Hi For a new orchid grower probably the best advice is to consider your grow area .How much room and what methood you want to use.?? Pot culture or garden plants?? What are your average temps, humidity,air circulation and select from species that fit into these conditions rather than the other way around. I'd suggest checking out Andy's orchids website. They have a wonderful feature that takes your data and eliminates all those that don't fit into your conditions. There are sooooo many kinds I think it's easier to eliminate those that won't grow. In 10 Cal you should be able to grow most anything with several different methods. One thing, it is impossible to grow just one orchid lol. If they do well you will be adding more so start with those that give the greatest chance of success. gary

I used AVID for my mite problem 6 month ago and followed the following recommendation. Spray with AVID making sure you get the under surface of the leaves which can be a pain. 1 week later with something else. I chose Malathion. Repeat the process for week 3 and 4. Since then spray with something once a month. I have used Neem oil, Malathion and one more application of AVID. The Ag pesticide expert I consulted is of the opinion that rotating different approaches prevents the development of resistant bugs. It's been 6 month and I am retiring the heavy stuff and keep spraying with Neem oil and Ag soap once a month only. So far, so good. Nick

Sorry, I tried to type my question in the box but it kept disappearing with every word I typed. So I'll do this. Someone gave this to me about a year ago and I dont think it's ever been repotted. Still in the mossy stuff they put them in at the store. Will the mother plant keep living? It bloomed about 5 months ago, and the bloom stalk came out of the very center of the plant, and I didn't know if the mother plant would continue growing. Should I even worry about dividing this? What kind of potting medium does a Paph like?

Yes, and using mixes specifically for 'potted' plants can be quite tricky to say the least. A balancing act too that is one does not master, your growing experience can be quite limited or very rewarding. For me it's all about sacrifice's, sacrifices made in order to attain the best possible growing experience possible without sacrificing the integrity of the mix and the vitality of my trees and their root systems. One has to be able to foresee any potential issues before deciding what to use. What might do a great job in the 'summer' might be the death of your trees in the 'winter' months. For instance: One could use a mix that hold much more water for the summer while in the end could kill your trees holding too much water come the winter and shorter days. One could use a mix that holds PWT that can be used to your advantage and disadvantage if it rains too much, stays cold for long periods of time, or gets worst as the mix break down. One could use a mix that dried out very rapidly, almost too fast for the summer and in the winter and then in summer loose their trees to not enough moisture. One could also use a mix in which you have to check the moisture levels quite often in each and every pot, for some hundreds, or use a mix that you can water every time you water for all at once without fear of root rot without having to check to see if they need water. The 511 to me is a good balance. You can add just enough smaller particles to keep the soil mix moist longer in summer while reasonably dry out in the winter in a good amount of time. You can use it on all your plants and water all your plants at the same time whether they are still moist or not. The 511 also allows you to store your trees at very cold temps, even though the pots are still moist without fear of rot. The 511 also dries out evenly and holds its structure much longer than peat or fine particle based mixes.. So If I were to match up the 'pros' with the 'cons'. I'd say the 'pros' far outweigh using a 511 mix or the like in my favor. It might be a great idea for each of us to decide what you are willing to sacrifice in the winter or the summer and find a happy medium that will work for ALL seasons to save yourself a lot of headache and certain trees their demise. What is forgiving in the summer time or in a nice warm brightly lit greenhouse structure might not bode so well for trees in less than ideal conditions come shorter colder wintery days indoors. MIke