Cattleya

Cattleyas are among the most commonly grown orchids, and their culture is often used as the basis for comparison with other types of orchids. Like most other cultivated orchids, cattleyas are epiphytes, or air plants. They have well-developed water-storage organs (called pseudobulbs) and large , fleshy roots. The should be potted in a porous, free-draining medium. Provide bright light and some sun. Location should be an east, west or lightly shaded south window, in the home. For temperature, there should be a 15 to 20 °F difference between night and day. Good temperatures range from 55 to 85 °F. They can tolerate 95 to 100 °F if shaded and extra humidity is added. Cattleyas need 50 to 60 percent humidity. Mature plants must dry out between watering. Seedlings need more constant moisture. Fertilizer must be provided on a regular basis about once a week. A 20-20-20 or similar evenly balanced fertilizer, diluted a quarter to one-half of recommended ratio. Potting should be done every two to three years in the spring, with enough room for two years growth.

Dendrobium

Dendrobiums are among the most commonly seen orchids. They are epiphytes, or air plants, and have well-developed water-storage organs, called "canes". They should be potted in porous, free-draining media. They require bright light to 50% sun. Raised in the home, an east, west or slightly shaded south window is ideal. Mature plants need a 15 to 20 °F difference in temperature between night and day. Nights should be between 60 to 65 °F and days should be between 80 to 90%. If temperatures reach above 95 to 100 °F, humidity and air circulation should be increased. The plant should be kept evenly moist while in active growth. Allow plants to dry out between waterings after growth is mature. Dendrobiums need 50 to 60 percent humidity if grown in the home. You can place plants on a tray of moist pebbles, making sure the pot does not sit directly in water. Fertilizer should be provided on a regular basis during the growing season, using a diluted or approximately 1/8 of what label states. A good evenly balanced fertilizer, such as 20-20-20 should be used. Potting should be done every two to three years before the potting media breaks down. Pot firmly in medium, giving it aeration and ample drainage, allowing enough room for two years of growth. Dendrobiums grow best in pots relatively small for the size of the plant.

Miltoniopsis

These are a very striking orchid and are also known as pansy orchids. Their popularity is increasing. Miltoniopsis are cool-growing orchids that originate in the higher elevations of the Andes in Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. Their flowers can be brilliantly patterned. Miltoniopsis like a relatively shaded area. These cooler-growing types need lesser light than their warmer-growing relatives, miltonias and oncidiums. Temperatures should be kept under 80 °F, or they will not bloom for you. The minimum temperature is 50 to 55 °F. Water must be plentiful and the medium must drain perfectly. The humidity must be at least 70 percent. They are intolerant of salt buildup, so leaching every fourth or fifth watering is important when growing in pots. These cooler-growing plants are used to being drenched every day and the leaves will have a tendency to grow with accordionlike pleats if not getting enough water or humidity. Fertilize with a half-strength, 20-20-20 fertilizer every two weeks. A 10-30-20 blossom-booster is beneficial in early spring when plants approach their flowering period.

Oncidium (and other related types as Brassia, Colmanara and Miltonia)

Oncidiums are an extraordinarily large and diverse New World genus with an equally diverse number of habitats. Oncidiums may originate anywhere from sea level in the tropics to high elevations of the Andes. Light needs can vary from bright to nearly full direct sun depending on the species. Most will thrive with one to several hours of sun a day. Temperatures for this group are generally considered intermediate to warm: 55 to 60 °F at light, and 80 to 85 °F during the days. Water requirements vary with the type of plant. Generally, plants with large fleshy roots or leaves need less frequent watering than thin-leaved or thin-rooted plants. Watering needs to be a good thorough and the medium should be dry at least halfway through the pot before watering again. Humidity should be between 30 and 60 percent. Many oncidiums require less humidity than other orchids. Fertilize regularly while plants are actively growing. A 30-10-10 formula twice a month is ideal for plants potted in a medium size bark. Plants in other media or on slabs should use 20-20-20. If the skies are cloudy, fertilizing once a month will be enough. Potting should be done when new growth is about one-half mature, which usually is in the spring. When potting place the older growth close to the back of the pot allowing plenty of area for the new growth.

