132 ORCHIDS FOR EVERYONE 



should be carefully removed from its roots. Cut away decayed 

 roots, be careful not to damage good roots, and keep a sharp 

 look-out for insect pests that may lurk in the sheltering base of old 

 leaf sheaths. 



There are two " best times " for re-potting Odontoglossums ; 

 one is February and the other September. In a general sense the 

 latter is the best time, because the climate at that season of the 

 year is usually genial, i.e. not cold or very hot, but pleasantly 

 mild, with an absence of brilliant, scorching sunshine, and the 

 presence of a moist atmosphere, caused by gentle showers and 

 dewy nights. These eminently suitable conditions encourage the 

 plants to root freely into the new compost, and so they re-establish 

 themselves quickly, and are well able to withstand the trials of the 

 succeeding Winter. But the trials of Winter are nothing (except in 

 and near large towns) compared to the severe strain our bright dry 

 Summers impose upon Odontoglossums. Plants not needing to be 

 re-potted in September may be in want of attention in the early 

 Spring ; if so, they should be re-potted in February, so that they 

 may become re-established before the drying days of Summer 

 arrive. Where the plants do not require more root room, and the 

 potting compost is still in good condition, a renovation of the 

 surface may be desirable. This is managed by removing a little 

 of the surface material, and putting new peat and sphagnum (the 

 latter chiefly), in its place. This does not take long, and it adds to 

 the tidy and smart appearance of the collection, whether it be a 

 large or a small one. 



Watering Odontoglossums is not the serious affair some 

 people would have us think. Why so many good folk try their 

 level best to surround the whole subject of Orchid culture with an 

 air of impenetrable mystery, I fail to understand, especially when 

 it is no uncommon thing to find Orchids growing and flowering 



