Teach first, sell second
Blog & articles
Opinionated, occasionally cranky, always honest notes from an obsessed grower. Draft archive, pending owner review.
“Why haven’t my orchids bloomed yet?” — every new orchid grower
A common question: “My orchids are growing well and have been putting out new leaves and roots. Why haven’t they bloomed yet?” (No…
Read the article →What kinds of pots to use for growing orchids?
There are three main types of pots, and have different characteristics that you’ll want to keep in mind. All three types come in a…
Read the article →Dogs, cats, dolphins & orchids
A frequent lament I hear goes like this: “I’ve had other orchids before, but why won’t this one grow?” This is like saying, “I’ve…
Read the article →Interesting varieties of Dendrobium kingianum in our collection
1) kingianum var alba, regular form This is a short-caned is to be the most common type of kingianum var. alba. Flowers are pure w…
Read the article →Orchid Thieves
(The following post was written in 2009, on my previous but now-defunct blog, slipperorchidblog.com. For those who don’t know abou…
Read the article →Should you repot your new orchid right away?
Many people advise repotting orchids you’ve gotten right away. These growers fall into two camps: 1) Experienced growers who actua…
Read the article →Questions to Ask About Any Orchid Advice You’re Given
We have a couple of posts on why orchid info on the web is so bad, wrong, or unreliable. You can see them here and here . They’ll…
Read the article →Another reason orchid advice on the web is unreliable, bad, or wrong
(Scroll to the bottom for the TL;DR) On the web, there are plenty of people trying to make a few bucks by cutting-and-pasting some…
Read the article →Why so much orchid growing info on the web is unreliable, bad, or wrong
Why is so much orchid info online bad, wrong, or low quality? Because many people simply don’t know what they’re talking about whe…
Read the article →Why you should never buy orchid seeds online
Most people know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack and his widowed mother live a hardscrabble life on a farm. They need se…
Read the article →How to Avoid the New Orchid Grower’s Vicious Cycle of Orchid Failure
Many new orchid growers fail, not because they don’t have the proper growing media, or the right pots, or the best water. These ne…
Read the article →The best orchid teachers you’ll ever meet
The world is awash with books, websites, and videos on how to grow orchids. Most of these sources have some useful information, bu…
Read the article →The difference between a species and a hybrid
Two terms that get used a lot in the orchid world are “species” and “hybrids”. This is one of those situations where you might hav…
Read the article →Car tires and orchid roots
A good way to think about orchid roots is to think about car tires. Tires do an important job, get worn out doing their job, and e…
Read the article →Trials of Orchid Retail (part 1 of 7,683,329 and counting)
Everyone who has worked in a retail setting has funny, frustrating, infuriating, and mind-bending stories of customer interactions…
Read the article →Growing instructions for Dendrobium kingianum, the easiest orchid on earth (and our top-selling orchid)
Dendrobium kingianum hails from eastern Australia, a country where everything is tough, just like this orchid. It is probably the…
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