What Type of Orchid Plant Should You Grow?

You've visited the nurseries in your town, and now you're a fan of the orchid plant. You may have thoughts of going into orchid gardening at some later date, but you think they may be too hard to grow, for you right now.

There are orchids that are more easy to care for, and lend themselves very well to the folks who are new to orchid care. They will bloom for you even if you're still a newcomer to orchid growing.

Oncidium Intergenerics is a species that does very well for beginning growers. They bloom once or twice a year, and their fragrance is simply lovely. They do require a good amount of light, but not a great deal of other care. And you can pick up the care basics fairly easily.

The Comnara Wildcat is possibly the orchid plant that will give you the greatest reward for the least amount of work. They bloom for three months out of the year. Quite a handsome orchid plant for a very little amount of work.

The Onicidium Sharry Baby has one property you would never expect - it smells like chocolate! It would be hard to pick a better smell than that. And Sharry Baby's bloom two or three times over the course of a year.

Some members of the Cattleya family of orchids are simple for even a newcomer to orchid gardening to grow. Some of them do need supplemental light, but they are fairly hardy, and they can grow very large. They don't stay in bloom as long as some other types, but they are very pretty.

Another good prospect for the beginner in orchid care is Phragmepediums. These orchids need a lot of light, even more than most other orchids need. They are somewhat more fragile than some of the other types, as they have more specific needs in the areas of fertilizer and watering. If you over-fertilize this orchid plant, its leaves will turn brown.

You're ready to head to the garden center now, but there are a couple more orchid types to consider.

Paphiopedilum and the Phalaaenopsis hybrids are possibly the best orchids for beginners, because they will bloom well in just about any windowsill garden. They don't need an overabundance of light, and they can adapt to different humidity levels. The requirements for this hybrid are a lot like those of the African violet.

The Lady's Slipper is another lovely type of orchid, so named because the plant's third petal forms a pouch that resembles a lady's slipper. They originally ranged from Southeast Asia to China and India, but are now found in most areas. They may be a bit more temperamental than some of these other types, but they are a very attractive plant with lovely blooms and white and green leaves.

Regardless of which type of orchid you select, you will want to take care not to over-water them. This is a very common mistake for those new to orchid gardening. Don't let them dry out, either - but over-watering happens a lot more often. Watering once or twice a week should suffice.

The orchid plant tends to store its moisture and nutrients in its leaves and roots. If you have a problem in either of these areas, it will show up fairly quickly. An important aspect of orchid care is monitoring your plants to make sure they're not too wet or too dry. Keep an eye on your plants, especially if you're a new grower, and deal with changes in the plants' appearance quickly.

There you have it - there are almost 250 breeds of orchid found in the U.S., and these are some of the best orchids to try if you don't have much orchid gardening experience. If you ensure that your orchids receive the proper water, light, humidity and temperature, they will make your home more lovely for years to come.

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