Discoloration of leaves can be caused by mineral deficiencies. This problem will disappear when the plants are given sufficient fertilizer. It is well worth giving suspect plants a teaspoon or two of Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate), sprinkled on the surface of the compost and watered in, once or twice a month.
In the relatively mild climate of Western Europe, temperatures are never too extreme. Here, it is possible to grow most tropical orchids in the controlled environment of a greenhouse or conservatory. In fact this is a tradition that started in Britain during the Victorian era and soon spread to other countries in Europe.
In North America, climatic conditions are many and diverse. The most inhospitable regions for orchids are the desert states in the United States, where conditions are extremely hot and dry. Greenhouses or shade-cloth houses cannot be kept cool or moist enough for any but the hardiest of orchids, while indoors the constant air conditioning needed to reduce the temperature creates a very dry atmosphere, which again is unsuitable for orchids; humidity can only be kept up in an enclosed indoor growing case, for example.
Over a century and a half of orchid hybridizing has led to a huge propagation of new varieties. Long breeding lines have emerged that have resulted in new colors, shapes, and sizes of blooms, creating even more variation than is found among the species.
Very often one’s first encounter with orchids is an eye-catching display of flowering sprays in a store window. But to see orchids at their best at an orchid show is a breathtaking experience. So diverse are the multitude of blooms; which, at first glance, can be difficult to recognize as belonging to the same family, that you cannot help but be left with a desire to know more. These are the “hobby orchids,” grown by enthusiasts the world over and loved for their mystery and elegance combined with ease of growing; quite unimaginable in other plants.
