First time New Orchid - not sure what to do

[CreativeandFast]

i received an orchid as a gift and not sure what to do - don't really know the specie for sure but it looks like -Amesiella monticola - with five white petals and broad green leaves sort of like a rubber plant. Trying to figure out where to put it in my house, watering and the like. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,

[margo]

Hi, CreativeandFast! Welcome to the forum!!! Here you will get answers of all your questions! Can you post a picture of your orchid?! It will be very helpful! Once again enjoy your time here!

[sadie]

Hi there. Welcome. I have two Amesiella monticola plants. They are lovely--what a great first orchid. Is yours mounted (ie looks like it is growing on bark or wood) or is it in a pot?

Watering:
If it is mounted you are going to have to water it every day--carry it to the sink and give it a good soaking.
If it is potted, in the house, I would guess you will have to water at least once per week, if not more like once every 4-5 days. (Air conditioning in the summer and heaters in the winter really dry out the air.)
You don't want hte plant to get soggy, but it can't dry out. That sounds contradictory, but the goal is to keep it evenly moist. If you can take a picture or describe what it is potted in/growing on I can be more specific.

Light:
This plant grows well with phals, but since this is your first orchid that probably doesn't help you. It would probably be very happy right in the windowsill of an eastern window or a little further away from a southern window. (You can also put it in the windowsill of a southern window if there is some kind of shade or something else to block the direct sunlight during the heat of the day. That much light will burn it. Again, I could be more specific if you took a picture of the places you are considering.

I hope that doesn't sound too complicated. Despite what you may have heard, orchids are actually easy to grow--you just have to figure out what they need.

[orchid2009]

Well I don't have a full grown orchid, I just got some seeds (thought it would be cool to grow my own from the start) for the moment.

[eaglssong]

Well I don't have a full grown orchid, I just got some seeds (thought it would be cool to grow my own from the start) for the moment.

Hi, and WElCOME!!

If you're going to try growing from seed, I hope you're very young, and have lots of patience!! LOL Orchids can be notoriously slow growers, and some take many years before they bloom.

When I joined this site, it was recommended that new growers might want to start out with an orchid already in bloom, or at least mature and close to blooming. For me, that was great advice. I now have one in bloom, and several with new growths, but I also have the patience to wait, provided I have one or two in bloom.

Good luck with your growing!!