Paphiopedilum

Paphiopedilums originate from the jungles of Southeast Asia, Southern China to the Philippines and throughout the Malay Archipelago to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. They are either semi-terrestrial, lithophyte or epiphyte, growing in humus and other material on the forest floor, on cliffs in pockets and occasionally in trees, but even if they are growing in a wide range of substrates, all the various surfaces on which they grow are covered by moss. Paphiopedilums are easy to grow they will adapt to most conditions in the home, under lights, in the conservatory or in the greenhouse. Light is not a major problem with Paphiopedilums. They like shady conditions, as in an east or west window, or near a shaded south window in the home. Temperature for paphiopedilums vary considerably. To make things easier they can roughly be separated into two groups, the warm growing mottled-leaf types and the cool-growing, green-leaf types. The warm-growing types should be kept between 60 to 65 °F at night and 75 to 80 °F or more during the day. The cool-growing types should be kept between 55 to 60 °F at night and 75 to 80 °F during the day. Many people grow all their Paphiopedilums at the same temperature range with excellent results; if you set your conditions to a minimum of 55 to 60 °F and avoid overheating during the summer months most Paphiopedilums will grow satisfactorily. Water must be constantly available at the plant's roots, since they have no pseudobulbs, which for most orchids provide a reserve of water. Paphiopedilums store most of their water in their leaves, which does not constitute a big reserve. They need a moist medium, never soggy, but never dry for more than one day or two in normal conditions; in hot weather the medium should be kept moist. Water once or twice a week. Cultivated plants should be watered heavily when in active growth Humidity for Paphiopedilums should be moderate, between 40% and 50%, which can be maintained in the home by setting the plants on trays of gravel, partially filled with water, so that the plants never sit in the water. In dry climates, misting (in the morning only) can help increase humidity. Air movement is essential, especially when humidity is high. Fertilizer must be applied on a regular basis, but care must be taken to avoid burning the fleshy, hairy roots, which are very sensitive to high concentrations of salts. Furthermore excess fertilizer can cause the appearance of brown spots and the die back of the tips of the leaves. High-nitrogen fertilizers (like 30-10-10) are recommended when the plants are potted in any fir bark mix, as part of the nitrogen is lost to the bacteria degrading the bark, but a good balanced fertilizer (like 20-20-20) can also be used. In warm weather, you can give half-strength applications every two weeks; or 1/4 strength every watering. In cool weather, the fertilizer applications can be reduced to one per month. It's important to flush regularly with clear water, such as every third or fourth watering, to prevent a buildup of salts in the medium, which can burn the roots. Potting should be done every year, or as the medium start to decompose, because the roots are very sensitive to salts and chemical build up. Repotting should be done immediately after flowering. Seedlings are often repotted every 6 months to one year. The medium mixes can vary tremendously from one grower to an other; but the most common ones are a mixture of fine- and/or medium-grade fir bark, with varying additives such as perlite (sponge-rock), pumice, coarse sand, sphagnum moss, rock wool. A medium giving good results is 4 parts medium-grade bark, 1 part fine bark, 1 part sphagnum moss or rockwool. The medium must have good moisture retention with an excellent drainage; the medium should never become, or stay soggy, as the roots will die very quickly. Do not overpot; the size of the pot should always be kept balanced with the size of the root ball.

Phalaenopsis (applied also for Zygopetalum)

Phalaenopsis have become America's favorite orchid. They are plants with long-lasting sprays of lovely moth-like blooms in a broad array of colors. Phalaenopsis are inexpensive and widely available, ready to give weeks of pleasure in your home or office. Perhaps, no other orchid is better suited to home orchid growing. Sufficient light is important for healthy growth and flower production. Provide fairly bright light, but no direct sun. An east, west or shaded south window, is best. Mature plants need a 15 to 20 °F difference between night and day. Temperatures should range 60 to 65 °F at night, to 75 to 85 °F during the days. You should not let mature plants dry out completely between watering. They will need 60 to 70 percent humidity. In the home you may want to place on trays of moist pebbles. Never let pot sit in water. Fertilize once a week with a light evenly balanced fertilizer, such as 20-20-20. That is fertilize at one-quarter to one-half recommended strenght marked on label. Potting should be done every one to two years before the potting mix breaks down too far. This is best done in late spring after flowering is done. Do not over-pot. Select pot size for root mass, not top size, remembering that these orchid are basically air plants, and will be healthy with some of their roots hanging out.

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