first time Orchid owner
 

Hello all,

this past weekend I visited the Fredrick Meijer Botanical Gardens here in Michigan. I got talking with a lady in the tropical rainforest greenhouse about orchids. She quickly dispelled a lot of assumptions I had heard over the years about orchids being super high maintenance plants. I am a low maintenance plant kind of person. I grow pothos, bamboo and pilea like its cool. Any way, she turned me onto this site. I have a North and a West facing window in my home office, and a south facing sliding door. However I live in Michigan it is getting cold and I don't to kill an orchid on my first go around. Any advice on what species of orchid to get and how to best start off coming into this cold season? thanks in advance.

First, WELCOME!
Do browse around the forum... there are many members who live in climates similar to yours. I'll let them jump in with specifics. Look in the upper right corner of the posts for others, many show their location. (I suggest adding location to your profile too... that's very useful information for people supplying advice, growing orchids in the US Midwest is a whole lot different than doing it in Florida or California.)

Welcome to the Orchid Board! It's very smart of you to ask before jumping.

What temperature is your house in winter? Phalaenopsis hybrids are good for warmer homes. Oncidium intergeneric hybrids and Paphiopedilum hybrids do well in most houses. You can probably find them in flower at local markets.

Go to the left yellow menu, click Forums and look for those genera. You can look in threads for photos of the amazing range available.

Many orchids are easy to grow, but they're different from other plants. Start with something inexpensive from a local market.

Welcome to the OB, caseycheath. You have found the right place for excellent orchid guidance (they have saved several of my orchids from certain death)!

I, too, am a newbie to orchids and am now obsessed. I started with Phals from the grocery store, then by mistake purchased an Oncidium from a big box hardware store. They both re-bloomed in my living room, which has BRIGHT natural Eastern light. Boom - the obsession began.

I am not smart enough to provide guidance, but I would suggest that for any orchids you purchase from a grocery store or big box store, check the roots first. If an orchid does not have good roots it will not thrive.

Ok,
So first, thanks for the advice so far. Second. I pulled the trigger and bought a young cattleya today from lowes. it was pretty root bound in the tiny pot it came in and hasn't any flower on it yet. under some advice i was given I put it in a clear see through pot and used the miracle grow orchid potting soil. I then put water in it just to the level where the roots were just into the water. there arent any drainage holes in this clear container. from the advice I was given its ok and the roots prefer that much water. is this ok? any advice is good at this point.

CC ----- not sure what 'potting soil' is. But cattleya type orchids are generally not grown in soil.

Each grower has their own growing strategies and methods for their growing area, climate/conditions.

The following details could come in handy for you at any time: Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here

Southpark,

the stuff I bought is the miraclegro "orchid fast draining coarse grain mix" its primarily bark and large pieces of matter. right now I planted it in a plastic dish and since realized it needs drainage so I poked about 6 holes in the bottom of the container and set in in a decorative pot. the plastic cup the orchid is planted in is suspended about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the decorative pot so any extra water can drain out the bottom and not actually collect in the bottom of the medium with the roots.

That mix is fine

Welcome

The best way to approach this hobby is with a budget.

I am not kidding. You will slide into $$$ so fast if you don’t have a plan

You are smart to come and ask

Do you want to make a growing area with a light and a shelf or are you going to just use windowsill and natural light? Do you know how cold it gets near the windows? In wonder I imagine quite but I am guessing.

I am in zone 5b. we keep most of the house around 65 during the day with one EXCEPTION. My office, where I spend the majority of the day attending classes for college. with that said currently my barometric set says its 71 degrees in here, with 47% humidity and I tend to keep an essential oils diffusser running during the day which adds a bit more moisture to the air. I dont know exactly where the temp dips to nearest the window, but I do have a book shelf not far from the window I could set it on to move it slightly away from the window. Its a North facing window. My only other light source is a west facing window-in the office that is.

If you bought a Cattleya from Lowe's its what we call a "bag babie." It should be repotted into a larger pot with drainage holes. It should never sit in water. The bark you used is probably okay.

I live south of you. A cattleya would never bloom on my south or west window sill. The Midwest isn't sunny enough. It will need lots of light. That plant probably isn't the best choice for your area. However, water it well. Be sure it's draining. Lift it, notice how heavy it is. When it feels light again, water.

If I were you, I'd go to Meijer (the store, not the garden) and buy a Phalaenopsis (a moth orchid). That can go into your north window.

Just because something is easy, doesn't man your conditions are right for it. From experience.