1168 



ORCHID 



der cultivation so far as is consistent, with ilic diflfer- 

 ence of their environment taken into <<insiiliTiUiiiii. 

 Thus it is apparent that one of the special features iii 

 the culture of epiphytal Orchids lies in the proper 

 selection of compost and the method of potting and 

 basketing for the best results in after- 

 cultivation. 



Peat fiber, sphagnum moss and leaf- 

 mold constitute the principal materials 

 of good compost, usually lasting one or 

 two years witliout renewal, which is 

 importunt, a^ ih,. i-,.,,is suffer more or 

 less in ;irii,i;,li-ii,ri„.,i. By peat fiber 

 is me:iiil ilir illii.iii, n.nts of various 

 ■wild frrn-., u,ii, II,,. lin,. soil removed 

 by fir^i ,i;.,.,|,n; : M in!n small pieces, 

 then nil 'I I ■. IS :i coarse sieve. 

 The sr,, :,: ,,r Osmunda fur- 



nish 11- ,, 1' . I. ,t Orchid peat. 

 The spill ■hiMM iiMi-, used for Orchids 

 should consist of SjiJi(t(/num sq^iarro- 

 sum, S. macrophyllum and the coarse- 

 leaved species only ; S. acntifolium 

 and other weak-growing species should 

 as they soon decay and bcomc d. triiu.i 



Leaf-mold is made fiMin Wi i-Mni[H,v, 

 leaves of almost any tr. .■ will ,1,1, imi 

 wood trees are 



1580. Petl,,r.,;t J 

 Orchid put. 

 Adapted tt» ep- 

 iphytes which 

 need plenty of 

 air at the roots 

 and are in d.in- 



never be used, 

 tal to the roots. 

 1 leaves. The 

 those of hard- 

 ily oak. When 



1581. Standard 

 earthen pot. 



Porterrestritd 

 Orchids, with 

 drainage hole.s 



collected in the fall the leaves should be heaped up to 

 decay for a year or more, and turned over at least twice 

 during that time. 



Charcoal is the best material to use for drainage and 

 for mixing or interspersing with the compost. It is 

 best made from hard wood and should not be over- 

 burned. Broken potsherds are often used, but they are 

 not as good; being porous, they either absorb too much 

 water at times or become overdry too often and are 

 liable to prove injurious. Charcoal is 

 lighter in weight, and contains more 

 useful properties. 



Where closed pots are used, nearly 

 one-half of the space should be devoted 

 to drainage and the balance to com- 

 post, consisting of about equal parts 

 of peat fiber, chopped sphagnum and 

 leaf-mold for most genera, adding a 

 few pieces of charcoal in potting, and 

 a piece beneath the rhizome of the ten- 

 der ones. Care must be exercised in 

 potting to distribute the roots properly 

 and make the compost moderately firm 

 w7™' '" '""' "'"'"* "''""• 'eaviug the finished sur- 

 bottom. f^pg convex, to throw off surplus water 



and protect the rhizome from an over- 

 abundance of wet. Top dressing with live sphagnum 

 is beneficial to many Orchids, such as Odontoglossum 

 erinpiim and allies, and gives the surface a neat appear- 

 ance. Pig. 1583 illustrates a finished pot, the dotted line 

 in Fig. 1581 indicating the amount of drainage re- 

 quired. 



When perforated or open-work pots or baskets are 

 used, no direct drainage is necessary. Rough, broken 

 pieces of charcoal should be freely used in the compost 

 while potting, as it helps to keep the mass firm and the 

 roots of nearly all species attach to it freely; also it 

 lessens the quantity of compost and so modifies its tex- 

 ture as to allow it to dry out more 

 readily than when packed in a 

 solid body. 



Cattleyas of the O. intermedia 

 type, Coryanthes, Cypripediums of 

 the Lowii and Sto»ei sections, 

 some Dendrobiums, Oncidinm Car- 

 thaginense, O. crispum, O. nia- 

 cranthum, O. Papilio and their al- For"t erreTt"i'i 1 

 lies should have the leaf -Iraold Orchids, showins 

 omitted, while Aerides, Phalae- side drainage holes, 

 nopsis, Saccolabiums, Vandas and 

 kindred genera require only chopped live sphagnum 

 and charcoal as a compost. 



