Good beginner orchid?

[naoki]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

The coolest plants I recommended were the Cyps. Cyps are meant for outdoors growing. They can take the frosts because they go dormant during the winter. Some of them are native to areas close to where Tiffany lives in.

Everything else likes mild temperatures - not too hot, not too cold.

Cyps for her fourth orchid? Hmmm, maybe you missed that she was looking for an easy orchid to take care of. I'm trying to grow lab propagated Cyp. guttatum (yes, they natively grow around here), but it requires very specialized care. Some plants grow natively doesn't mean that they are easy to grow. And Cyps aren't cheap.

When I started, Oncidium hybrids were the easiest.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by naoki

Cyps for her fourth orchid? Hmmm, maybe you missed that she was looking for an easy orchid to take care of. I'm trying to grow lab propagated Cyp. guttatum (yes, they natively grow around here), but it requires very specialized care. Some plants grow natively doesn't mean that they are easy to grow. And Cyps aren't cheap.

When I started, Oncidium hybrids were the easiest.

I've not had a terribly difficult time with Cyps even down here in the warm climate of Southern California.

My only problem with them was that I couldn't afford a special refrigerator to get them through dormancy. I needed one because Cyps in general don't like temperatures that go above 80 F - 85 F. But some of the ones I've grown have demonstrated that at least during growing season, they can still grow in temperatures that well exceed 80 F - 85 F.

Other than that, they've all sprouted, and at least one species bloomed. The one species that did bloom came from mid-elevation forests. And the one species that bloomed produced more sprouts. But like I said, it's too warm here and I didn't have a special fridge to get them through dormancy. And I couldn't make the whole putting it in the fridge with the food thing work because I got caught, and got complaints. Otherwise, I'd still have them all.

Cyp reginae is relatively inexpensive and grows around the Newfoundland area. That could be a good first try.

Cyp japonicum is a good one to start with too.

There's nothing wrong with growing some of the Chinese Cyps. Cypripedium macranthum and Cyp franchetii shouldn't really be all that difficult for someone in Newfoundland either. These guys like well drained soil with lots of calcium and they like it cool, that's really it.

Cyp calceolus, or Cyp parviflora would work too.

I didn't specifically recommend Cyp guttatum. Cyp guttatum has been known to come from the cold mountain forests of Alaska. Not many people succeed with this species. If you're having trouble with this species and it naturally comes from your area, maybe it needs calcium. Many of the Cyps I've read about, and some of the ones I've grown seem to have a pattern of growing in areas that have lots of calcium in the soil, because they grow on mountains or hills that are mostly made of calcium or are around areas that have a large source of calcium.

Nor have I recommended growing the acid loving Cyp acaule, specifically. I just mentioned Cyps in general. But when you understand how to grow acid loving plants, you'll eventually get the hang of growing this particular species. Acid growing plants are actually heavy feeders. People get the wrong idea when they hear that the soil they grow in is "nutrient deficient". The acidic soil doesn't retain much organic nutrients. But inorganic nutrients such as calcium and magnesium are very plentiful.

In my experience, you don't really need a whole lot of experience in growing these.

If she doesn't feel comfortable with Cyps as a recommendation, then she can try the easiest terrestrial orchids I can think of - Bletilla striata or Bletilla ochracea.