How do you know when you are not a "newbie" anymore?

[desertanimal]

I think you're not a newbie when you feel like you more or less know what you're doing. I don't feel like a newbie anymore. That doesn't mean that I don't still have plants die, but I have a lot better understanding of them than I did when I was a newbie. I am able to use my prior experience to figure out what's going on with new plants, even if they're not plants I've had before. There's a great distance between being a newbie and being an expert. I don't ever anticipate being the latter about orchids.

[My Green Pets]

One thing that I think I have realized on my newbie journey is that a failing plant is not necessarily my fault. There are sick plants and less vigorous plants, and very picky plants. Still, I feel responsible when they do poorly.

I had a recent failure that I still do not understand, a Brassia whose pseudobulbs just started rotting. I can't imagine what I did differently to this plant to cause this. I wonder if it was something I did at all, as it was just acquired this summer.

I agree with what was said earlier about each new plant bringing me back to newbie status. I feel like I have to learn to read each individual plant, which is a constant learning process. Some I feel I understand better than others.

Still, I take failure very personally. To lose a plant is very much an emotional loss for me.

[Gage]

I like what Bud and Ray said. I would agree that staying teachable about things you don't know anything about AND things you may already know a lot about is paramount. If I had to make a definition, I think you can safely stop calling yourself a newbie when you feel comfortable and some confidence growing and blooming orchids.

[tropterrarium]

Tongue in cheek, once you killed 100 plants. Sad but very true


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[The Mutant]

I don't think I'll ever leave the newbie stage... Firstly, I grow very few genera, only three (I have two plants from two other genera, but they are exceptions); secondly, there will always be people more knowledgeable than me.

I sort of know my way around Phals, but give me something with bulbs and I'll go .

Unfortunately, I'm working on becoming an expert at killing my own weight in orchids. It's all because I misunderstood the saying, or at least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

[Jenn4a]

Originally Posted by tropterrarium

Tongue in cheek, once you killed 100 plants. Sad but very true

What usually happens that causes them to die?
Forgive me for my question, I always here "expect to kill a few", but it'd be nice knowing how to prevent that from happening as much as possible.

[The Mutant]

Originally Posted by Jenn4a

What usually happens that causes them to die?
Forgive me for my question, I always here "expect to kill a few", but it'd be nice knowing how to prevent that from happening as much as possible.

Over watering is probably the biggest issue, is my guess. Irregular watering, too.

[Brownthumb10]

Originally Posted by CambriaWhat

I think if you've rebloomed several plants, you're no longer a newbie. Also I think you can be very comfortable with one plant and a complete noob with another. I feel like I have a pretty good grip on Phals and Oncs, for example, but I have no idea what to do with a Cattleya!

As a true newbie this made me smile. My Catt is on its third rebloom but phals escape me. I am happy they are still alive but getting a phal to rebloom seems like an impossible dream. I guess if/when that happens I will feel like less of newbie.

[Jenn4a]

Originally Posted by Brownthumb10

As a true newbie this made me smile. My Catt is on its third rebloom but phals escape me. I am happy they are still alive but getting a phal to rebloom seems like an impossible dream. I guess if/when that happens I will feel like less of newbie.

Cattleya's are that different from Phals?
I thought the main difference was that Cattleyas need higher amount of light, and can stand being drier a little longer.

[Brownthumb10]

Originally Posted by Jenn4a

Cattleya's are that different from Phals?
I thought the main difference was that Cattleyas need higher amount of light, and can stand being drier a little longer.

Phals seem fussier about everything (light, water, ect). Maybe they just don't like me, lol.