Growing Orchids: Expanding Your Orchid Collection

This is a book for the orchid grower who wants to move beyond a standard collection to explore the challenges offered by some of the less common genera.

Over a hundred genera are covered in detail, in this beautiful and practical book, with 216 full-colour plates to delight every serious orchid grower.

J.N. Rentoul has been growing orchids for more than fifty years. This practical experience enables him to give authoritative advice on the exact conditions required by each genus in artificial cultivation. His years of careful and caring observation are distilled into down-to-earth advice on moderating conditions to suit your collection.

He provides notes on the appearance, history and habitat of each genus, as well as claritying the confusing problems of nomenclature. He explains the influence of climate on seasonal patterns of growth, towering and dormancy, and how and when to apply water and tertiliser: precise figures are given for ranges of temperature, shade and humidity where necessary.

Every aspect of orchid culture for each genus is considered, including potting mixes, slab mounts, root moisture and air circulation.