Help us write the OrchidGeeks.com Ebook!!

[Dave]

Hold on to your hats everyone... OrchidGeeks.com is going to produce an eBook!

This has been a long time plan of my and once I had some time I was going to do it. But it turns out with my day job I never have time So the best time is now!

That's great Dave, but what exactly is an eBook?

It's usually a document such as a PDF file that contains written text, everything is electronic and there is no paper involved.

I already have the cover made by a graphic's professional and you can check it out here. http://orchidebook.com/ecovermed.jpg

I am encouraging anyone that wants to write a page or two or even 10 pages to please do so. As a reward you can have you name published in it (if you would like). But before you start writing we need an index of subjects to cover and or common questions to start answering.

Maybe the ebook could be the top 50 questions of orchid gowers... I'm just throwing out ideas. If you have any please do share them. The ebook would for newbies who are just starting out growing orchids and also orchidgeeks like ourselves. The ebook will be free to give out to whoever you want. You can also sell it on auction sites such as ebay if you would like. Selling is a great motivator for people to pass on the ebook to other people. And with more people in possesion of the ebook the more friends we'll have at orchidgeeks!

Okay its time for my bedtime..

[Fabolusus]

Wow, what an awesome idea! This forum and its members certainly possess a great wealth of information to draw from. I'm sure many members would like to contribute. A 50 questions format is definitely a good idea. I have only been collecting orchids for 3 years, and I can remember some of my earliest questions.For example... When shopping for orchids, how do I choose the best one for me? All of the florists near me have beautiful orchids, but they are so expensive! What is the best way to buy quality orchids at a fair price? Also, I would have someone write a "Skewer Watering Method" and "Photo Orchid Identification Guide" article.

[Anton]

What about a Photo 101 guide put into simple terms for people with point n shoot digital cameras to capture their Little Precious'?

[chefatplay]

Fab, I agree with your basic care and buying guide. The watering trick is most important to me. Cynthia can really help there.

Anton, what would orchid growing be without pictures? Great ideas, both of you. Once I learned how to water them, I got so excited, I had to take pictures to share! I had kept something this beautiful alive, despite all the claims of the mysterious orchid.

I would propose a basic repotting section. We have discussed and shown pictures of various mediums and ingredients. Yes, Fred, there is even a place for sphag! hahaha... My oncs, Brassia and psychopsis love it. Mike Mayres has shown approximate amounts for a phal mixture that is working for me. Speaking from a personal view, these are things that took the fear away.

[fred]

good ideas guys keep them coming and yes I agree with the Sphag one as well

[orchid_girl]

How about a section on how to treat various pests on orchids. I have notice a lot of people having issues with that. Also on how to repot an orchid and what might be better for some and not others.

[Vivienne]

Just thinking of topics that have been heavily discussed here... Worm Tea. Neem Oil and Semi-Hydroponic.

[evagentry]

what a wonderfull idea, as others have said there is so much good information here it would be great to be able to share with more people, a section on pests and disease sounds good, eva

[robb]

from ebook it will rapidly become an e-encyclopedia on orchid care! i think the incredible amount of information available from all our members will result in a massive ebook

dave: i presume you haven't got any sort of content structure in mind as yet? with an ebook, there really isn't much limits on how we can present the information! diagrams, photos, tables, charts, etc all can go in...

being a very new orchidian, i don't have much information to contribute, but i would certainly be willing to help where and how i can!

[cupcake]

And which orchids need a rest in winter, and what does this constitute?

[parrot parent]

My job is communications and I do alot of editing. I can help that way, if you're interested. I am also relatively new to orchids - so I can often spot the critical missing piece of info that some of you experts might assume was common knowledge. I find that happens so often in print. There are assumptions made about background and knowledge - or what may seem obvious to experienced folks is often a mystery to those of newbies and then the issue/answer to never clear to the reader.

Also tricks of the trade could be fun: the good and bad things orchid growers do to get top-notch blooms. What techniques we should borrow, what we shouldn't as home growers.

Just some thoughts. Great idea.

