You can grow orchids! They are different but not difficult. Most orchids are epiphytes that grow in trees and not in soil in the ground like many houseplants. Understanding this important difference and adapting your culture to orchids' epiphytic nature is the key to successful orchid growing! We will review these differences and the basics of orchid culture.

Donna Wardlaw has been growing orchids for over 30 years. She has been a member of the North Eastern New York Orchid Society (NENYOS) for many years and now serves as its president. She currently grows several hundred orchids in various environments including a cool room, a large fish tank under LED lights in a basement, and a greenhouse.