Hello from Yorkshire, England!

[Pippa]

Hello. I have a few Phals including a couple of minis and bought my first dendrobium about 3 months ago. I would like to try growing some other types soon.

I work as a plant nursery retail assistant, with particular responsibility for houseplants. I didn't know much about orchid care when I started, so ended up googling lots of questions, and nearly always found a helpful answer on Orchid Board! So I thought it was time I joined so that I could learn some more from all the knowledgeable people here. The only problem with my job is that I am ALWAYS seeing new orchids I want to buy...anyone got any good advice on how to resist buying them?!!!

[WhiteRabbit]

[charlesf6]

thanks for coming.

I am ALWAYS seeing new orchids I want to buy...anyone got any good advice on how to resist buying them?!!!

Nope!....you're hooked !

[Dollythehun]

Welcome! No, resistance is futile.

[jkofferdahl]

Pippa, welcome to the Orchid Board, and to the most fascinating and lifelong hobby imaginable!

You apparently have what most of us also suffer from, OAD, or Orchid Acquisition Disorder. Sadly, the only cure is being broke. But no, unlike Carol's "quote", orchids aren't Borg, though resistance is still futile.

[estación seca]

Welcome!

Even when broke you can trade pieces for ones you don't have. We do that here, too.

But you bring up a good point - as a beginner, start with plants suitable for your conditions. Figure out what you can give all year: Light, temperature, relative humidity, water quality. Research growing requirements of anticipated purchases. Start by buying only orchids that will be happy in your conditions. Most garden center mass-produced orchids are fairly easy to grow in houses.

When you can grow the easier ones, you can consider extending your range with technology - lighting, heat mats, terrariums, even a converted wine cooler for cold-growing orchids!

Plus there are terrestrial temperate-zone orchids you can grow outside all year. Our members from the UK can help with this.

[jkofferdahl]

ES makes a point that I've often elaborated upon as well, and a very important one. So I'm going to drone on about it. I remember when I first was buying orchids and my method was to see something pretty and so buy it. Only once I got it home did I even bother thinking about how to grow it, much less keep it alive. So I'd try to adapt the plant to the conditions of my home, an approach that works with some houseplants but which orchids resist. As I discovered which plants I was able to keep alive I also started thinking about the conditions in which I was growing, and why some plants did better than others. Once I fully came to my senses and focused on plants that would fit my environment, the fatality rate dropped amazingly!

[Pippa]

Thank you everyone for your welcome and your advice. I am definitely suffering from OAD, and if I keep buying them at this rate, I'll soon have the 'cure' for it

I've always grown Phals in the past because those are what usually get sold off in the reduced section of garden centres and supermarkets! And I love the challenge of bringing a half dead plant back to life (plus, at £2-£3 instead of £10+, you get a lot more orchid for your money!) But since working at the plant nursery, I've been saving up for some of the ones we have here - we only have phals, cambria, dendro (nobile and phal types) and miltonias. I'm going to try to get confident looking after my new dendros and then maybe try a cambria or miltonia.

[rbarata]

Pippa? Pippa Middleton?

Welcome to the OB. You should try a cambria. They're cool growing and intermediate to low light conditios so should be easy to grow in your climate without much effort.

[Pippa]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Pippa? Pippa Middleton?

Sorry to disappoint you - afraid not!

Originally Posted by rbarata

You should try a cambria.

I found a poorly orchid today that was marked down to £2 - the label ON the pot says 'Cambria' but the label IN the pot says 'Odontoglossum' - is that a type of Cambria? Anyway, I bought it because I thought it might have a chance of survival with me and no chance at all if I left it there.