Be especially attentive to humidity levels in winter when central heating can dry the air. Pests and diseases Orchids are subject to the same problems as other plants. However, by far the majority of problems are caused by mistakes in care. Too much or too little light, water or nutrients, extremes of temperature and so on. Paying attention to conditions will solve most problems before they start.
Prevention is the best medicine.
Refere nces in antiquity continue, through Japan, through Greek and Roman history and dotted throughout other cultures until the mid-18th century. By this time the European passion for going forth and classifying the whole of nature combined with the driving forces of colonialism to create an all-round fascination with the unknown. The orchid really started to take off in European society because it came to symbolise the beauty and the danger of far-off lands of mystery. Although the first tropical orchid to flower in Europe came into bloom in 1733, it was actually the accidental discovery of Cattleyas that started the real craze for orchids. A plant enthusiast named Cattley had received some plants from Brazil which had been wrapped within other plants with thick leaves for protection.