Orchids, the most widely held household plant bred by hobbyists around the world, belong to the largest plant family. Orchids, one of the most stunning flowers, are grown by gardeners for the wonderfully fragrant flowers. Orchid plants come in a broad variety of types and colors to fit almost any garden or home environment and if desired anybody can grow orchids. Orchids are important commercially in the floral industry and also for there fragrance in the perfume industry. Most of us know Orchids for there beautiful blooms in the garden or home.

Early in the Orchids past they were rare and only found abundantly in their natural living habitats. In modern times people have collected and grown the Orchid and established it as a very prevalent garden species. Buyers can pay hundreds of dollars on new or improved hybrids. Orchids are now one of the most popular cut-flowers in the floral market. By combining different traits from various species with outstanding characteristics a stronger, healthier and more beautiful plant will develop and new varieties formed

When purchasing Orchid for your collection it is advisable to quarantine them for a period of a week or two. rarely a plant may harbor disease or insects that are not evident for sometime and quarantining will avert any spread to healthy plants. If any insects like aphids or disease is spotted during quarantine it will be easier to treat one plant than a whole collection. Orchids will occasionally take on problems as most houseplants will, but with observation and patience they can be managed. There will be times when insects attack your orchids. The most everyday ones are aphids, scale, mealy bugs, and spider mites. These insects can be very small and a magnifying glass is a very useful tool to have. If a disease or insect is found a positive identification must be made to determine the best remedy.

Many inexperienced gardeners shy away from Orchids because they believe it takes too much to achieve success and they do not know the basics of orchid care. Many people think that growing orchids requires a large investment in equipment and supplies, however if you pick the right type and provide it with the right environment anyone with basic knowledge of plant care can grow Orchids in the home. Orchids do require some basic conditions to do well. As with all plants they require light, water, humidity, proper temperature and right growing medium.

Water and humidity is also very crucial for Orchids and must be provided consistently too prevent drying especially if a soil less mix is used. As with anything to much of a good thing is not always best. High humidity without proper air circulation will naturally breed fungus and bacterial diseases. When the humidity is too high and there is not adequate circulation the leaves are usually the first to be affected. You will often see spots or rings. At times it is better to trim them immediately, rather than using fungicidal treatment and this will stop or slow the spread to other leaves. If the spotting is viral it is often best to remove the plant from the collection to prevent the spread, positive diagnosis is very important.

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