The Orchid Garden

Orchid book recomendations

Question:

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good beginning to intermediate Orchid culture books? I don’t know where to start.

Response:

If you are in the USA a good starting point is the Ortho book ‘All About Growing Orchids’ which should be available thru any bookstore, if not immediately on the shelves then able to be ordered and in hand in 2-3 days. $12. Pictures, culture info, tips and techniques. K Barrett – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone have any recommendations for a good beginning to intermediate Orchid culture books? I don’t know where to start.

Response:

We list some books (with price, isbn # and picture) on our web site: http://www2.cybernex.net/~epeople/orchid/orchid.html There are many other useful items on that web page also, i.e. how to build an indoor growing shelf inexpensively, what water to use, humidity, fertilizer, ph, etc Joe Does anyone have any recommendations for a good beginning to intermediate Orchid culture books? I don’t know where to start.

Response:

Hi, I have about 15 orchid books and my favorite one is Orchids simplified by Henry Jaworski. I love the way he talks about growing orchids, makes  it seem like (which it is indeed) a lot of fun, not like something way too difficult to do. The pictures are great and it covers most of the basic things.  Ortho’s all about orchids is a good book too. Good information, nice photos.  I am just waiting for 6 new books about orchids myself…  Miu

Response:

I’m a newbie and I just picked up 3 books at the library yesterday.  The one I like best is Orchid Care by Walter Richter.  It has lots and lots of line drawings and step by step illustrated instructions. One of the others is from the Time Life Encyclopedia of Gardening, Orchids by Alice Skelsey.  Good for preliminary i.d. of various orchids, but I was looking for orchids I’ve seen in the past that I was drawn to and didn’t find them here. The last is Home Orchid Growing by Rebecca Tyson Northen, 3rd Edition.  I understand the 4th Edition is supposed to be greatly improved, but haven’t seen it.  This book would last a semester if taught in college.  It’s not as "readable" as the others.  However, it seems to be very in depth and would probably prove most useful if you were trying to answer a specific question rather than gain general knowledge. Just my opinion about 3 books on a topic of which I currently know nothing. Joanne

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I have about 15 orchid books and my favorite one is Orchids simplified by Henry Jaworski. I love the way he talks about growing orchids, makes  it seem like (which it is indeed) a lot of fun, not like something way too difficult to do. The pictures are great and it covers most of the basic things.  Ortho’s all about orchids is a good book too. Good information, nice photos.  I am just waiting for 6 new books about orchids myself…  Miu

Response:

I’m a newbie and I just picked up 3 books at the library yesterday.  The one I like best is Orchid Care by Walter Richter.  It has lots and lots of line drawings and step by step illustrated instructions.

        Good choice. A little dated, but a good book. One of the others is from the Time Life Encyclopedia of Gardening, Orchids by Alice Skelsey.  Good for preliminary i.d. of various orchids, but I was looking for orchids I’ve seen in the past that I was drawn to and didn’t find them here.

        Not as familiar with this one, but another good book. The last is Home Orchid Growing by Rebecca Tyson Northen, 3rd Edition.  I understand the 4th Edition is supposed to be greatly improved, but haven’t seen it.

        It is not. I read a fourth edition, and it still recommends the use of pesticides that haven’t been in use in decades. I’ve checked through it, and cannot find any differences, to be honest.         Find used books like this on eBay (search for "orchid" under books), on www.bookfinder.com, and (best of all) at the library. The library is really cool; you can pretend it’s like a book store, and loiter in the aisles and *read* the stuff on the shelves. Pretend you’re shopping. Feel guilty about reading it without remuneration of the owner. Then- borrow it. It’s like buying books on your credit card, but (get this) without the bills.         Disregard that last bit if you have late fees.         -AJHicks         Chandler, AZ

Response:

Filed under: Growing Orchids

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