Mystery Orchid

You can get orchid mixes, Sid. I bought tropical bark/soil mix for a substrate in my gecko's aquarium...It looked so good I used it to transplant my orchids... It's working fine.

Orchids like to be pot bound, let it grow for a while as is. I bought an orchid Feb. 2007, it bloomed till June, then in the summer I put on the patio, watered it, I think fed it maybe a few times, then in the fall of 07, I thought I'll throw this away, but I did not have the heart, so I brought it in, put it in my office, and it started to bloom Jan. 2008 and still has 5 flowers on it right now! They are not hard to grow! Don't pamper it.

Oh right! Thanks for that, Bjcooper. BTW, where is 'NC' - I'm just wondering what your climate is like for comparison if I put it outdoors for the summer??

You can (and should) buy special Orchid compost which does contain bark, you're right. As to putting them out for the summer, my Cymbidiums will be off out into the shade for the summer at the end of the month. However, the Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium will stay in as they prefer different conditions and indoor temperatures. Unfortunately, different species of Orchids do not appreciate the same conditions. You will have to buy a book if you are going to get different species, Sid. I am about to get the Dr. Hessayon one - it looks pretty comprehensive!

NC is North Carolina.... right? Bjcooper's right...they don't need a lot of coddling...Spritz is also right ...there are so many different types that it's not smart to try to apply the same culture to all...Just a point of interest...there is a specie of orchid that is from the high Andes rainforest... It actually needs cool moisture... there are others from the Vietnam jungles that need heat and lots of it. So best to google it and see what the breeders say about it specifically. some orchids take their nutrients from the air, (epiphytes) and some are terrestrial.... there are even orchids that grow in the temperate zone...if you've just been bitten by the bug prepare for many months of interesting research.