Hi Chris, I have asked similar questions in the past when I first got hooked
on orchids!I started on the windowsill soon this will not be enough for you
and you will change the set-up as your collection grows.I found as I
beginner that keeping orchids in plastic pots inside of a decorative pot is
hard to monitor and you tend to overwater,treating them like other
houseplants.As soon as you have mastered watering and have had the orchids
for a while you tend to neglect them abit more, which I think helps them as
you are not pampering them as much.I have found that orchids are tougher
than you think,When you find the right combination of medium/pots and
watering etc keep to it!I have found that medium grade bark,sphagnum
moss,perlite & charcoal in clay pots work for me.As I don`t have to worry
about overwatering & the clay pots give stability.You will worry at first &
chop and change around,but you will find the right combination that works in
your environment.
Happy growing & Enjoy
kenty:-)

Kenni Judd" wrote in message
.. .
Hi, Chris: There's always a little bit of trial and error in finding out
what works best for you in your conditions and with your watering
habits/preferences [some of my customers really LIKE to water, others tend
to forget ...]. My example was intended as a starting point for your
evaluation.

Pay attention while you're enjoying the flowers, and see how fast the
plants
dry, as they are currently potted, in _your_ window, keeping in mind that
the Den. needs to get truly bone-dry between waterings while the other 2
should be watered when they are still just-barely-damp. Until you get it
down, it's better to err on the side of too dry rather than too wet, so if
you check a plant and aren't sure it needs water yet, wait another day or
two. I suspect you'll find that you end up watering the phal and the
oncid
a lot more often than you do the den.

Good growing,

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"The Enigma" wrote in message
.com...
I live in North Carolina, in the middle. So not in mountians or coast.
So how do I know whether to use lava rock or moss? and clay or plastic?
Or
should I just do exactly what you gave as an example?

Also, do I need a small fan for the plants?

Thanks
Chris