anything from scratch...

[roadoa2]

Aloha everyone!

Nice to meet you all. I am here because I am doing research on how to grow any plant, veggie, fruit, or whatever from if I were to find it growing wild in it's natural environment. I would like to go over each item on my list with you all if that's not a problem. OR If you know of a book that explains precisely what I am looking for then can you please list it and I will get busy reading it.

Ok, the first thing on my list is #1. orchids. If I were to find them growing in their natural environment in the wild, how would I get them growing at my home in my garden and/or in a clay pot that I made.
From the research I've done so far, it seems like there are a couple of things that need to be done with everything one wants to grow no matter what it is. First, ascertain it's natural habitat. Second, find out how to propagate it. Finally, ascertain it's situation regarding three things: light, water, and growing medium. That's it! Everything else would be helpful good knowledge about the plant.

So, the above for orchids would be. First, they grow high in trees. Second, they are propagated by seed or division. Third, orchids vary depending on variety but they like a lot of light. Usu. water once a week. Some grow in soil but most grow in air. The extra info I mentioned would be that orchids usu. bloom once a year with a 6-10 week bloom time and don't like re-potting or being disturbed. Anything I miss?

But, of course, if there's a definitive text that covers all of this exactly then I can just get that and go through it, otherwise I'm excited to learn about this together!

Perhaps this could become a sticky if something like this doesn't already exist...?

[rainbowgardener]

well I don't think it is quite that simple. There are 150 native North American species of orchids. Many of them grow on the forest floor, but they can be found in a wide variety of habitats. The forest orchids are shade plants. And there are very few places where you might find them where it would be ok to collect them for propagation - mainly only if you are lucky enough to own your own piece of forest where they grow. Otherwise they would either be on private land or public park land and illegal to take them. And many orchids are threatened or endangered species in their native habitats.

Many of them are very difficult to propagate from wild collected.

Re Lady slipper orchids:

Home gardeners can cultivate and even propagate lady-slippers, he said, but it takes some diligence, not to say patience; it often takes more than five years to go from seed to plant to bloom.

More important, you can't grow lady-slippers without the help of a microscopic soil fungus often found in oak or pine woodlands. Cypripedium have what Mr. Cullina calls a ''highly evolved reproductive strategy,'' and though an individual may produce tens of thousands of tiny sporelike seeds, none will germinate in the fungus's absence.
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/14/nyregion/cuttings-got-five-years-you-might-grow-a-lady-slipper.html

[roadoa2]

Ok, I think I feel comfortable growing the orchids that I have come in contact with so far. (the ones I've seen) I'm posting this here so hopefully you all let me know if I've missed something. If not, then I'm going to pick an orchid from the shop as if I were following my scenario below and go from there. Also, I'm going to move on to my next plant writeup. Growing rice.

scenario:
You see a white dendrobium growing in the wild. High up on a tree or on a rock or wherever. You know from the name that it means ‘tree of life’. The name doesn't tell you much. Pick a method of propagation. Just from looking at the dendrobium you should be able to ascertain that it can be propagated via division, aerial cuttings, keiki, or pseudobulb. Propagate it. Use your flint knife as needed to make cuts. Make your pottery pots as well.

For the dendrobium, here is potting/repot process: (process is located closer to bottom of page)
https://www.angelfire.com/on4/angelorchids/PropagatingOrchidsnew.htm

For the growing medium, you can use rocks, tree bark, stones, etc.
https://www.gardeners.com/Growing-Orchids/5072,default,pg.html

For the fertilizer, you can use animal manure (except cat/dog I think...) but dilute it with water so it is liquid fertilizer. Or you can make your own liquid fish emulsion.

For light, make sure it has a high intensity light but not high temperature. So, that means strong bright light but not burning hot heat. Also, make sure it has good air circulation. Place it in a windy area.

Make sure they have good humidity. Put them on top of rocks with water in them (evaporating water) OR mist them a couple of times a day. (or other ways)

Water them once a week usu.

^ the above can be applied to all the orchids on this page:
https://www.orchidshi.com/

[cynthia_h]

"Just looking at it" and then collecting it could put you in very hot legal water. The collection of wild orchids in the 19th and early 20th centuries threatened the very existence of many species in the wild, and most countries now prohibit the collection of orchids in the wild unless such collection has been approved through scientific channels, with permits and specified protocols.

Please acquire orchids and other exotic plants from authorized dealers, or propagate from specimens you and friends have acquired legally.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[roadoa2]

Everyone, I am not taking plants from the wild. This is just my approach to understanding how to grow plants, that's all. So many guides I have seen assume knowledge from the readers and this is my approach to understanding how to grow plants.

So, how is my summary good-to-go or have I missed anything?