What are the main categories of orchids? Come and see which one you're growing

Orchid friends often ask me how many varieties of orchids there are, and this question is completely beyond my knowledge. But I can tell you that if we classify them this way, orchids roughly fall into just these few varieties. Let's start with the people who grow orchids; there are no more than three kinds of orchid growers:

1. People who truly love orchids, growing them to cultivate their mind and character.

2. People who want to make money from orchids, thinking every day about where they can find a treasure or snap up a bargain, and then make a big profit.

3. Beginners who like all kinds of flowers, see others growing orchids, and want to give it a try too

This is how I classify orchid varieties. Maybe this classification will be laughed at by experts, but Haoshe Farmer is an ordinary person with limited knowledge, so I can only make do with classifying them this way.

1. Wild orchids, or freshly collected mountain orchids. These orchids have strong adaptability and an authentic, natural quality, suitable for general beginners to grow. Their characteristic is a rather messy root system with many horizontal roots.

2. Collected and acclimated orchids, which are also wild orchids, but the difference is they have been grown and acclimated at home for one or two years. In these orchids, the front growth bulbs have generally faded, while the later shoots are sturdy, the leaf shape is attractive, and the resistance is also good. Most orchid friends like this type. The roots of these orchids grow along the pot, which can be clearly seen when repotting

3. Tech grass. Actually, "tech grass" is not a derogatory term. Orchid friends, think about it: those once astronomically priced orchids are now quite affordable thanks to technological development. Without the power of technology, it would be nearly impossible for ordinary orchid growers to keep a pot of a famous variety. It can be said that most of the exotic and unusual flowers on the market now are tech grass, because native exotic flowers are not something ordinary orchid growers can see, let alone keep a pot of. Being able to grow tech grass well is also quite good

4. Hormone grass, also called one-season orchid. These orchids use not technology but hormones. To get orchids to bloom and hit the market before a holiday (usually Spring Festival), orchid traders heat and humidify them and spray hormones to force blooming. These orchids can bloom at the time the seller wants. But if orchid friends buy them and take them home, they will decline within no more than a few months, so they are called "one-season orchids"

Farmer does not have a photo of the fourth type on hand, but I believe many orchid friends have encountered it. When selecting orchids, everyone should not belittle tech grass too much. If you have some skill and experience, growing a pot of a famous tech grass variety is not bad either. Of course, Farmer himself grows collected mountain orchids.

Haoshe Farmer is not an expert either, just sharing what he has learned with friends. If there is anything lacking, orchid friends are welcome to actively add to it. Thank you.