ORCHID 



1168 



der cultivation so far as is consistent, with tlie 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- 

 cultivatinn. 



1580. Perforated 

 Orchid pot. 

 Adapted to ep- 

 iphytes which 

 need plenty of 



and I 



: the : 





atering. 



important, as tlie roots sutfer more or 

 less in being disturbed. By peat liber 

 is meant the fibrous roots of various 

 wild ferns, with tlie line soil removed 

 by fir^i rli.,|.|,iiiL^ ii into small pieces, 



then in' i!. r - a coarse sieve. 



The sc ; : ■.( Osmunda fur- 



nish h- - -t Orchid peat. 



The N" ' i^'-d for Orchids 



shotilil I I I - . I,,t,iiinm squarro- 

 giiiii.s , .,.; aad thecoarse- 



leavi.l , ; .S'. acutifolitim 



and oiln I >,i ,1, -iM« iiig species should never be used, 



as they s ii ili-cay and become detrimental to the roots. 



Leaf-mold is inade 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 rai\-iii? nr interspersing with the compost. It is 

 I Inird wood and should not be over- 

 pntsherds are often used, but they are 

 iii; i.onius, they either absorb too much 

 or Income 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 liber, 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 su 

 face convex, to throw off surplus water 



best 



1581. Standard 

 earthen pot. 

 For terrestrial 

 Orchids, witli 

 drainage holes 

 at the side in- 

 stead of at the 

 bottom. 



rhi; 



fro 



lignum 



[.pear- 



quired. 



When perforat.d ..r nf-cii-work pots or baskets are 

 used, no direct drainai.'. is in ressary. 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 Loii'i! and Sfomi sections, 

 some l).inli'oliinvn~. (<)N-;rf!ii»i Car- 

 thdiji II. N.^. . II. rris/iinii, O. ma- 

 craittliiiiii . I*. Til jiil lo and their al- pf,j. terrestrial 



lies should have the leaf -Imold Orchids, sliowiJig 

 omitted, white Aerides, Phalag- side drain.%ge holes. 

 nopsis, Saccolabiums, Vandas and 



kindred genera require only chopped live sphagnum 

 and charcoal as a compost. " 



Watering, ffumidity. — 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 



iiected with a knowledge of the 

 ounding the plants in their 

 native liom.s. As a rule most Orchids need a liberal 

 siipi^lx «liil. .'vm'a ill-. Init the condition of the plant 

 :iinl .-..nil,,,-! Ill,, I iin- iiKiiiner in which it is potted or 

 l.iiskrhM liiivn mini, io,|,, with this, 

 ■riir rvnr,.,-...,, i,.,n.s,,-i„| s, „.,.)„., ,vl,i.di growchiefiy 



''; I"-"" ,I^''"'- •'" ''""'■'■ '"' '■'"" iiisi!/iie, 



surface ot lln- roi,,|H,-i i- I, , . _ . Ill, occasional 



li-ht overlinlnl syiinirin^' In !ii,c ^^l :,li,, r, which will 



assist in keejiing down red spider, tlirips and other 

 ]>ests. 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- 



the 



iippi 



well. ' " " "• II 



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

 native habitats grow in locations where heavy rains are 

 frequent or of almost daily occurrence during their 



growintr -. :,- i . 1 ^^ 1 iii, using vapors settle on 



them lik. : iln- early morning fogs 



rise anion ; i ., the atmosphere almost 



to satun.i i J > part of the day in the 



resting sea.-.n. .-SI., li .-,.,.!,,, a.s are subjected to a se- 

 vere dry resting season are often decidtious (see Den- 

 drobium, and ahso p. 1166). Many of the extremely 

 alpine species, such as the Masdevallias and Odonto- 

 glossum criK/iiim . are subjected to 

 two aniiiuil raiii\ -' ;ivons. and where 

 these SIM- n- lire niii.li prolonged 

 the unili r-i^in .1 liii- I'h-nrvedthe last- 

 mentioinii ^|„, i,^ m us native habi- 

 tat mature as many ajs three pseudo- 

 the pseu- 

 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- ronnd top of 

 stroyed. sphagnum. 



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 p.seudohiilboiis kinds, including Cattleyas 

 and Laelias, arealsn r-,,ii-ti,i,!lv in action perfecting new 

 roots or maturiiii: •! - i " ' innls, after the pseudo- 

 bulbs are compl. i. m apparently at rest. 

 For this reason cm nn of each species is 

 necessary to make iliLii LultiwLLiL.n 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 iinhu'e them to dower), and deci<lu- 

 ous speri. - 1,1 1, -1, II i 1,1 I \ III! .Inn,!,! I . , . i\,- a good sup- 

 ply of will, ■ : . ' 1 . I I I _ . , I, . !■ the compost 

 is becoiiiin . ' I I . I u overhead in 



1583. Method of 

 epiphytal Or- 



Showing the 



fine w 



tilatio 



and ■ 



sheep 1 



