Collecting and growing orchids is quite interesting and exciting.
One feels a great sense of accomplishment and pride after seeing the beautiful blooms that resulted from his toil.
But not everyone has a happy story to tell; there are those who get dismayed because of the failure they encounter on their first try.
It is not really hard to grow orchids.
In fact, if properly guided, an orchid fancier will say, "It's a piece of cake!" Before one starts to collect and grow orchids, we should ask the question why some beginners fail.
Here are some problems that cause such failures.
First, many beginners buy plants indiscriminately without considering if conditions and features of the place where he will put the orchids are suited or not to the plant's requirement.
Not all orchids have the same growth and blooming requirements.
Terete and semi-terete vandas as well as cane type dendrobiums prefer a sunny well-ventilated area with relatively high-humidity while strap leaf vandas, "phal-type" dendrobiums and cattleyas need more shaded but well-ventilated house and protection from too much rain.
Moth-like flowered phalaenopsis is very sensitive and should be well-protected from the harsh sun, wind and rain.
Therefore, it should be grown in a place with plastic roofing and 70% shade and very good air circulation to prevent fungi infection.
Oncidiums epidendrums have specific requirements that one must learn in order to grow in the conditions existing in his garden correctly.
The second problem is the beginner's lack of time to the orchids.
After buying plants, he just leaves them obliviously to the mercy of Mother Nature or entrust them to an ignorant or lazy caretaker.
Remember that these poor plants are God-given beauties that help balance nature.
Thus, they must not be destroyed.
Lack of knowledge or complete ignorance of' the orchid's culture needs such as potting, repotting, transplanting, watering, feeding pest-control, etc.
is the third problem.
Some people think that watering the plants once a day is enough.
Others think that orchids can be planted on ordinary soil.
An orchid collector can show enthusiasm and determination by studying the plant's needs carefully through books and journals, expert's advice, and applying what he learned with keen observation.
In the fourth problem, the beginner is not to blame.
Because he can fall victim to unscrupulous plant sellers who sell him sick or infected plants: gives wrong information: sell inferior breeds or "trash" plants; entice him to buy with wrong names or overprice the plants.
A beginner ought to carefully choose whom he will buy from.
He must buy only from reputable and respected breeders or growers who have permanent or well-established gardens or shops.
A reliable nurseryman will not risk his hard earned reputation just for a hundred or thousand bucks from a "one-shot deal.
" Do not buy from "one-night stand" peddlers just because they sell cheap plants.
For all we know, the plants may even be stolen or "hot" orchids.
Greediness or over-ambitiousness can be the fifth problem.
Someone who can afford to buy many plants may be impulsively carried away by greed to buy more than what he can handle.
A beginner may also want to gather orchids that are hard to grow to prove to people that he will succeed with the little knowledge he has.
The poor plants will stand a very slim chance to survive.
The sixth problem is the "cheap skate" mentality.
Here, a person buys expensive plants.
And because of the big amount of money that he thought he wasted, he will find ways to recover the loss by cost-cutting: he will cut on fertilizers, pest control, housing and potting expenses.
He will also resort to short cuts on the methods of growing, which can probably result to poor results.
One must avoid having any of the six mentioned problems if he wants to grow beautiful orchids successfully.
So, all of you out there who plans on growing orchids should consider these valuable pointers so you will not be one of those persons that failed.