[tizzycat]

Oh yes, what a fabulous idea. Watering, bugs and diseases, general max/min. light and temperature requirments, (as the fluctuation in temps. varies depending on the part of the globe we inhabit, and this can have a bearing on the type of potting media and watering (hence the skewer)) A media which is ideal for a warm climate may stay too wet for too long in a cooler part of the world and cause problems. Sorry I'm rambling - it's the excitement.

As I have only had orchids for a couple of years I do not think I have the experience to make much of a contribution, but if there is anything you think I can do, please shout!!

[PhalPal]

Wow, it is going to be very difficult keeping this down to a reasonable amount of information. Where to start and where to end?? Parrot Parents idea that so many books in print assume a certain level of knowledge is too true.
I think what makes this forum so unusual is the diversity of growing conditions and ideas. There are many ways to grow a phal successfully and so many of us do so in various ways. It would be a shame to answer a question with only one answer. I think it would be a good idea to answer a question with a few different answers and explain WHY we do something a certain way. It will get the reader thinking about their weather and conditions and then help them to decide what would work best for them.

Too often the writers of books say 'I'm the expert, just do it this way,' when they are in Maine and I live in California. Trust me, their methods did not work for me!

[arleneg]

An idea on how to structure the information...

Sections (this isn't the suggested order...just brainstorming here ):

FAQs with answers from members

- include up to 3 (maybe 5) responses

Diseases

- Photos & names of diseases
- Treatments/recipes
- Where to get orchid tested

Pests

- Photos & names of pests
- Treatment/recipes

Growing in the Northern Hemisphere (USA, Canada, Europe, etc.)

- Hot & dry climates (put tips on potting medium, watering frequencies, etc.)
- Cool & dry climates
- Warm & humid climates

Growing in the Southern Hemisphere (So. America, Australia, etc.)

- (subtopics to be similar as Northern hemisphere)

Purchasing orchids from a nursery

- Greenhouse (pros & cons)
- Online (pros & cons)
- List of reputable orchid nurseries by geography (USA, Australia, UK, Canada, etc.)

List of orchid supply merchants

- USA
- Australia
- UK
- Canada

I can keep going, but don't have a lot of break time left. I hope this gives the writer and/or editor an idea. If I can help in any way, you know how to reach me.


P.S. - I'm rather proficient with Adobe Acrobat.

[Sharyn]

Wow, everyone has contributed so many great ideas. We shouldn't forget some photos and examples of orchid growing spaces: Growing indoors/outdoors, on shelves, under lights, in aquariums, etc.

[Tony]

Dave

Great idea and just by reviewing the questions and suggestions that come up here each day, a book could easily be put together. If anyone does sell the book on ebay or any other site, then I think they should donate some of the proceeds to the site so that you can keep it up and running. Tony

[jay]

What a great idea.

A way for so many to share this information with anyone interested. It sure is better than trying to do search after search on the web to find accurate information.

Vivienne, I agree with the worm tea and hydroponic section. It may be new, but there are a lot of people here who are having great results.

Jay

[Dave]

Well I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of responses! I'm glad everyone is excited about this as I am .

As several people have mentioned this could be a wide and very in depth topic. Where do you start and where do you end? Do we just want to have one Giagantic Orchid eBook?..or should we have several volumes each with a different eCover design. I can see the benefit of having one large eBook and or having several smaller ones.
Below is just for example of smaller eBooks:

Orchid Growing VOL 1 Orchids for Newbies
Orchid Growing VOL 2: Advanced techniques
Orchid Growing: VOL 3 Pests and Diseases
Orchid Pictures: 101 Picture Guide to Orchids
Growing Phals: Having fun with Phals
Growing Vandas: Growing Beautiful Hanging Orchids

We will need to have one or two team leaders for the project who can help put the topics together for an out line like arleneg has done. I put in too many hours at my day job so I won't be able to commit. This would be perfect for someone with a lot of time on their hands!

As tony mentioned, people who sell it on ebay could pay a one time fee giving them rights to resell the ebook and that money could be used to fund paid contests on here for all of you! Such as a $25 gift certificate or $50 to amazon.com or 1800-orchids.com ect I think that would be cool.
Money raised can also be used to fund new eBook projects.


You can now view the whole site design: http://www.orchidebook.com/ebook/