Reka wrote:

Here is the first part of the article, then my original post at the
bottom. Actually, I thought the care part was pretty good for a
nutshell version:

Bring beauty to your home with miniature orchids Martha Stewart Living
Magazine

BY MARGARET ROACH

Editor-in-Chief

Brighten your home this winter with a display of miniature orchids.
These dainty flowers are no taller than 6 inches, excluding their
blooms. But those blooms can have some compelling details: lavishly
fringed, scalloped or whiskered petals; striped and splashy patterns;
and brilliant marriages of color, such as red and orange or lilac and
shocking pink.

Based on their origins, orchids are categorized as cool, warm or
intermediate-climate growers. These classifications can help you decide
which ones to put where -- whether on an unheated porch or in a toasty
living room.

Many cultivated orchids are epiphytes that grow on trees, often in
chilly, high-elevation habitats such as the Andes mountains. Some come
from hotter subtropical spots, others from climates in between.

Among the best mini orchid houseplants are those that tolerate a range
of temperatures, such as tiny cattleyas, dendrobiums and paphiopedilums.

Miniature orchids require care similar to that of larger orchids --
except that they need to be watered more often because they are
pint-size and housed in smaller pots. However, because these beauties
are so petite, you can squeeze in more of them and have a fine
collection to line your windowsills or fill a terrarium.

Caring for mini orchids

Almost all orchids fare well with a free-draining, well-aerated planting
mix -- such as chipped fir bark, tree fern or both, with added perlite,
sphagnum or both to improve aeration and water retention.

To discourage fungal diseases, water plants early in the day to ensure
that the leaves dry before dark. Let pots drain completely before
replacing them in their accustomed spots. Then wait until the mix feels
dry to water them again (especially those orchids that have thickened
stems, called pseudobulbs).

Fertilize every two to three weeks with a balanced, all-purpose plant
food, unless orchids are in a bark-only mix. In that case, choose a
formula containing added nitrogen (sometimes sold as "orchid food").

To boost humidity, which orchids need, set pots atop a bed of pebbles in
water-filled trays or place them in a terrarium. If you group several of
them, consider using a fan to circulate the air, reducing the potential
for fungal problems.

Begin with healthy, pest-free plants and position them away from intense
sun, drafty wintertime windows, radiators and other sources of extreme
heat or cold. Then watch closely year-round -- particularly from late
winter to early spring -- for their sweet blooms.
The following article comes from a Wichita newspaper, with the title
mentioning Martha Stewart. What do you growers out there think of these
suggestions, meant for beginners?
I myself am having a terrible time with L. pumila. #*§%$!!!

Mini orchids for different conditions

Make sure to select a plant that can grow easily in an environment
you'll be able to create and maintain. Keep in mind that you may have to
experiment with different locations to achieve the right
light-and-temperature combination.

Here are some guidelines:

• Heat lovers

Miniature warm-climate orchids, such as the white-flowered Aerangis
distincta (native to central Africa), welcome summer daytime
temperatures as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with nights that dip down
10 to 15 degrees. Their maximum winter daytime high is 80 degrees, with
the same nighttime dip.

Others in this group include the Brazilian Leptotes bicolor, with its
twice-yearly white-and-fuchsia blooms; the fragrant Aerangis citrata
from Madagascar; the yellow-blooming Polystachya bella from Kenya; and
the Colombian Masdevallia herradurae, which has dark-red flowers.

• The in-betweens

Intermediate-climate growers, such as the Philippine Dendrobium
gonzalesii, with its purple-tinged flower clusters, favor a similar
day-to-night 10- to 15-degree drop, with winter days around 75 degrees
and summers only slightly warmer.

Scented Laelia pumila, a Brazilian with yellow-throated lavender blooms,
is also in this bunch, along with Epidendrum porpax, a 3-inch-tall
dainty from Central America; the even smaller Pleurothallis ornata, a
native of Mexico with fringed flowers; and Masdevallia infracta, which
hails from Brazil and produces lavender to copper blooms every season.

• Cool customers

The cool miniature-orchid group, which includes the Peruvian Cochlioda
densiflora, with its sprays of flaming blooms, prefers a daytime winter
range of 60 to 65 degrees and a summer daytime range of 80 to 85
degrees, both with a 10- to 15-degree decline at night.

Also included in this group are Encyclia mariae from Mexico, a
5-inch-tall plant with green flowers nearly as wide; the pink-blooming
Masdevallia uniflora from Peru; and Brazilian Sophronitis coccinea,
whose fiery-red blooms may keep growing after they open.




--
Reka

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