Grow orchids in your home. Live in the exotic magic of the most aristocratic flower.
Printed version. English language
Paperback bound book.
Number of pages: 242. 95 color illustrations by Elisabetta Del Medico
Copyright 2014
Author: William Drake
Many people who would like to dedicate themselves to this hobby ask themselves:
- Will I have the chance to organize a large greenhouse?
- Will I have enough time to look after such fragile plants?
- Will I be able to support the necessary financial commitment?
These questions are wrong.
The main question you need to ask yourself, to see if you will be a good grower, is another: what feeling do I have with orchids?
The orchid is a unique flower in its eccentric perfection, it does not know the banality. It does not grow in an impersonal environment, it is elegant in all its aspects, aristocratic in its needs. It blooms only if it finds the right conditions around it.
In the East the perfection of the orchid is a symbol of purity. In the West the orchid is related to love and sensuality, therefore it becomes the symbol of passionate love. In its almost black-flowered varieties the orchid is also associated with the dark mystery and witchcraft.
People who are attracted to orchids are sensual and innocent, simple and sophisticated. They love luxury. The roots of the orchid can feed on air by filtering nourishment from nothing, they are intricate but light. Who loves the orchid is very selective in his choices, he accepts to let only a small circle of people enter his life.
Therefore, if you wish to dedicate yourself to the cultivation of orchids you should not ask yourself how much it costs. The right questions are these:
- Do I have an independent temperament?
- Do I have my own class and my original elegance?
- Am I capable of innocence and passion, dedication and betrayal?
- I only ask for the best from my life and the people I surround myself with?
If all the answers are "yes", you are the ideal candidate for growing orchids. You don't need much else.
In fact it is possible to grow orchids even in a small vase held on the windowsill, as you would do with basil. Some varieties may require temperature and humidity which is not difficult to recreate in an ordinary apartment or on a balcony. Other varieties can grow outdoors, in the garden.
If you really want to dedicate yourself to the cultivation of orchids you will surely find the right compromise between the needs of the plants and those of your spaces and your wallet.
This book will provide you with all the information you need to start the journey that will turn you into an expert grower, ready to participate in all "flowers contest"
Summary of the book
What flower are you?
Orchids at home
Light
Temperature
Humidity
Ventilazion
Precautions
Historical notes
Myths and beliefs
The butterfly orchid, the "phalaenopsis"
The discovery of Cattleya
The orchid becomes a symbol of prestige
New orchids: Cambria
Symbols and meanings.
The language of flowers
The orchid in art
The orchid in literature
The orchid in the cinema
Orchids with evocative forms
- Anatomy and classification
The orchid flower
The leaves of orchids
The roots of orchids
Classificazion
- How to start
The best species to start with. The Phalaenopsis
Where find plants and seeds
Equipment.
- Supports and substrates
The rafts
The wooden logs
The arboreal fern and saxum
Vegetable supports
Hanging baskets
Cultivation supports for lithophyte orchids.
Inorganic matrix substrates
Organic matrix substrates.
The "bark"
Vegetable fiber
The sphagnum
Peat
"Osmunda" fiber
Beech leaves
The land of heath (Moorland)
- Cultivation in vases
Choice of vase
Pot materials
The soil
Soil with peat blond and osmunda.
Fine-grained soil (grain size up to 6 millimeters)
Medium-grained soil (grain size over 6 millimeters)
Coconut-based soils
Cymbidium orchid soil
Commercial soil
6.- Cultivation techniques
Repotting
Water the orchids
Eliminate chlorine from water
Leaf irrigation
How to fertilize orchids
Pruning
- Pests and diseases
Counteract pests
Ingredients for a macerated against aphids
Orchid diseases
Fungal diseases
Virus or bacteria diseases
Diseases of the leaves
- Multiplication of orchids
Monopodial and simpodial orchids
Multiplication by cuttings
"Keiki" division
Multiplication by meristem
Multiplication by sowing
Sexual reproduction or pollination
- Orchid flowering
10 Outdoor orchids. The Cypripedium
11 Description of the main species
Angraecum
Bletilla.
Brassia
Cambria
Cattleya
Cymbidium
Cypripedium
Dendrobium
Dracula (Little dragon)
Laelia
Lycaste
Miltonia e Miltoniopsis
Odontoglossum
Oncidium
Paphiopedilum
Phalaenopsis
Phragmipedium
Pleione
Stanhopea
Vanda
. Mini orchids
Vanilla
- Orchid growing communities
Sell your orchids
Appendix 1 - Taxonomy
