It doesn't really work that way with orchids unfortunately. Especially ones grown in the house. Many orchids won;t get enough light in the house to bloom to full potential unless you have a nice big window in just the right spot. Phalaenopsis orchids are probably the longest blooming. Their blooms can last for months. Vanda orchids have big beautiful blooms that last quite a while (weeks sometimes) but they are very high light orchids not easily managed by most people in the house. Dendrobiums are also high light orchids, but will do okay sometimes in less light. You have to realize there are hundreds of species of dendrobiums...the ones you see at the supermarket or at box stores are only the tip of the iceberg and they are hybrids bred for flowers, not species plants. Cattleya alliance usually only bloom once a year and are pretty short lived flowers. If you are serious about orchids, you need to go over the the orchid forum and lurk for a while. There are a lot of people over there who are in house and windowsill growers. I grow in a greenhouse with full sun so my situation is 100% different.

I am not looking for the magic bullet but if there is a better way of doing things, its worth trying. Basic good orchid care will give you great plants, improving on that becomes a game. I was very much into Horse Manure at one point, had a lot of fun promoting it. Actually grew plants in it, works well but leaches out until you have nothing left but undigested straw so is of no practical value. I still give my plants a shot of 'Horse Tea' once in a while. Does it give superior plants? Who knows, I'm sure its not hurting and I'm happy with my results. Did I improve my over all results with that HS experience? Probably not but I had a lot of fun with it. I also use Epsom Salts periodically. In one word anything and everything that is beneficial is on the table. Since I have a free supply of Birth Control Pills I grind those up and add that to them mix occasionally. If Ahnold got big biceps from steroids maybe my plants will benefit also. No unwanted pregnancies recorded. When I hear of something new which this alcohol business is, I throw it out there for discussion to learn from other people. I'm not looking for the 'Holy Grail', I leave that to Monty Python. I remember once buying some plants from Cal Orchids and asking James Rose what to grow this one in and what's best for that one. He cut me off and said: "IT ALL WORKS". With good basic care that's probably correct but then what would some of us do with our extra 'Busy Time'? Keep on trucking but don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy, Nick

The orchid world is not like the garden annual world. The Johnny Jump Up violas seeded last year are starting to grow and the flowers will all be almost identical. So will most of the other self sown annuals. Primula, marigold and so on. Have a look at the pics. in the link, particularly the Laeliinae sub-tribe, Tens of thousands of registered hybrids plus a lot of variation between seedlings make for a very difficult exercise in getting an id. Anyway, have a look at the sets and see what you can find. You might have to settle for something like Laeliinae Unknown or Cymbidium Unknown or??? Here is a link that might be useful: Orchid photos in sub-tribes

Going back to Helga's post about my Paph growing conditions... I don't know that it's actually anything I do or don't do, but more that Paphs seem ideally suited to my growing conditions and habits. For a long time, Paphs really never did anything for me. Then came my discovery of Paph spicerianums cute little alien face on a show table one December. I was able to purchase one at our April show and it thrilled me by blooming that very same year and again every year in late fall and early winter. Then I fell in love with the elegant lowii and it too bloomed the same year I got it. To make the shipping on lowii worth it, I had purchased 5 other Paphs. They too grew vigorously and the mature ones even bloomed. I dont know about you, but I started noticing a trend. In short, I grow most of my plants in a spare bedroom. Summer day temps are in the 80s with night temps in the mid to high 60s. Winter day temps are in the mid to high 70s with night temps in the high 50s to low 60s. Humidity is ok, between 40% and 55%. I have a ceiling fan going on low all day for air circulation. The bedroom faces east by southeast, so it gets relatively good light. Higher light plants are right by the window and I have CFLs for additional light there. Around the walls of the room, I have shelves with fluorescent tubes. The Paphs were under two fluorescent tubes. Plants are grouped by genera and watering habits. For example, Phals in 4 inch pots will be in the same tray, while mounted Phal species will be in another tray. Ill check a couple of plants in each tray every morning and whats really dry gets watered then and there. For fertilizer, given everything is on its own schedule, I fertilize at every watering for 2 weeks, then with fresh water for one week. (Just for information, you may have noticed that Paphs "were" under two fluorescent tubes. I finally ran out of room in the orchid room a couple of months ago and expanded my basement growing area, which had previously been the summer home of my Masdevallias and other cooler growers. Paphs are now under four fluorescents, since this is their only source of light. Temperatures are also a bit cooler, though the lights do give a nice bump to day temps. I noticed when watering this weekend that there are a good dozen new spikes, so they dont seem to mind their new home.) I hope that this helps. Julie