P.S: I just double-checked how my Phal. Baldan's Kaleidoscope (that I talk
about in the previous post) is doing. It's growing a new leaf that looks
healthy. After 9 months of flowering it's not done yet, and has a new bud as
well. And I last watered it on May 22, and it's definitely not ready to be
watered again yet. I guess I can continue to pretty much ignore it, except
for an occasional glance, once every few weeks.

Joanna

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:6kUkg.1666$nS5.772@trnddc07...

"C. Nick Kruzer" wrote in message
...
snip
In my copy of Bailey's 2nd Hortus I read about growing orchids. It takes
special knowledge and patience. People who grow orchids must truly
appreciate them and have the basic abilities needed to follow scientific
procedure, and that is why I'm asking here,
snip

C. Nick,

I can't believe noone else has challenged you on this part of your post
yet. Special knowledge? Scientific Procedure? All this sounds way more
complex than it actually is. Growing orchids has the unfortunate
reputation of being complex, but as most of us here have found, orchids
are much easier to grow than people who don't know about them think. In my
opinion, orchids are in many ways easier to grow than other houseplants.
In fact I have killed most other houseplants I have ever owned, but I find
orchids much more difficult to kill -- unless one waters them too
frequently, they can survive a lot of mild abuse or benign neglect. The
"scientific procedure" for most orchids can be summarized on one sheet of
fairly simple instructions of how to care for them. Granted, some of these
instructions may be counter-intuitive to those burdened by the knowledge
of caring for other houseplants. But how many other houseplants regularly
come with easy instructions for novices? And how many other houseplants
will bloom for many months?

This is an extreme example (few orchids are that simple), but it shows how
easy orchid growing can be: I have this orchid that I bought at a local
Safeway grocery store (Phal. Baldan's Kaleidoscope). I bought it in bloom
in September 2005. It continues to be in bloom to this day (so 9 months in
bloom). I have watered it a total of 8 times in these 9 months -- it has
healthy roots and healthy leaves, just does not dry out more often. It
stands in a northern window without supplemental lights -- seems to be
enough light for this particular orchid. Since I tend to be pretty bad
about adding fertilizer to water, only when I think of it, and happen to
have time, some members of this forum would argue that I am starving it,
but several of my orchids have been with me for 5 years now, and have
continued to flourish under similar benign neglect -- two of those orchids
that I have had for 5 years already have flowered with more flowers than
ever this year, and they are now busily growing new leaves, while I am
busy taking care of my 6 months old child most of the time. How easy is
that for orchid growing?

Best,
Joanna