get specific traits. I thought it was a very interesting book if you want to know about hybridizing. "American Cattleyas" is out of print but you can find used editions on Amazon.com.

I don't grow dendrobiums so I don't have books on those. The go-to book for paphs and phrags is "Tropical Slipper Orchids" by Harold Koopowitz, which is loaded with great information. Another good one is "The Paphiopedilum Grower's Manaual" by Lance Birk, but it only covers species, not hybrids.

The most comprehensive book I've found on phalaenopsis is "Culture of the Phalaenopsis Orchid" by Bob Gordon. It covers everything from home growing to commercial growing. It was written back in 1985 and It's also out of print but you can usually find used editions at Amazon.com.

Some of those books are very expensive and they may not even contain the kind of information you want. Those are just some of the books I've enjoyed but there are many, many more available.