[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I think when it comes to culture, we need to put things in the proper order of what is really important. It is amazing what misconceptions new commers can be saddled with from who knows what source. We hear that orchids come from hot steamy jungles, and immediately we think they must have high humidity. So, in order of importance:

1) Watering. Watering too much (too often) is THE fastest way to kill an orchid short of severe sunburn or freezing. Get the watering right, and you have time to work out the rest.

2) Light. The wrong light can shorten the life of an orchid. Too much light can put the plant under stress, and leave it vulnerable to disease. Too little light will first restrict flowering, but a further reduction will leave the plant becoming weak, smaller, and again prone to disease.

3) Temperature. The wrong temp will prevent the plant from thriving, and leave it weak and prone to disease again.

4) Here I might put things like avoiding pests, which can kill plants, like scale on Catts, sow bugs that eat all the living eyes out of a plant, fungal growth near the base that ruins the eyes, aphids that transfer virus to healthy plants, and maybe avoiding accidents like sunburn, frost, severe heat... .

5) Humidity. Well, you can see how important I think it is. We grow orchids in homes here in Arizona with out any special arangements for humidity, and most orchids are oblivious to the conditions. Now, there are a few exceptions that I keep in a baggy in a greenhouse, but maybe ~0.3%. So there is a lot more to worry about than humidity in growing orchids.