Culture Sheets

[Heather]

My Orchid Society has decided to produce our own new culture sheets so that we don't have to rely on the AOS ones.

I volunteered to work on the slipper ones (I want to do a Paph and Phrag version, since the AOS doesn't).

I thought it might be a fun forum project to work on it with our members here, and then I could also included a link the the forum, and credit the text to the forum. It might also be nice to use a couple of member's photos on each sheet.

So, for anyone who wishes to particpate, I am going to create two sticky threads in which we can discuss what should be included. Keep in mind, these will be available at our show and meetings and should probably be geared more towards the beginner grower, but I'd like them to be a little less general in nature. It has always irked me that so many things you read say things such as this generalized sentence, from the experienced grower's AOS Paph. sheet:

"Light is easier to provide for paphs than for other types of orchids beause they require shady conditions."

That's really a totally unhelpful statement, if you ask me. If I grew my plants in "shady conditions" they'd never have bloomed and I'd have given up growing orchids, based on that advice.

Well, I think you can understand what I am hoping to do here so now I will get off my soapbox now and go and create the sticky threads...

 

[TADD]

So we are to do your work? oke:

 

[Heather]

Yes!

I mean, No! I was thinking of it more as a good opportunity to build comeraderie among our members and get a little press for the web site. I also thought it would be nice to have a group of simple information for beginners here that we could post.

Geesh! Tough crowd!

 

[TADD]

Sure...... I am a little too drunk right now to think seriously.... I will try my best this weekend...

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

I'm all for it! Most important is separating paphs from phrags...their culture is completely different. Paphs have to be treated as a group with a variety of needs..As you said, its useless to just describe them as "shade" plants...and even worse to perpetuate the "mottled leaf- warm, green leaf- cool" generalization....If you want, I'd be happy to write a simple outline for the home- most emphatically not greenhouse- growr....just keep on my case because I do get slack about my promises sometimes.....Take care, Eric

 

[Heather]

Thanks, Eric and Tadd.

Eric, I agree, it should be geared towards the home grower, as most of these are given out at shows where many people have just purchased their very first plant.

I'm going to go posts some initial thoughts in the Paph. culture sheet thread and we can go from there.