Newbie needs help

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by FloridaOrchidGirl

Rather than buying books check out this site, AOS site or a local orchid society website. I’ve found a Society somewhat near me in Florida that has a great website and monthly newsletter for $7 a year. It’s been better than the AOS website. Your local society would be able to give you information for growing in your local environment.

First, Welcome.
A local orchid society is an outstanding resource, since one can meet other people growing under similar conditions. The trouble with AOS culture sheets, or most books, is that they they tend to be generic... and in their limited space, can't possibly take into account the nuances of one's conditions. On Orchid Board, people tend to be pretty good about specifying the conditions that apply to the advice... then one needs to figure out how one's own situation fits. As books go, I do want to give a recommendation to the AOS Guide to Orchids and Their Culture
It has a lot of background information explaining the "Whys" making the application to conditions at hand more accurate. But there's nothing quite as good as local knowledge.

[FloridaOrchidGirl]

Yes, I prefer a local society website or app. AOS website is much too generic and their magazine is much too focused on species and articles about plants in their native habititats rather than care of specific plants. My favorite is the St Augustine Orchid Society

[estación seca]

MJHGord51, I know there are multiple orchid societies in Orange County. There might be one closer to you. I would contact one of the Orange County societies online and ask whether they know.

Or you might find an Orange County society member who lives not far from you who would carpool to meetings with you. A number of our club members who live pretty far from Phoenix do that.