The following focuses on plant habitats, and in particular how they affect orchid culture in this country. One facet of natural habitats for most of the orchids grown in this country is significantly different from the conditions naturally experienced here, and this will be highlighted, together with other significant aspects.The article is in a number of parts and you are invited to work through them. START PAGE

The articles are based on research I have completed over a number of years.  The data is relevant to New Zealand conditions, but is applicable to growing areas everywhere with a non-monsoonal climate.  The purpose behind the research was to consider the characteristics of our and the plants natural habitat with the objective to more fully understand the cultural requirements of plants.  Most of the cultural lore has its basis on the characteristics of a plants natural habitat information, and therefore if you can  gain a greater understanding of the aspects of a natural habitat you are more likely to achieve the better ultimate objective of growing orchids,  -  greater and better flowering. . HELP I have run and maintained this site since May 1998. It is totally non commercial. I want it to be available to all orchid growers, but need your help. The success of the site with its increasing traffic, and the change in internet services many of which are now being charged for are increasing the cost of maintenance. I do not want to make this a pay for use site, but I need asssitance to meet the increasing financial cost. To continue running this site, and if it is to be expanded, I need some financial assistance to help pay the expenses that will be involved, as there is a limit to what I can do from my own resources.. If you are a user, and in particular regular user, please consider making a donation to help in meeting this expenditure and allow the site to continue and develop further. Information is processed through a secure server THANK YOU IN ANTICIPATION . Information shown in this article  shows the equivalent SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE MONTHS in all tables.  The NORTHERN HEMISPHERE EQUIVALENT months are shown in the table below. NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE MONTH EQUIVALENTS  MONTHS  SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE  (As shown in charts) MONTHS  NORTHERN HEMISPHERE  EQUIVALENT SEASON JANUARY JUNE MID SUMMER FEBRUARY JULY LATE SUMMER MARCH AUGUST EARLY AUTUMN (FALL) APRIL SEPTEMBER MID AUTUMN MAY OCTOBER LATE AUTUMN JUNE NOVEMBER EARLY WINTER JULY DECEMBER MID WINTER AUGUST JANUARY LATE WINTER SEPTEMBER FBRUARY EARLY  SPRING OCTOBER MARCH MID SPRING NOVEMBER APRIL LATE SPRING DECEMBER MAY EARLY  SUMMER

SUBJECTS ARE LISTED IN THE LEFT INDEX WINDOW. CLICK OF RELEVANT ITEM WHICH WILL BE SHOWN IN THIS MAIN WINDOW.

Site established 9th May 1998