What are good orchids for beginners?

[SaraJean]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and mention catasetums. They may not be a great "first" orchid but I think they are fantastic beginer orchids for someone who is interested in learning. They have such distinct growth patterns that they practically scream at you what they need. They just want light, water, and food during their growing season. Catasetums grow so fast in the mid spring through summer that to label them "vigorous" would be an understatement. Having such an absurdly fast growing orchid can be very satisfying, whether you are a beginner or not. I haven't found them to be too fussy about humidity either. They can also be pretty forgiving. If there is at least one non rotted pseudobulb, it can recover quickly. I had left one of my big catasetums out in the cold and rain for a few weeks during its dormancy (this is a great way to rot and kill a catesetum, indeed I rotted 3 of my 5 p-bulbs)... it then overcompensated by growing three new pseudobulbs the next year, all of which sent out flower spikes.

Plus catasetum flowers are cool and often very fragrant.

If space in an issue, there are some mini varieties out there too. I just picked up a few small growing hybrids from Sunset Valley Orchids and they absolutely adorable.
Here is a nice article about this group on the AOS website by Fred Clarke who is the owner of Sunset Valley Orchids
http://www.aos.org/AOS/media/Content...catasetums.pdf

---------- Post added at 12:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 PM ----------

Originally Posted by nogreenthumbs

I've been reading, and Catasetums sound less tolerant of a hamfisted newbie that might be tempted to start watering as soon as they see the tip of a root. Granted, if you do your research, I think they can be successfully grown as long as you know a few fairly firm guidlines surrounding their dormant phase and how to feed/water

I'm just noticing that you mentioned Catasetums in one of your posts
Truely, they are not hard. What they teach you is how to listen to your plant. You learn about dormancy (and restraint), how to care for vigorous growers and, in a very short time, how to divide them. In a nutshell, that's why I mention this type: they are great plants to learn on!

[nogreenthumbs]

Thanks for the input. I think Catasetums are very interesting, and am interested in getting one. I guess they still require a fair amount light light during the dormancy phase?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by nogreenthumbs

Thanks for the input. I think Catasetums are very interesting, and am interested in getting one. I guess they still require a fair amount light light during the dormancy phase?

Actually, they don't even need light during dormancy... they need nothing except to be ignored. Fred Clarke (Sunset Valley Orchids, one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet for this group) tells the story of a lady in New York who bought a plant from him, who got pissed when it lost all of its leaves in the fall, thinking it dead but not near the wastebasket, threw it behind the couch and forgot about it. When she was doing her spring cleaning she found it... with a nice new growth! When they're dormant, they really hibernate. When they put out new growth, continue to ignore them until the new roots are several inches long and the leaves have started to open out before watering lightly. Then once they get going, water and feed copiously because they grow so fast that you can almost watch them do it. Some bloom early (like Clowesia Rebecca Northen) before the leaves even appear (so blooming with no water!), others may bloom later when leaves are gone or nearly so. So you just have to watch and enjoy and let the plant do its thing. Leaves and roots, lots of water, fertilizer, and as much light as you can give it. No leaves, no water (no matter what it is doing with regard to flowers)

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by nogreenthumbs

Thanks for the input. I think Catasetums are very interesting, and am interested in getting one. I guess they still require a fair amount light light during the dormancy phase?

Nope, I put mine in a shoe box

[nogreenthumbs]

These sound like they may be just the thing. That way when they go dormant, they won't have to be prominently displayed. I can look at the from time to time, but otherwise they can go on top of the bookshelves or something. Thanks, ladies!

It sounds like Sunset Valley Orchids may be the place to get them from. I would assume ordering when they are dormant is the best time.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by nogreenthumbs

It sounds like Sunset Valley Orchids may be the place to get them from. I would assume ordering when they are dormant is the best time.

I think you can order at any time. In fact, I just got a "new releases" announcement a wook or two ago, so I'm sure they're shipping. You can email Fred Clarke and ask, he is very happy to answer questions. But I strongly suspect that they can ship growing plants with no harm. The only hard part is choosing just one... Again, I suggest asking for suggestions, just to narrow the choices. Particularly given your space constraints, you could ask about the more compact ones, which is one of the breeding directions that Fred is working on.

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by nogreenthumbs

These sound like they may be just the thing. That way when they go dormant, they won't have to be prominently displayed. I can look at the from time to time, but otherwise they can go on top of the bookshelves or something. Thanks, ladies!

It sounds like Sunset Valley Orchids may be the place to get them from. I would assume ordering when they are dormant is the best time.

I just got a shipment in a few weeks ago, all growing and one in spike, and everybody is doing great. I have another shipment coming in next week, he just released a bunch of new hybrids and I just couldn't resist... and I am expecting those to survive shipping just as well (this will be my 4th order from SVO). Just DO NOT repot them right now. Only repot in when you see the new growth in the spring. When looking at these if there are not pictures of the actual orchid you are buying, click on the pics of the parent plants used to make the hybrid. These are all seed grown so each orchid can have different traits. Last year I bought 2 of the same and he sent me another of the same for free. Each one bloomed later that year and each one was different and spectacular in their own way. For example, the order I have coming in has quite a few Cl. Rebecca Nothern crosses, so I'm hoping some of those pretty pink frilly traits will come through in the blooms. It's like Christmas when you get a new cross to bloom

[nogreenthumbs]

Enablers!!!

Hmm, birthday is coming up soon...

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by nogreenthumbs

Enablers!!!

Hmm, birthday is coming up soon...

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by nogreenthumbs

Enablers!!!

Hmm, birthday is coming up soon...

Sorry not sorry enjoy! And yes, email Fred Clarke and/or read any articles by him, like the one I linked above. He explains them in a very easy-to-understand kind of way. Have fun! I have found this group to be super addicive. My one catasetum turned into 4 by the end of my first year growing them, which has now turned into 14, not including any divisions I have made