Each month this page will be used to highlight one or two of our vendors' products with the aim of giving you some helpful hints on orchids that are hardy, rewarding and easy to grow.  We will focus on unique orchids that reflect the fields of specialty for our SJOE vendor.  You'll also get detailed cultural information as to how the featured plant(s) can be successfully grown indoors and/or outdoors based on growing these plants successfully in non-commercial  indoor and outdoor environments.  

We hope that you'll enjoy our virtual stroll through our partnered orchid growers' extensive inventories of top quality hybrids, exceptionally bred species and healthy and robust orchid plants.    

Build An Everblooming Orchid Collection In 12 Months

Ok so you got bit by the orchid bug and now you want to start collecting.  But how do you go about building a rewarding limited maintenance collection of orchids with year round interest?  

May we suggest that you inventory your growing space first.  Decide how much orchid appropriate indoor and outdoor growing area you have.  

Indoors be sure that you have the benefit of a nearby window for fresh air and adequate levels of diffused natural light.  To accommodate orchids growing out of doors be sure that you have the space to protect your orchids from mid day sun.  Under a tree or under a high canopy of shade cloth works great. Outdoor orchids also need to be able to be covered(protected from rain) or be able to be brought indoors when conditions are cold and wet.  Huddling orchids under an exterior overhang close to your house can be an ideal place, providing both moisture protection and radiant heat to buffer chilly winter conditions.  If you get a hard frost where you live the orchids must be well protected or brought indoors.  

Now I think you have a pretty good idea of indoor and outdoor growing areas and you can describe your growing conditions in a fairly detailed and accurate manner as you ask your orchid grower for plant suggestions.  Be sure that you know the exact extremes and typical temperatures ranges of how cold and hot it gets where you intend to grow your orchid.  Also be able to describe the light level intensity, duration and time of day exposure.  So... the perfect collection can be had by each month for one year purchasing 1-3 orchids in bloom based on your available space.  You'll want to consider the eventual size of all your plant acquisitions at maturity when you calculate your space available. At the end of one year you'll have a collection of orchids that should always offer you at least 1-3 types of blooms for your enjoyment.  Now go have some fun collecting!

Can This Orchid Grow Outside?

Alright.  We know from life that if we don't ask the right questions we won't get the right answers.  I hear people all the time asking a grower.  "Does this grow outside?"  Of course it does its ancestors originated from a jungle.  "Is this orchid cool/hot growing?"  What's "hot" and what's "coo"l to you?

Well I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area and if you moved me to Florida I wouldn't appreciate the summer weather there, however a hot day in Pacifica, CA I'd find quite tolerable.  So lets keep the questions specific.  

Whenever we we ask a question remove the possibility that the person can respond with a subjective view point.  I like to recommend that people ask these types of questions.  "Can this orchid tolerate temperatures above 80 degrees?" To ask this you must know your average warm and hottest recorded temperature.  "Can this orchid tolerate a cold wet winter where temperatures do not drop below 32 degrees?"  To ask this you must know your average cool and coldest temperature.  But better yet, why not ask what you really want to know?  "Based on this orchid's growing specifications what are the temperature extremes that this plant 1. can tolerate without showing signs of damage and 2. grows consistently well at?"

It is possible to grow plants indoors in winter and then let them enjoy ambient temps out of doors the rest of the year.  However, I don't recommend this.  Over your orchid growing career your going to collect lots of plants.  You'd be much better off growing orchids that require the least amount of effort to maintain.  And with 40,000+ species and tens of thousands of exciting hybrids you will have a variety of plants that can be cared for with ease of maintenance under your conditions.