Understanding Orchids : An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World's Most Exotic Plants

Rating:
Summary: Everything the orchid grower needs to know
Review: This is an excellent book on orchid growing, much more detailed and text oriented than others on the market, yet easy to read and the author's conversational writing style will be most comforting to beginner's.

The book is divided into four parts:

Part 1 - "Setting up the Orchid Environment" talks about buying your first orchid, the anatomy of the orchid, where to grow them, light, temperature, humidity and air movement, and quite detailed information about artificial lights.

Part 2 - "Care and Feeding" covers the basics of watering, fertilization, potting and repotting, types of mixtures, mounting orchids on trees and branches, pests and diseases, and a troubleshooting guide.

Part 3 - "Orchid Reproduction" is about hand pollination and the care of seedlings, and hybridization.

Part 4 - "Common Orchid Genera from A to Z" features a gallery of orchids with photos and cultural advice as well as skill levels (beginner, expert, experienced).

This is a book for both beginners and advanced orchid growers.