How do I know which species are right for my environment?

A very astute question! Kudos.

In order to initiate new inflorescences, most phalaenopsis need a 10-day, to 2-week period when the average growing temperature is reduced about 10-15 degrees compared to the average they had been experiencing. For windowsills in northern climates, that typically happens as the fall temperatures drop, but if your temperatures are too stable, you may have to figure a way to do that, if you want reliable blooming.

Back to your original query, when it comes to species, I find that orchid species.com is a good starting point. Not 100% reliable, but not bad.

 

Try some Cattleyas. You can put them outside all spring/summer/fall. Just under a tree or somewhere that gets morning and/or afternoon sun, but no mid-day sun. When the temp is going to drop below 50, bring them in and put them in a window that gets some sun.

In tennessee we get enough rain, I can get away without watering them almost the whole time they are outside. If we get a few weeks in a row without rain then I turn the hose on them. I only worry about fertilizer when I bring them inside and start watering them ever week or two.

Now I am not saying you will get amazing plants with dozens of flowers like many of the folks on this forum get, but you will get a few really nice blooms on the plants when the gloomy winter starts. And for me, they have been really easy, even easier then the prolific phals.

 

The ones I keep bloom in fall/winter. Usually the flowers start outside around the time I bring them in, then I have flowers through Christmas. I think that is sort of common for Cattleyas, but I only grow a couple.

Cattleya maxima is one that I have found hard to kill in my conditions.

 

I have keep hybrid Oncidiums on alike conditions and they do just fine! Just they like more water than the Phalaenopsis I guess...
I have hear many people complain about Oncidium being hard to care thought... Just one hard advice, without constant water supply or humidity, the leaves are going to get wrinkled and the pseudobulbs deformed...

 

Walk into that local orchid supplier and ask them!
Ditto what KellyW said.

 

But if they have tons of healthy roots? (Visible in the clear pot and medium)
Also if the media is inorganic, it won't likely break down within a year, right?
Then could it be for a low humidity or lack of watering?
Please let me know!
This matters a lot to me...

 

Thanks for the information I appreciate it.

 

Informative thread. When I talk about shriveled leaves, it is almost always too much watering. Glad to see it confirmed again.