Preventing rot and fungus in the orchid

Orchid growing during the winter months has its drawbacks. One of them is the problem of rot and mold. Both are caused by cooler temperatures and allowing water to pool around the plant for long periods of time. During the warmer months that water has a chance to evaporate before problems cause damage to the plants but in the winter

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cooler temperatures must be watched. You will want to water your orchids early in the day to allow as much of the water to evaporate before nightfall. Water will accumulate in the axis of the leaves and cause rotting of entire stems.

The best long term solution is to allow a longer period of time between waterings than during the warmer months. Let the plants dry out more during the cooler months and keep the air circulating around the plants, as it is done in their native habitat.

By following my advice you should have lower instances of rot or fungus problems with your orchids this winter.

Basic orchid care - a short video

The video below shows the care of the moth orchid which makes a great cut flower as well as a nice house plant. I have found that the moth orchid is just about the easiest orchid to grow.

Where to sell your orchids

The one great thing about orchids is that they are always in demand. Almost every season has a special occasion that orchids are known for. Because they are in demand the year round, many florists do not have them and that is where YOU come in. Florists need a second source of orchids should their regular wholesale source run dry.

You can approach local florists and let them know that you are a hobbyist that has orchid flowers for sale. Tell them the colors and seasons you have orchids available as well as showing them a few photos of what you have. You don't have to negotiate prices at that point since prices will be determined by market demand.

Have calling cards made with your contact information on them and leave the florist with a card. Don't forget to get their name and contact information should they sound interested. Call them back in a few weeks just to touch bases with them and keep your name fresh in their minds.

The best orchids for wedding flowers

There is no doubt that orchids make the most exotic flowers for weddings. So what orchids are the best ones for weddings? The ruffled Cattleya orchid makes a great wedding flower either as a single flower in a wedding bouquet or paired with another one. Since they are a large flower, measuring almost 6" across for some of them and some of the extremely large ones measuring almost the size of a dinner plate. Another nice orchid for weddings is the phalaenopsis. Unlike the Cattleya, the phalaenopis is best added to the bouquet as a spray of flowers rather than as singular flowers.

Both of the photos above are good examples of the Cattleya orchids. Below is how the phalaenopsis can be used as a center piece at a wedding. You can see the possibilities of the flower sprays used in a bouquet.

As a grower what should you look out for? Here is a list of what you should be doing.

• white flowers are a must
• look for flower species or strains that have long lasting flowers
• timing is everything so look for plants that will be in full bloom during the popular wedding months
• for extra cash have a few plants that are in full bloom during the non-peak wedding months so you can be the only supplier with those flowers for a wedding.
• learn to force bloom your orchids so that the timing matches your customers needs

You can make money growing orchids

Just imagine making money doing what you love doing - growing orchids. It can be done and it doesn't have to be on a large commercial scale. Orchid growing can be done in a small greenhouse or mid-sized garden room. The real money is made not by producing plants but by producing blooms. The BIG money is in selling the flowers.