Mountain View Orchids currently grows over 1,500 Paphiopedilums from flask to blooming size plants. We also have a large group of Phalaenopsis, compact Cattleyas, and Masdevallias. It has been our great joy to use coconut husk mixes and see improved roots, blooms and vigorous new growths. For many years we used bark mixes with limited success. The best results were always achieved with repotting every six months, often just as a plant came into bud or bloom. Going beyond six months in bark meant certain root loss. Now, our plants can grow undisturbed for at least two years or longer. Root growth has been excellent with new root tips evident near drainage holes in the pots and throughout the mix. We also use reverse osmosis water exclusively and believe water quality is paramount to getting that extra edge from our plants. Currently, we grow Paphs. with both plain green foliage and mottled foliage, masdevallias and numerous species.
Mountain View Orchids, LLC, is owned and operated by Kurt Studier. Kurt began growing orchids in 1975, with the purchase of a ladyslipper, Paph. Maudiae 'Magnificum'. Having grown up in a family of gardeners, Kurt has always loved plants. Upon seeing the beautiful green ladyslipper in bloom, he purchased it and the love affair with orchids began. On October 10, 1991, the single bloom ladyslipper had grown from a four-inch pot to a ten-inch pot and received the coveted Cultural Certificate of Merit from the American Orchid Society. When awarded, the plant had fifteen flowers and three buds. It was Kurt's first AOS award and his passion for exhibiting orchids was intensified. From that one plant, Kurt now grows several thousand orchids of various varieties. His plants have received multiple AOS quality awards in recent years. Kurt's concentration is on the Paphiopedilums and miniatures. He also has a prized variety of Masdevallias that he is proud to display and discuss. He has grown orchids on the windowsill, in a variety of greenhouses, and under high intensity lights in his basement.
Kurt is proud to have been invited, and accepted in 2006, as a student judge in the Atlanta Judging Center of the American Orchid Society. He actively participates in the monthly judgings at the center and in various regional orchid shows.
Moving forward, Kurt is continuing his breeding program with concentration on the white and red Paphs. and Phragmipedium besseae. In addition, he plans to propagate the many species he grows to make them available for future generations. The greenhouse and showroom are open Monday through Friday from 10am - 5pm and on Saturday by appointment. Kurt is available for workshops, and he loves to talk about the care and feeding of his beloved ladyslippers, Masdevallias, and many other orchid related topics. Kurt is included in the American Orchid Society speakers' list.
