Ortho's All About Orchids (Ortho's All About Gardening) (Paperback)

~ Ortho (Author), Elvin McDonald (Author) "In nature, orchids grow primarily in trees as epiphytes (air plants) or in the ground as terrestrials (earth plants)..." (more)
Key Phrases: fine fir bark, phalaenopsis plants, potting orchids, Orchid Resources, Costa Rica, Orchid Gallery (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Helps beginning orchid growers develop the skills necessary to progress to more difficult ones.

Plenty of information to inspire more advanced orchid growers.

Provides a basic understanding of optimum environment for growing orchids.

Helpful hints for creating that ideal environment.

Explains potting, staking, and dividing orchids.

Teaches about orchid growth patterns, and shows how to handle plants based on those patterns.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Ortho; 1st edition (January 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897214242
• ISBN-13: 978-0897214247
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,777 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This one is packed with information and great photography., October 19, 2000

By	K. Stewart "simply scrappy" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really enjoyed this book and refer to it often when looking for information about a specific orchid. I'm the Orchids host at BellaOnline.com and do a lot of research on orchid plants and their culture.

This book from Ortho is great for a beginning orchid lover. The photos are plentiful and of nice quality. One of the best sections for someone just starting with orchids is the area of the book that describes and pictures the many types of orchid potting mixes. I also found the tips on mounting an orchid to a cork raft very helpful.

The main sections of the book cover basic growing information, propagation of orchids, orchid naming conventions, pest, diseases and an orchid gallery of the most commonly found orchids.

If you are looking for a basic resource at a very reasonable price, this book should be a the top of your shopping list.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent information for the beginner, December 19, 2001

By	Tom Krischan (Big Bend, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book contains about 92 pages. 13 pages are on general growing instructions (light, temperature, humidity, and air circulation). This section includes an excellent tip on how to measure light using a photometer in a camera, and they include a handy chart for converting camera aperature "f-stops" into "footcandles" of light. They also include more handy charts like the ideal light ranges for 19 genera, adjusting day length, and ideal night temperature ranges. 24 pages on buying orchids, potting orchids, fertilizing, dividing, and propagation. 6 pages on problems and disease. 8 pages on orchid botany and breeding. 36 pages on 18 common orchid genera. Each genera is described in about 12 paragraphs with comments about specific growing needs, species and hybrids, tips for success, and about 5 photographs of representative plants. 1 page on orchid suppliers and a 4 page index.

When I bought my first orchid, I purchased it with an excellent book called "Easy Orchids" by Mimi Luebbermann. The Luebbermann book got me through the first several months (and the first 6 orchids). The Ortho book adds to the excellent information that you obtained with Luebbermann. Ortho gives you that vital information necessary to take your orchid addiction ... er, I mean, your orchid hobby to the next level (and another 6 orchids).

Ortho's All About Orchids contains excellent information for the beginner. It is a must have book for the first time orchid grower.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars JP, January 3, 2002

By A Customer

I received my first orchid as a gift, not knowing what to do with it a went out and bought this book. I have since accumulated about a half dozen different orchids. This book is an excellant beginners book. It walks you through what to expect with each general orchid type and many 'how to' details to get you started. The only reason I went looking for another book was that I bought a new dendrobium and this Ortho book did not have the information on that specific type of dendrobium due to the vast genus of dendrobiums.
I would recomend this book to anyone interested in starting out with orchids. It has lasted me years, without needing another reference.