RYERSON 1949 EXPANSIBLE ORCHID FOLDER Page ll#A 
LET'S TALK ABOUT SHIFTING SEEDLINGS 
From Community Pot to Individual 13 or 2-inch 
ADVANCE PREPARATIONS. Slip knife around edge of community pot so the block of 
seedlings will slide out. Untangle roots gently, with as little damage to them 
as possible. This may be done several hours, or even the afternoon before the 
re-potting. Heap the “bare root" seedlings lightly in a pot or bowl and cover 
with a cloth. 
@e PREPARING THE OSMUNDA. If available, choose the soft, light brown variety 
for seedlings. Thoroughly soak it several hours or the day before the potting 
operations, and pile it lightly on a wire rack where it can drain freely. DO 
NOT TEAR OR SHRED IT, BUT LEAVE IN ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE. 
3. PREPARING THE POTS. Use CLEAN pots. If second-hand, scrub thoroughly, or 
even BOIL them the day before using. Break clean crock in small pieces and 
fill each pot half-full. Charcoal chunks may be mixed with the crock if de- 
sired. Test drainage by dipping pot in water. If water does not run through 
immediately, a piece of crock is blocking drainage hole. Correct this. 
4, POTTING. With a sharp knife, slice dampened osmunda, crossegrain, in the 
proper thickness to finish filling the pot to one-fourth inch of the top, Cut 
slice into strips, each of which is just long enough to wrap around a seedling 
and fit snugly into pot. Loosen each strip a bit. Wrap around seedling's 
roots and tuck lightly into a pot, level with the top, fibers running vertical-~ 
ly. With sharp scissors, trim off any fibers that stick up above the others. 
Now, with your two thumbs, press osmunda, seedling and all, down into the pot 
so that the level is about one-fourth inch below the edge of the pot. It 
should be snug but not jammed into the pot. If not snug, tuck in a dit more 
osmunda in front of seedling. 
GREAT CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN that the seedling base be exactly level with the 
surface of the osmunda. Pot them too low, and they will dampen off. Pot them 
too high and they will climb out of the pot, roots humping up awkwardly. Make 
a fresh community pot of seedlings too small for individual pots. 
5. HUDDLE NEWLY POTTED seedlings cheek by jowl and they will help each other 
retain humidity. If too much space is left between the pots they will dry out 
rapidly. Since your osmunda was damp, it should not be necessary to WET — 
newly potted seedlings for about a week. Spray the foliage lightly with fog- 
like spray when necessary. 
It is impossible to answer the stock question, "How often shall I water?" with- 
out knowledge of your greenhouse conditions. But observation will soon show 
you what is needed. If fuzzy mold begins to grow on the osmunda, you are keepe 
ing them too wet. If the osmunda starts shrinking away from the sides of the 
pots, and the pots themselves are bright red like dry bricks, vou are keeping 
them too drye 
Best of luck and if there's something I've missed, don't hesitate to ask. 
