Complete beginner seeks knowledge :)
 

Introducing myself to the forum. :)

I'm brand new to orchid growing and would really like to start a small collection of slightly more interesting ones now I've successfully kept one alive 4 years.
(Only just researched how to care for them properly and I had been doing almost everything wrong so how it stayed alive this long...)

I have an interest in micro orchids as they are beautifully adorable and I will not have lots of space for my collection!

Looking forward to joining in and learning more!

Mimi

Welcome! You'll find lots of information here on mini (and micro) orchids! And also on terrarium growing... one way to manage them.

Welcome, Mimi! You will find this a very friendly site! Another suggestion is to look up and join the closest Orchid Society to where you are . You will find how others in your locale handle different situations and make a bunch of new friends.

ha - that is debateable.

I find the info on growing orchids varies widely from region to region and the way growing orchids works in Thailand can be very different to Iceland for example. There are lots of methods that work but the Americans clash a lot with the Europeans on this site for no reason other than that Americans are always right. People on here are extremely careful not to say the wrong thing because there will be a handful of people to point out mistakes - a favourite pastime of the admins on here - even if just a simple grammatical misteak.
Because of this people are wary of helping or posting much useful info just for fear they might say something that isn't correct - and when it comes to Orchids there rarely is a right or wrong way - there are lots of ways - of course except some bad basic things to avoid of course.

Unfortunately there aren't many other alternatives. The UK forums are pretty much a ghost town

Mimi-

I hope that you won't be discouraged by one disgruntled member (wherever that person actually resides). The Board is full of friendly people who are delighted to share their knowledge. Orchid growing knows no national boundaries. Those of us who are hopelessly addicted to these wonderful plants love to share the excitement. Different orchids have different needs, and those of us who love them also enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to make the different types happy in our own conditions. Welcome to a wild ride!

welcome Mimi. This is a great orchid board. I have been a member for awhile now and I still learn new things from the other members. Sure what works for one might not work for someone else. we all live in different places.

Howdy. I like big orchids. Small ones are cool too ;)

Welcome to the community.

Welcome to orchidboard Mimi! What sort of orchids do you have? Seems like you must be doing a lot of things right if the plants have been doing well for several years! I agree about the micro and mini orchids, they’re a great way to build a nice collection without taking up much space! (And easier to sneak into the house...)

I hope that the somewhat negative post a few above this one won’t scare you away, and I think most people find this forum a nice place to be. Yes; we will correct mistakes, but only to be helpful and to prevent inaccurate information from spreading. I agree that there may be lots of ways to grow an orchid, but often some ways work better than others, and growing conditions will certainly affect that. That knowledge comes from experience, and there is a wealth of cumulative experience on orchidboard, and its a shame to not use it and learn from mistakes of others.

Welcome Mimi.

I don't know if Shadowmagic just had a spousal fight or what, but this is a great site upon which to to learn.

I am sure I'm one of the folks singled out, but I only shoot down things that I know to be incorrect. If folks want to learn, it seems to me they ought to be working with facts, not suppositions or misinterpretations, which are common in many orchid discussions, as is repeating what one has heard, without bothering to evaluate its veracity.

I honestly don't know of anyone being criticized for grammatical errors or spelling (yes, I caught that, Shadow...), but again, if one is trying to learn or instruct, knowing how an orchid is properly named and how it is properly written would seem important, no?

:welcomeflowers: Mimi!

One of the great things about Orchid Board is its membership is large enough that one can find a niche for whatever type of orchid growing one would like to pursue. There are many different personalities, different regions and cultural variety, whether one lives in the tropics, the desert, arctic areas, or a plain old four seasons. I'm sure you'll find a spot here that helps you in your passion to grow more.

What type of orchid is the first one you've kept alive that makes you now want to expand to more? And yes, if micro orchids, are you thinking of terrarium or??

thanks for the interesting welcome! haha

I'll try and keep my grammar correct however I suspect we may have some argument between American and English spellings! :biggrin:

Im a newb so I wont pretend to know anything just yet Im at the start of the track.

I currently have two, a Dendrobium white flowered
and a tescos mystery orchid!

It was 80p in the bargain bin and in need of serious rescue which prompted me to actually research care and discover the Dendrobium is a miracle pant to be alive.

An abused Dendrobium and a mystery orchid... Great Start!

Welcome to the OB, astralmimi! There is a lot you will be able to learn here. Ditto to the advice to ignore the one disgruntled member who posted inflammatory comments. Most of us are pretty friendly and not afraid to respectfully disagree occasionally. But isn't that true about any topic or subject? There isn't always just one right way. The type of orchids you choose, as well as your climate and your household conditions, will greatly affect how you must care for your orchids. I promise we'll do our best to be helpful. :)

Welcome Mimi!

I've only recently joined here myself and have already learned a lot. My experience has been that people are very helpful and friendly, and there is a wealth of information on all things orchids! Seeing as we are in the same part of the UK maybe we can share / compare our growing experiences :)
Hope you enjoy it here!

Sunny

Im really looking forward to learning more!

I like plants in general but wanted to collect orchids as they are so gorgeous and varied, and some are a challenge which I plan to work up to.

So my plans in the making:

1) I need to fix the pot and soil my current Dendrobium is in

2) Find out what Mystery orchid actually is.

3) set up my micro climate tank and research whats best to put in it. (4ft by 1.5ft fishtank) I'm looking at mini and micros here.

4) learn the general beginners knowledge.

:)

If you post a photo of your mystery orchid, I'm pretty sure you'll have a name for it (at least the general type) within a few hours. I'm also quite curious about this mystery orchid...

Ill post some photos of my current collection when im back from work. Would be great ti know what i acquired!

I have been nosing around the boards theres a lot to learn!

So trigger warning before i post photos... accidently abused orchids might upset some of you profeshs! 🤣

https://66.media.tumblr.com/38c7ebcd...2d59d68684.jpg

So we have mystery!

and my Dendrobium

https://66.media.tumblr.com/194cdda2...c07e92ebd3.jpg

"Mystery plant" is a Phalaenopsis... and it looks like quite a healthy one. It looks like it is in (rather aged) sphagnum moss. Repot will help keep it healthy. The Dendrobium looks like it's the nobile type. While the general cultural practice for these is a relatively dry winter (not bone-dry, but close) to get flowers, This one looks pretty badly dehydrated. The roots in the the pot are probably pretty dead but the aerial roots on the new growth (keikies maybe) look decent. So it's not the season for repotting or watering, but this baby needs both. (Don't separate keikis... keep the plant together, it needs all the strength it can get) If it doesn't bloom in the spring because of being watered in the winter, it is worth sacrificing blooming to save the plant. It has the potential to be a very good plant if you can rescue it, and you'll feel good!

I defo would rather save it! I will head to the garden centre for some proper stuff soon and for now i wont remove any keikis

If you can't find a suitable mix at the garden center, you can always try here: Orchid Supplies UK | Making Orchid Growing Easy! Sometimes garden centers have decent bark mixes for orchids, but quite often they contain too much dirt like stuff in them.

Best of luck! The Phal looks like it is in OK condition, the Den will be a real triumph if you can save it. Keep us posted!