Walering, ITitmidity. -It is impossible to lay down 

 any hard and fast rules for watering Orchids. Watering 

 is a very important operation and requires more or less 



1582. Standard 



practical experience, connected with a knowledge of the 

 general conditions surrounding the [ilants in Ilitir 

 native homes. As a rule most Orchids need a lih.rMl 

 supply while growing, but the condition of the plant 

 and compost and the manner in which it is potted or 

 linsketert have much to do with this. 



The evergreen terrestrial species, which grow chielly 

 in lonm tiller, as Cymbidium, Vrjpripedium insiytic. 

 rii.iins, Sol.ralias, etc., require water whenever the 

 ■-nrlace ot the compost is becoming dry, -with occasional 

 li^ht ovirlnail syriniring in fine weather, which will 

 " ' ' '" kiipni- ,l,.«ii red spider, thrips and othi r 

 '' ^" '" ' i-i-'iiil I'l'l'lication of weak liquid cow or 



' ' r niiiiiiii 1- ol iji, at benefit while the plants are 



The deciduous sjiecics have a decided period of rest 

 at which time they are practically inactive and need 

 very little water, enough only to keep the stems and 

 psendolnilbs in s<Hin,I condition. When gniwiiii.' how 



Epiphytal Orchids, or a greater part of them, in their 

 native habitats grow in locations where heavy rains are 

 frequent or of almost daily occurrence during iheir 

 growing season, an,! \-, I,, i, , ,,i,,:, using vapors settle on 

 I" early morning fogs 



atmosphere almost 



1583. Method of 



ngthe 



these seasons ai,' i 



the undersigned li i- , , 



mentioned species m n- 



tat mature as many as t: 



bulbs in the year. Thus the pseu- 



dobulb is no indication of annual 



growth, but a reservoir of supply in 



case the plant is overtaken bv severe pottine an 



or sn,l,l,.n ,l,..,„,.hts, each -pseudo- Xl^='^-' ^'- 



nnih iM in^c sii])],|ied with a mature „, 



'^i '"i:'i> liud for further reproduc- rai ""!"^ \ 



tiou should the proper lead be de- roniid ' top'"'o'f 

 stroyea. sphagnuni. 



Such genera as Aerides, Cypripe- 

 diums, Masdevallia, Vanda, etc., which have no pseu- 

 dobulbs, rely more or less directly on a daily supply 

 at all seasons. These, with many of the extreme al- 

 pine species, should have a liberal supply of water at 

 all times. 



Many of the pseudobulbous kinds, including Cattlej-as 

 and Laelias, are also constantly in action perfecting new 

 roots or maturing their flower-buds, after the pseudo- 

 bulbs are completed and thev are apparently at rest 

 For this reason careful observation of <acli species is 

 necessary to make their cultivation sini-essfnl. 



Under basket culture there is 1, ast lialiility of injury 

 through overwatering, and eM.piiim «■ nera like' the 

 Oncidiums and Dendrobiums ( wliiih n, ,,1 a dry and cool 

 resting period to induce them to llowcr), and decidu- 

 ous species at rest, nearly all should receive a good sup- 

 ply of w.ater, weather permitting, whenever the compost 

 IS becoming dry, with frequent syringing overhead in 

 fine weather, when the temperature is normal and ven- 

 tilation can be given. A stimulant of weak sheep or cow 

 manure applied occasionally to plants in action will 

 benefit them. 

 On cold, cheerless days, when the temperature is below 



normal and the ali ■.^ . i, i- ,,m n-liarged with moi.s- 



ture, very little MM. ; , mil- is needed, and un- 



less it be s.nn,. pan i. i> liich cannot endure 



drying,or tiny s,,, 11,1..-. ,1 ,. -:,,,.si to withhold water, 

 as at these times the si,.n,aiii .ease action and the 

 plants become overcharged with water; thus those with 

 weak constitutions and immature growths are liable to 

 attacks of wet-spot and rot. The best means of coun- 



