Growing Orchids -  Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy!

Growing orchids can be easy. Well, you might say that it is easy for me to say that it is easy but that it is hard for you to do. No, not necessarily, like most plants they need light, water and fertilizer. TLC (tender loving care) never hurts either!

Here are a some tips that you might want to consider in growing orchids.

1. Ask around. Yes, most people love to share their knowledge and answer orchid questions. Most people like giving advice is fun and being helpful often makes one fell useful.

You can learn a great deal about orchids from the local orchid society. There are many orchid societies throughout the world. These orchid societies are a local treasure of information about orchid growing particularly in your location. At many of their meetings the members will bring in some orchid plants that they are willing to sell. Usually they are at an inexpensive price.

2. Growing orchid plants follow no set rules. There are no check lists to follow or special, secret ingredients to use to be successful. Mostly it just takes a few tools and the knowledge about what orchids need in your growing situation. The fertilizer, for example, is a well balanced one of 20-20-20 which is available in any store that deals with plants. It does not have to be special just for orchids.

Also, don't be surprised if you ask the same question to several orchid growers and get different answers.

3. Make it fun. Make the trip you are taking with your orchids enjoyable. Consider it a learning experience. Continue to talk with a lot of people, don't be afraid to ask questions. Many people have experienced the same thing thinking perhaps that your questions were extremely basic and that you should already know the answer.

Even very simple questions are important if they are important only to you, or something that you need to know.

If you have a failure and lose an orchid plant just learn from it. After all, we have all "been there and done that." An orchid grower I know says that "An orchid expert is someone who has killed 1000 orchids." Of course she is kidding a little but really we all (orchid growers will have some successes and some failures. We're all on a journey and it is a learning one. Learn from your mistakes.

If you're not sure why it went wrong then ask a friendly orchid grower.

4. Books. There are a large number of books out there and they cover a lot about growing orchids. They are great to have as references so that you can try to understand what you have done correctly and what needs improvement.

Check here for some book recommendations. And if that is not enough suggestions then try this page for more books for suggested reading.

As I mentioned in the outset this was a very general article on growing orchids but one that I felt was important to give to you.

Specific information about water, light and fertilizer or specific care for particular orchids care is covered in other sections of this Web site. Going to this page Orchid Care is a good start.

Just keep looking around this web site. It will be very helpful.

And enjoy this orchid growing journey.

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