Welcome to the wonderful world of orchids! I've been enjoying orchid growing for several years now, after a false start a few years after I finished up college. These beautiful plants have provided me with many, many hours of enjoyment. My preferred orchid is the oncidium, but over time I've grown epidendrums, phals, vandas, and probably more than a few others I've forgotten about. If you're just getting started on orchid growing, be assured that the information about growing orchids online that you can find are amazing; compared to when I was starting out, there are many, many times the info available on the web. Whatever you do, don't stop browsing; with just a week or two of part-time browsing, you can pick up all you need to know to get started with orchid growing and assure yourself of success.

The most important thing to learn when you decide to start growing orchids is that there are no real general rules for caring for orchids; their care requirements differ so dramatically from one variety to the next that the optimal treatment for one variety will kill many others. If you're getting started, take some time to find a few varieties that you like, then read up carefully on the care for JUST THOSE varieties. Make sure that the care requirements will work out for your own personal lifestyle. If you work a lot of hours and won't have time to take care of them every day, don't pick a high-maintenance variety like vandas. Likewise if you do a lot of traveling and don't have someone to fill in while you're gone. There are plenty of varieties that don't require daily attention that should work for you.

Once you've spotted the varieties you're interested in, read up on their requirements for:

• Humidity

• Watering

• Light

• Fertilizers

• Repotting

The most critical of these to know, in my opinion, is the light requirements. Almost nothing will damage or kill your orchid quicker than giving it the wrong light exposure, especially putting a sunlight-intolerant variety like phals in direct sunlight. You can burn the leaves yellow in just a few days. After that, be sure you're watering the right amount, and associated with that be sure you've got the best humidity situation you can manage given the conditions you're growing in. If you're growing inside and you have no ability to put the plants into a sealed and humidified environment, a good trick is to set the pots in a large tray with some spacers underneath, then put a quarter-inch or so of water in the bottom of the pan. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the pots!

Fertilizers aren't as great a concern. Most orchids don't really need a lot of fertilizers in the first place, especially the epiphytic varieties that are adapted to grow in the limbs of trees. Terrestrial varieties (ground-dwellers) generally require more, though there is again no fixed rule there. Schedule your fertilizer applications based on the specific variety you've chosen, but in general, when it comes time to apply, I've found that applying with a mister works fine for every variety I've ever grown. I like to use a mister even for watering (I label the fertilizer and water VERY clearly), and even for the really thirsty varieties like my oncidiums.

The repotting issue is one that you don't often have to deal with. Generally you'll repot when you first get your plants home from the nursery, unless it's a variety like cymbidiums that you don't want to repot at all. Then most varieties should be repotted no more often than yearly, and many varieties can go 2-3 years between repottings -- unless you spot rotting media, of course. My point being that this gives you lots of time to learn your plants before you set about repotting, and there should be no excuse for you to know when to repot your plants by the time it's needed.

I hope you found at least some of this information useful, and I really encourage you to pursue your interest in orchid growing. It has provided me countless hours of relaxation and enjoyment. I love my orchid plants, probably more than any other plants I've tended to over the years. The variety and beauty of the different types of orchids never ceases to amaze me; regardless of where you live or how, you should be able to find an orchid that will work for you!