



ORCHID NEWS 
Published Quarterly by FENNELL ORCHID CO. ye Route 1, Box 230, Homestead, Florida 
Orchid Importers, Growers and Hybridists For Over 19 Years 




Vol. 4 

+ Further Report 
on Orchid Feeding + 
T. A. Fennell 
HE first experi- 
ment by anyone in 
our company on _ the 
feeding of orchids was 
conducted by my fa- 
ther, L. A. Fennell 
about 1912. At that 
time he set aside a part 
of a house of Cattleya 
Labiata for feeding 
with cow and _ horse 
manure water and an- 
other group of plants 
had dried chips of both 
manures mixed in the 


tp 
WINTER—SPRING—1950 ‘Sy, APO, No. 1 
f , . e} Men 


WIT ce ea 
o7 Jhe Deciduous 
Dendrobiims 
hig -OME/of the most 
‘ igi ngly beautiful 
a raceful of all 
orchids are the decid- 
uous Dendrobiums— 
there are many species 
and hybrids to choose 
from—they are of easy 
culture if one remem- 
bers their one must— 
they must be kept dry 
and on the cool side 
from the time they fin- 
ish growth until they 
bloom. 
They like plenty of 
light, food, heat and 
water during their 
osmunda in the pots. growth period. They 
This experiment are fast growers if 
ended some months No. 81 --- C. Leda Brilliant x C. Gigas Sanderiana these requirements are 
later with the collapse ; ; , i met. 
Sf) thet plants*due «to One 2 our finest hybrids. Many have bloomed and their quality has been very Theale & beste Ron 
loss of nearly all roots. high. Large, dark, heavy flowers with large brilliant lips. species is D. Nobile 
I ean remember 
Dad’s disappointment 
at the results, as he had high hopes at 
first because of the initially excellent 
growth he had observed. 
This experiment “cured” him and 
he fell back on osmunda exclusively 
for all epiphytic orchids. For the 
next thirty years (until his death) if 
anyone mentioned feeding, Dad’s disas- 
trous experiment was recounted in de- 
tail. My memory of his lectures made 
us perhaps overly cautious in our more 
recent experiments. In any case we now 
have proven to our own satisfaction that 
the following facts can be counted on as 
reliable in the feeding of orchids: 
1. Animal manures are dangerous 
when used on epiphytic orchids as they 
hasten the rotting of the osmunda by 
increasing bacterial action in it, but 
may be used heavily to promote fast 
growth on terrestrial orchids. Even 
when used on terrestrials they should be 
supplemented by a well balanced chem- 
ical fertilizer. 
2. Chemical fertilizers containing both 
(Continued on Page 2) 
THE TROPICAL ACCENT 
FOR YOUR GARDEN 
OR PATIO 
If you want ithe last word and the 
highest form of development in your 
tropical garden you must have orchids. 
There are orchids for every location 
and condition of planting—orchids to 
grow on or hang from your trees, to 
grow in pots in the lath house, on your 
porch or in your patio, then, too, there 
are orchids to twine on your fences or 
to keep your flower beds covered with 
a multitude of colors at all times. 
Most orchids are easily grown out- 
doors here in South Florida or farther 
south in the tropics and most of us are 
missing a great opportunity for the de- 
velopment of greater beauty in our 
gardens by not taking further advant- 
age of the wealth and variety of color 
and form that they offer. We'll be 
glad to suggest orchids suitable for any 
garden condition you may have, 
from India. This plant 
produces numerous 
twos and threes from 
the nodes shortly after the leaves are 
shed. Flower 
white to white with deep violet purple 
blotches on the ends of the sepals and 
petals and the lip, though the itypical 
flowers are white with lavender mark- 
ings. The long bulbs are upright or 
semi-pendant. 
D. Superbum and its pure white va- 
riety, D. Superbum Dearei, are probab- 
ly the largest flowered and showiest of 
this group of Dendrobiums. Their flow- 
ers are 4 to 5 inches wide and the pen- 
dant bulbs grow to a length of 6 ito 7 
feet bearing many flowers. Large 
speciments of these plants ‘are as showy 
as any orchid. 
D. Pierardii is similar in habit to 
Superbum but smaller. Its pendant 
bulbs are long and thin. Its flowers are 
light lavender and are borne quite pro- 
fusely. There are many other species. 
There are also many hybrids such as 
D. Merlin, like a larger, finer Nobile; 
D. Gatton Monarch, D. Ainesworthiae, 
ete. 
flowers in 
color varies from pure 
