Growing Hydroponic Orchids – Mike Lincoln, Cape and Islands Orchid Society

Our very own Mike Lincoln will present on semi-hydroponic orchid culture. Mike got hooked on orchids 30 years ago, after buying one at Home Depot, and quickly catching “orchid fever.”  A longtime gardener and houseplant grower, his increasing interest in orchids led him to build his own backyard greenhouse, where he began experimenting with hydroponic growing methods.  Mike has won several awards for his orchids over the years, including American Orchid Society awards.  He enjoys growing all types of orchids, but does have a particular fondness for Phragmipedium. Mike’s other interests include photography, scuba diving, and travel. In search of a better way to grow orchids, Mike had for many years subscribed to Growing Edge magazine, which focused on hydroponic growing methods.  In the Winter 1996 issue, Mike read an article written by Wally and Barb Thomas, titled “Orchids and Perlite – A Perfect Match” (see https://caios.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Orchids-in-perlite-compressed.pdf for a copy of this article).  Dr. Thomas was President of the Vancouver (BC) Orchid Society and also a founding member of the Odontoglossum Alliance).  After reading that article, Mike started experimenting with growing orchids in perlite, and found it much easier and more successful than other methods had been in the past.  Mike is looking forward to sharing his knowledge of what he has learned and other tips to achieve orchid growing success.