There is the running joke that you can't be an Orchid expert grower if you don't have a bundle of tags from your "expired" Orchids. Picture a claypot in a corner with all the tags....
I was into Orchids for several years when a friend and I visited a famous Orchid nursery. As we were browsing the greenhouses, I realized that I actually started to recognize quite a few of the Orchids without having to check the tag. The reason? My friend was a bit amused when I said: "Must have killed this one and that one......
Many people start with growing with Phals and don't realize that they are not the easiest starter Orchids. Especially when you buy them in that dreaded Sphagnum moss, which will eventually start killing the roots.
Around here the easiest Orchids to grow are Fall- flowering Cattleyas and it is helpful to buy them from a reputable grower, who can assist you in picking out good plants. Growing your Cattleyas outside here in NJ during the Summer months in a spot protected from critters and watering and fertilizing them along with your garden will result in good growth and beautiful Fall flowering plants.
