Tell me about Orchids pls ...

... as I know nothing!

We have at least half a dozen of the typical orchids sold in supermarkets, gifts from kind people over the years. Don't seem to have managed to kill any, and most of them flower at some point during the year, and go on for months ...

However, they are very small plants. I'd like something much bigger and more dramatic. But I would like to be able to keep it alive, and get it to flower, and not to have to make it my one-and-only-goal-in-life!!

I know didly squat about orchids - except that all of them share the attribute of having the most difficult Latin names to pronounce of any plant that I have come across!

Where to start? what to buy & grow?

 

They need a fungus to grow with, if thats not in the soil they won't thrive.

 

I take that back, they need it to germinate, but the adults usually keep the relationship with the fungus.

 

Thanks Zigs. What varieties do I need to grow to have some "dramatic" plants

From what little I know I seem to think that Cymbidiums will give me a large plant, several long sprays of flowers, with a decent number of flowers on each, that will flower for a month or more.

I think that's the sort of plant I'm after - assuming it isn't hard to keep one alive, or costs the earth. There was an orchid farmer who lived near me when I was a teenager. He had retired or whatever and spent his savings on some massive commercial greenhouses, and grew Orchids from which he sold the blooms - including individual little blooms in a small vial of water, sent by post. They lasted weeks. I expect it was called "Orchids by post" or somesuch ... I remember him bringing my mother an armful of Orchid sprays when he came to a party. Lost my heart to his daughter too - I reckon I was about 14 ... I wonder what became of her ...

 

Cymbidiums are a good one to start with, don't water them with coldd water, use tepid, we recently joined the Orchid society.
Recently got a cymbidium for a garden centre reduced from £25.00 to £5.00 .

 

I agree with Cymbidiums, however, I'm not sure, but I think the ones available these days tend to be smaller growing than the old named varieties, its about fitting them in as a houseplant these days.
Someone, many years ago, gave me a couple of plants, offsetts from ones he had bought back in the 60s.
I remember the biggest one was called "Dorchester", I grew it for a long time and it flowered well for me, I have some pics of the last time I grew it, it overwintered outside, but frost free that year, it was a big grower, too big for me really, so I let it go.
Wish now I had just grown on a few bulbs for the future, but I always move on eventually to something new.
Here it is flowering in May 2007.
The flowers always lasted for at least six weeks, the lighter flowers in the pic are the stem which opened first, the flowers tend to change colour with age.

 

I should add this plant is at least 4 ft across and about 4ft 6ins high.

 

Yes. But over a few years they will start to look messy with all the spent pseudobulbs. Super easy to care for though.

One stem per pseudobulb as a rule, but the odd one can produce more.

Size is not everything though! Have you considered Pleione.....................


Very easy to grow and after two or three years you should have a nice potful.

Paphs are not huge, but certainly dramatic....................


Also easy to grow.

 

Yup, Dainty. But not the "look" I am looking for

Cymbidiums it is then.

Glad you said that - didn't look as big as that in the photo.

I've ordered a few from McBeans to see how I get on

 

They have arrived Mostly smaller plants to flower next year - more for my money that way

http://kgarden.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_1950_orchidcymbidiums.jpg


Cymbidium Linlithgow Loch 'Lewes Gleam'


Cymbidium Loch Carron



Cymbidium Loch Insh


Cymbidium Sarah Jean 'Ice Cascade' AGM


Cymbidium Strathdon 'Chailey Red'


Cymbidium West Down 'Springtime'

 

Family Portrait when they arrived 07-Jan



they are busting out of their pots and will need repotting in the Spring

Copied from another thread (just to keep this thread up-to-date)
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/...plants-in-bloom-now.46581/page-16#post-764094

My first Cymbidium, part of my new hobby

Cymbidium Sarah Jean

and a Moth Orchid given to us a year or two back

 

Novel form of bottom heat!

You certainly didn't go small!

 

Half of them are only 10cm pots, but they are nice big healthy plants. The other half are 1L - 1.5L ish. Well pleased with them

www.mcbeansorchids.co.uk