A to Z The Total Noob's Guide to Growing Orchids for Total Beginners

By Lisa Bond

You Can Grow Your Own Orchids, Yes You Can!

You're probably already thinking to yourself If I have to read a book to grow a flower in a pot, why should I bother?! Yeah, I know –but to be honest, there are a lot of excellent things that come with being able to master at least growing one successful pot of orchids. For one thing, they're gorgeous! Who wouldn't want to say, "Yeah, I grew those…"?

Damn right you would! Being a badass indoor gardener is one thing, but tackling tropical plants like orchids is a feat unto itself. It's an artform. Think about it for a second. Most of us do not live in the climate conducive to these beauties just thriving on their own in the wild. Anyone who already actively grows and nurtures any species of orchid knows that you've got to climate control that environment like you wouldn't believe. It's not just about that, but you also must watch other factors too. It's an extremely rewarding yet very challenging experience.

In addition, there are so many different species of orchid out there that you can safely assume that each plant you grow is going to be unique to itself. You can get some that you know will definitely be the same color, size or general shape, but we all know that there are so many things unique to each plant. How many flower spikes you end up with after the first blooms dissipate, how many leaves you have, how tall it grows and so many other things are all going to be different.

The cool thing is that with the right know-how, you can nurture one potted orchid for years before you have to kiss it goodbye. In fact, you might keep them growing for almost a decade without even realizing it if you can take care them properly. It will also bolster your confidence when it comes to indoor gardening. You might have never planted anything outside, but you can throw these puppies in a pot and watch them go for forever if you follow a few key pointers and stay on top of their care. You just need to lovingly embrace the hobby and be patient with the process.

Heck, you could have a whole atrium or sunroom full of tropical flowers by the time you're finished fooling around with different kinds –and there are a lot of them! Just imagine the possibilities… In this book, you're going to learn all about how to start off on the right foot with one of the cantankerous ones: orchids. So get out your gloves, grab a bag of potting mix, start jotting down supplies on a notepad, and get growing!

• Language: English
• Publisher: sbBooks
• Release date: Nov 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781641864312

Lisa Bond

Lisa Bond lives with her husband and 4 children in Belmont, California. After 20 years in accounting, she decided to write about the little things in life that made her and her family very happy. She stopped analyzing spread sheets and profit and loss and began writing about her many hobbies such as making bath bombs, gardening, raising backyard chickens, bee keeping and many more topics in her vast collection of skill sets. Fortunately, she learned the skill of research at Smith College and she is always studying new things that help her and her family live a better life. Lisa loves sharing ideas with the world.

Book preview

Bond.

Preface

You're probably already thinking to yourself If I have to read a book to grow a flower in a pot, why should I bother?! Yeah, I know –but to be honest, there are a lot of excellent things that come with being able to master at least growing one successful pot of orchids. For one thing, they're gorgeous! Who wouldn't want to say, Yeah, I grew those…? Damn rights you would! Being a badass indoor gardener is one thing, but tackling tropical plants like orchids is a feat unto itself. It's an artform. Think about it for a second. Most of us do not live in the climate conducive to these beauties just thriving on their own in the wild. Anyone who already actively grows and nurtures any species of orchid knows that you've got to climate control that environment like you wouldn't believe. It's not just about that, but you also must watch other factors too. It's an extremely rewarding yet very challenging experience. In addition, there are so many different species of orchid out there that you can safely assume that each plant you grow is going to be unique to itself. You can get some that you know will definitely be the same color, size or general shape, but we all know that there are so many things unique to each plant. How many flower spikes you end up with after the first blooms dissipate, how many leaves you have, how tall it grows and so many other things are all going to be different. The cool thing is that with the right know-how, you can nurture one potted orchid for years before you have to kiss it goodbye. In fact, you might keep them growing for almost a decade without even realizing it if you can take care them properly. It will also bolster your confidence when it comes to indoor gardening. You might have never planted anything outside, but you can throw these puppies in a pot and watch them go for forever if you follow a few key pointers and stay on top of their care. You just need to lovingly embrace the hobby and be patient with the process. Heck, you could have a whole atrium or sunroom full of tropical flowers by the time you're finished fooling around with different kinds –and there are a lot of them! Just imagine the possibilities… In this book, you're going to learn all about how to start off on the right foot with one of the cantankerous ones: orchids. So get out your gloves, grab a bag of potting mix, start jotting down supplies on a notepad, and get growing!

Chapter 1: What You Need to Get Started

Well, first thing's first. You need to get supplies. You would think it would be simple and you could just go ahead and grab a bag of potting soil, a few pretty glazed pots, a couple orchids you really like and maybe some fertilizer of some sort. But nooooo…It has to be complicated. Of course, it does! This isn't a little tuft of violets you're going to stick in a pot of moist soil and call it day. These are orchids. They're no game. You can't half-ass them like other flowers. There are specific items you definitely need and things to avoid when you