FENNELL’S ORCHID NEWS 
Published by 
FENNELL ORCHID CO. 
Homestead, Florida 

ORCHID GROWING HINTS 
Clean Hands — Believe it or not, you 
can now pot orchids all day and still have 
clean hands that night. Use Dreft or one 
of the other synthetic soap powders, a nail 
brush and hot water. A little scrubbing 
completes the job. 
Potting — Watch your plants for those 
that need repotting If a plant is shrivelled 
tho you water regularly once per week or 
more, investigate their roots. It is very 
possible that they may need repotting. 
Whenever your plant has lost it’s roots 
in the compost you need to repot. No 
amount of water or fertilizer will help if 
there are not roots to absorb it. 
When repotting remove all old compost 
and dead roots, work the new Osmundine 
in among the roots carefully with your fin- 
gers, then pot firmly. If the plant has too 
few roots to be kept firmly in place by 
them, stake. A plant that moves every time 
it’s watered or handled will never get es 
tablished as it’s tender root tips will be in- 
jured by each movement. 
Watch Humidity — these hot summer 
days, a good spraying over at 10 a.m. and 
2 p.m. is good on bright, hot days (or one 
at noon). Use just enough water to wet 
the leaves and benches. As your plants are 
all in growth give them one or two water- 
ings per week in addition to the spraying. 
Withhold water for a few days if any 
black growths develop. 
Feeding—Since our last issue we have 
received many letters on this controversial 
subject. Any good hydroponics formula is 
satisfactory particularly if used at about 
one-half the strength used for vegetables 
but be sure not to overfeed. Orchid feed- 
ing is still experimental, no one knows 
much about it yet. Here is a formula we've 
found satisfactory. 
Calcium nitrate Ca(NO3)2 -....2. grams 
Amonium sulfate (NH4)SO4 1. grams 
Monopotassium acid phosphate 
(KELD RO) 2) ee ee ee . grams 
Magnesium sulfate MgSW4 
SSA 2) re aces See ee sae .) grams 
Iron Phosphate FePO4 ........ .1 grams 
No cea eee ee oe eee oe ae .-L000 cc 
This is Knudson’s solution with the sugar 
and agar left out and the fertilizer quan- 
tities doubled. We adjust it to a pH of 
about 4.5 before applying it to the plants. 
Generally we use it once per week. 



” 
Phalaenopsis Confirmation in the Jungle. A fine light pink Phalaenopsis. Flowers 31%” to: 4 
across. Very nice shape and heavy texture. 

LOVELY PHALAENOPSIS 
Easily Grown, Very Floriferous. 
No Collection Should Be Without Them. 
Of all the spray orchids Phalaenopsis is perhaps the queen. They are easily 
grown in a warm or intermediate house tho they do not like temperatures at night 
below 60-65. 
The original Phalaenopsis species came from the Philippines, and the East Indies, 
but now most of the plants grown are hybrids. The best varieties are white and 
various shades of pink. The hybrids have larger flowers, better substance and are 
easier to grow than most of the species. 
The larger flowered types generally have only five or six to ten or twelve 
flowers per spike. Of thsese we have types of Phal. Doris, Katherine Seigwart, Ap- 
parition, Psyche, Confirmation and Reve Rose with flowers up to five inches in dia- 
meter on large plants. The smaller flowered types such as Schilleriana, Grand Conde, 
Rothschildiana, Jardin des Plantes have flowers two to three inches wide, usually 
in shades of pink, but they sometimes produce as many as eighty or more flowers 
on a spike and two or more spikes per plant. 
Phalaenopsis like plenty of water, frequent repotting (or better, the renewal of 
the potting material without disturbing their roots), more shade than cattleyas, and 
plenty of heat. Temperature of 70 degrees at night and 85 to 100 during the day in 
summer and 60-65 to 85-90 in winter are about right. 
Nothing will give you more pleasure nor more blooms than Phalaenopsis, they 
are easy to grow and there is a growing demand for the flowers. We are listing some 
large fine types as well as some small plants of fine parentage, and don’t forget that 
you can grow blooming size plants from seed in three years. 


WHAT SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS THINK OF US. 
We receive a great many interesting letters and just in case some of them might 
be of interest to our readers we will quote from a few of them from time to time. 
For instance one of our customers who has had trouble in finding good plants 
has the following to say ... “when I do receive a fine specimen, I write to compliment 
the grower on his ability as a grower and congratulate him on his integrity as a dealer 
and a man. Please accept not only my compliments and congratulations but my 
thanks for the excellent plant you sent me... I took it out of the pot which you 
sent and I never saw such a root growth on any other plant which has been sent me. 
The whole pot was filled with live roots, including the portion under the back bulks.” 
Another of our friends writes, “The Orchid plants you sent me arrived in fine shape. 
Am very much pleased with them, they are so clean and healthy looking. Thank you. 
I enjoy reading The Fennell Orchid News. Would be glad to get one any time 
you have them.” 
And then from far Hawaii the following notes arrive, “Received the com- 
munity pot plants in fine condition, thank you for your kind and prompt attention 
to my order” and from another customer there, “The plants arrived in perfect 
condition.” 
Many of our friends write us about orchid seed and successes and failures they 
have with it. By the way we are always glad to help with suggestions if you are 
having difficulties. One of our customers writes, “Am greatly looking forward to 
your next seed list, for your seed grow. I have had very different experiences with 
other seed — which was treated in exactly the same way as yours, no germination 
at all or only one to five per flask.” 
