1168 



ORCHID 



ORCHID 



1580. Perforated 

 Orchid pot. 

 Adapted to ep- 

 iphytes which 

 need plenty of 

 air at the roots 

 and are in dan- 

 ger of over- 

 watering. 



der cultivation so far as is consistent, with the differ- 

 ence of their environment taken into consideration. 

 Thus it is apparent that one of the special features in 

 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 without renewal, which is 

 important, as the roots suffer more or 

 less in being disturbed. By peat fiber 

 is meant the fibrous roots of various 

 wild ferns, with the fine soil removed 

 by first chopping it into small pieces, 

 then rubbing it across a coarse sieve. 

 The several species of Osmunda fur- 

 nish us with the best Orchid peat. 

 The sphagnum moss used for Orchids 

 should consist of Sphagnum squarro- 

 sum, S. macrophyllum and the coarse- 

 leaved species only ; S. acutifolium 

 and other weak-growing species should never be used, 

 as they soon decay and become detrimental to the roots. 

 Leaf-mold is made from decomposed leaves. The 

 leaves of almost any tree will do, but those of hard- 

 wood trees are most desirable, especially oak. When 

 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 

 about them, leaving the finished sur- 

 face 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 

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

 ance. Fig. 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 C. intermedia 

 type, Coryanthes, Cypripediums of 

 the Lowii and Stonei sections, 

 some Dendrobiums, Oncidium Car- 

 thaginense, O. crispum, O. ma- 

 cranthum, O. Papilio and their al- 

 lies should have the leaf -|mold 

 omitted, while Aerides, Phalae- 

 nopsis, Saccolabiums, Vandas and 



kindred genera require only chopped live sphagnum 

 and charcoal as a compost. 



Watering, Humidity. li is impossible to lay down 

 any hard and fast rules for watering Orchids. Watering 

 is a very important operation and requires more or less 



1581. Standard 

 earthen pot. 

 For terrestrial 

 Orchids, with 

 drainage holes 

 at the side in- 

 stead of at the 

 bottom. 



1582. Standard 



earthen pan. 



For terrestrial 



Orchids, showing 



side drainage holes. 



practical experience, connected with a knowledge of the 

 general conditions surrounding the plants in their 

 native homes. As a rule most Orchids need a liberal 

 supply while growing, but the condition of the plant 

 and compost and the manner in which it is potted or 

 basketed have much to do with this. 



The evergreen terrestrial species, which grow chiefly 

 in loam fiber, as Cymbidium, Cypripedium inxiyne, 

 Phaius, Sobralias, etc., require water whenever the 

 surface of the compost is becoming dry, with occasional 

 light overhead syringing in fine weather, which will 

 assist in keeping down red spider, thrips and other 

 pests. An occasional application of weak liquid cow or 

 sheep manure is of great benefit while the plants are 

 growing. 



The deciduous species 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 

 pseudobulbs in sound condition. When growing, how- 

 ever, they reqiiire a good supply and should have a 

 thorough watering to the bottom whenever the soil is 

 becoming dry, but should not be kept in a wet condition 

 at all times, or the soil soon becomes sour and infested 

 with worms, under which condition no Orchid can do 

 well. 



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 their 

 growing season, and where condensing vapors settle on 

 them like dripping rain, while the early morning fogs 

 rise among the forests, charging the atmosphere almost 

 to saturation during the early part of the day in the 

 resting season. Such species as are subjected to a se- 

 vere dry resting season are often deciduous (see Den- 

 drobium, and also p. 11C6). Many of the extremely 

 alpine species, such as the Masdevallias and Odonto- 

 glossum crispum, are subjected to 

 two annual rainy seasons, and where 

 these seasons are much prolonged 

 the undersigned has observed the last- 

 mentioned species in its native habi- 

 tat mature as many as three pseudo- 

 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 by severe 

 or sudden droughts, each "pseudo- 

 bulb being supplied with a mature 

 secondary bud for further reproduc- 

 tion should the proper lead be de- 

 stroyed. 



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 Cattleyas 

 and Laelias, are also constantly in action perfecting new 

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

 bulbs are completed and they are apparently at rest. 

 For this reason careful observation of each species is 

 necessary to make their cultivation successful. 



Under basket culture there is least liability of injury 

 through overwatering, and excepting genera like the 

 Oncidiums and Dendrobiums (which need a dry and cool 

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

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

 ply of water, 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 atmosphere is overcharged with mois- 

 ture, very little watering or damping is needed, and un- 

 less it be some particular species which cannot endure 

 drying, or tiny seedlings, it is safest to withhold water, 

 as at these times the stomata cease 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- 



1583. Method of 

 pottin gan 

 epiphytal Or- 

 chid. 

 Showing the 



raised and 



round top of 



sphagnum. 



