What are good orchids for beginners?

[nogreenthumbs]

OK, I know, I know, what's good for one beginner may not be good for any others based on local climate, growing conditions, time to devote, etc....

Still, I think there must be some, that for a majority of people are fairly hardy and tolerant of a wide range of conditions (and noobs' mistakes). And I think that there are some that are more difficult to grow even for more experienced growers so those are probably less tolerant of beginners who are more likely to make mistakes.

King of Orchid Growing (KoOG) posted a couple of examples in another thread for a user, Prosthecea/Encyclia Cochleata and Denbrobium normanbyense.

Granted, people are probably going to buy what they see in a store on impulse or what looks pretty (assuming they haven't read the "Beginners Buying Guide" sticky thread), but some, may find this sort of thing useful.

(I suspect my next purchase may be that Cochleata or hell, maybe both )

But I'm also attracted to the pBulbs on Catasetums. I try to purchase stuff that will spark my interest whether it's blooming or not. 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 when they aren't dormant.

Anyway, having a list of 5 or 10 or 25 different orchids that are less exacting in their requirements may help new growers get a successful start.

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

recommended a species:

Encyclia cochleata

Here're some links to vendors that sell this orchid:

Encyclia cochleata at Santa Barbara Orchid Estate

Orchids by Marlow - Prosthechea cochleata [Encyclia]

Encyclia Prosthechea cochleata blooming size species

In my opinion, it is one of the easier orchids to grow. It was one of the first orchids I was successfully able to grow for a decent amount of time and I was able to make it bloom with very little effort, (when I was a newbie).

This species grows as a sympodial, which means if anything happens to the plant, it is easier to get rid of diseased portions of the plant.

It is temperature tolerant. This species can take heat over 100 F for brief periods of time or take it down to 45 F.

It is forgiving in terms of lighting requirements. It grows in moderately bright light, but lower lighting can be tolerated for a short period of time without adverse effects.

It grows fast. This is advantageous to not only a beginner, but for someone who is used to instant gratification and has to learn how to be patient. (I'm not implying anyone is impatient here, I'm just speaking generally. I was impatient when I was a beginner, and still have bouts of dealing with this. So for anyone who is like me, you're not alone.)

It has interesting flowers.

It is fragrant.

It is easy to bloom. No special tricks required.

They are not stingy with root growth. When the roots grow, they GROW!

It is not a complicated orchid to learn basic orchid growing behaviors from. Notice I don't write paragraphs upon paragraphs about Encyclia cochleata. It is much different for Phalaenopsis.

They can be grown in humidity levels that are moderate. The humidity doesn't have to be high for it to really take off.

It is not a water hog.

There is no dormancy period to worry about nor are there concerns about how to store anything. There is nothing to store. It is evergreen. Does it slow down its growth during the winter? Yes, it does. Does it stop growing? Not really.

There is no stem tuber or root tuber or whatever tuber to worry about. Encyclia cochleata has no tubers to learn about.

It is for the most part, an evergreen orchid. There is no need to worry about it going deciduous during a certain part of the year.

They have smooth pseudobulbs, none of this confusing ridged pseudobulbs being a natural thing for the orchid or having to figure out if the ridges are because of the plant being underwatered. If the orchid is underwatered, the usually smooth pseudobulbs will shrivel. There is no guessing game involved.

The plant or growths will not die if the orchid is done blooming. Some orchids do die after blooming. The genus Disa comes to mind in regards to this subject matter.

It is simply an epiphyte. There are no other modes of growing for the grower to be aware of or accommodate for.

They are tough as nails and very resilient.

They are small to medium sized plants that are easy to accommodate for in a limited amount of indoors space.

They're pretty orderly growing. They don't sprawl all over the place and therefore don't look quite so disorganized.

if you want another suggestion for a plant that is virtually indestructible, that can easily be grown, is quite small, and blooms a lot, try Dendrobium normanbyense.

Dendrobium normanbyense 3" pot or mounted

Dendrobium normanbyense – Clown Alley Orchids

Dendrobium in the section Latouria do not have dormancies nor do they go deciduous.

These both sound pretty great.

Maybe, if possible, suggestions from several different families.