Paphiopedilum – Are easily suited for home growing, requiring only bright light & your normal home temperatures. It loves bright indirect sunlight. Also called a slipper orchid & blooms are long lasting up to 10 weeks of bloom. Temperatures – Most mature orchids need about 15 to 20f temperatures between night & day. Water – Never let plants dry out. Fertilizer – Must be fertilized on a regular basis, but requires less fertilizing than most orchids. Use a good 10-10-10 balanced ratio Potting – Should be done about every one to two years.

Oncidium – Oncidiums are from sea level to the tropics. There is more. There is more. Temperatures – should be 55-60f at night & 80 85 during day. Water – Generally plants with large fleshy roots needs less water. Watering should be thorough. Plants not active should be watered less. Do not leave in standing water. Fertilizer – Apply a good 30-10-10 balanced fertilizer twice or two times or two times a month. Potting – Re-pot when plant is about ½ mature. Keep Humidity high & new pot should be medium dry until new roots form.

Dendrobium- Are very common at retail stores. Also called an air plant. Very leafy appearance. They love the early morning sun. Temperatures – Mature plants like 15 to 20f difference between night & day. Leaves may drop if temperatures drop below 50f. Water – They like moist soil but can tolerate dryness when plant is matured. Fertilizer – They like to be fertilized often especially during growing period. Use a good 10-10-10 balanced ratio. Potting – Repot every 2-3 years, give good aeration & drainage. They tend to like small pots for their size. Visit Houseplant Care for free indoor houseplant care tips.

The Phalaenopsis – This is a favorite among orchid care enthusiasts. Long-lasting blooms with many colors & are really inexpensive. These blooms are moth like in apperance. Temperatures – Should be about 55-60f at night & 80 85 daytime. Seedlings need about 10 degrees higher than mature plants. Right. Water – Do not let plants dry out. Younger plants needs more watering & attention. Fertilizer – Should be fertilized on a regular basis. A good 10-10-10 fertilizer or anything close ratio. Fertilize every week at one ¼ to one ½ of recommended dilution. Potting – Should be done every 2-3 years. Better if done during late spring.

Remember always use a good orchid care fertilizer & soil for all orchids. There is more. There is more. Typically the above orchids are what most nurseries have, but there’re over 28,000 varieties. Read this article on line at: Orchid Care

Gary & Paul Guzman are the authors of this article: Gary is the owner of Color your world nurseries & Paul is general manager of Guzman’s greenhouse & the webmaster of http://www.guzmansgreenhouse.com To receive more free information about gardening click here