Depends where you live, or were he wants to live. Southern U.S.;
particularly Florida and Calf., and here in Hawai'i are big industries. To
get the best jobs, he should be leaning toward: botony, and horticulture.
I've taken a number of horticulture course at U Hawaii at Hilo and
Orchidology is taught every other year, less expensive than Honolulu.
Additionally: plant pathology, floriculture, plant propagation (orchids can
be progagated a number of ways, depending on the plant, and mericloned in
flasks), others related course work and one needs to know the basics of
economics. If one has the no how, it takes maybe six years from cloning to
market, less if flask or community pots are bought. The industry includes:
plants (usually 4-6 years for good flowing specimens), cut flowers (some
orchids last for months), selling in flasksand community pots. My
particulars are fragrant orchids which are usually species and not hybrids,
but many hybrids have scent, vanda's tend to keep a bloom on the plant for
some time and are sun tolerant, I get a few cataleya that look nice or if
they've a scent (the corsage orchid), I like some of the lady slipper types;
there are very large number of orchids.

Orchids grow in all sorts or climates, from hot to cold, from wet to
semi-arid, sunny to shady. Every state I believe has some native orchids and
unusally a legal source can be found if they are a protected plant in your
state. Take him to a nursery, collector or society, and shows to see what's
around; include that on vacations.

Read about them, there's alot of books on the topic.

There's alot of grunt work involved also. Cloning, transplanting, water,
bugs, disease, picking and sales.

--
--
David C. Vaughn
davon96720

http://members.tripod.com/davon96720

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"dishow2002" wrote in message
om...
My 17 year old son is interested in plant biology and is breeding
orchids now. Is there good employment opportunities in this or a
related field?