Hello from the Bay Area, CA!

[butt0n]

Hi Everyone,
I guess I first picked up my interest in orchids when I was a kid. My dad had tons of them growing around in our house and I guess you can say I was raised with them. I finally got around to acquiring some of my own last spring and have been hooked ever since. I remember going to the local orchid show in San Francisco when I was younger; at least 10+ yrs. ago, and my dad and I will be going again this year. I'm really excited! I hope I can learn a lot more by reading about everybody else's experience and hope to offer any help I can give as well.

Take care!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Your dad will be a ton of help, you lucky person.

[butt0n]

He has been so far, but he doesn't know much about dendrobiums. Come to think of it, I don't think we had many when I was growing up. I think he stayed away from them because of the temperature of where we were living at the time. I remember having a lot of cymbidiums and phals though! Again, thanks for your help!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I have been growing orchids for about 45 years, and Dens were a rare thing back in those days. It was the Thais I think that did the hybridizing and popularizing of Dens. I used to import species from Thailand 25 years ago, and they would always thro in a bunch of freebie Dens in bloom, but by the time these bareroot Dens showed up at LAX, the flowers were on the way out. So, over the years the Thai have found better ways to ship the Dens, and they show up now with good flowers.

[zunefreak]

Could anyone refer me to a good zune forum or something? I'm really desperate. (thats why im posting
here lol)

[arleneg]

Hi butt0n! Welcome to the forum!

I, too, am from the bay area. Well, I'm now a bay area transplant here in central valley. I look forward to your helpful tips on Cyms since I've been struggling with the one I have!

[butt0n]

Hello and thanks for the warm welcome! As of right now, I don't have any cymbidums. I'd love to get a couple, but I'm afraid it gets too hot over here in the summer. Our winters have been very cold though and its seems the past couple of years, the temperatures haven't been too stable or predictable for that matter. So I'm not too sure yet. We'll see how it goes. Right now, I'm really into fragrant cattleyas. Anyways, its always nice to hear from a fellow Bay Area native!

[arleneg]

You have no idea that you live in a more ideal environment for orchid growing. Out here in central valley, we get hot and dry (90F-100F; 30% humidity) weather during the summer. However, during fall and spring, we can get a bit of that 'ideal' environment for our orchids...unless one has a greenhouse (which I don't). That said, I grow my orchids indoors.

[butt0n]

This is true. I just wish I had more room so I could get a few more plants.