to use the balanced inorganic formulas that are offered as plant foods under various 
trade names. ‘The nutrient formulae for sowing orchid seed is fine but need not be 
made with chemically pure salts. We recommend Wilson’s Orchid Fertilizer. 
The orchid pests of the Moth orchid are not difficult to control. Generally 
sponging the plants two or three times a year will keep them clean of scale. Use any 
mild insecticide (Wilson’s O.K.) or just nicotine sulphate with ivory soap flakes 
(40 per cent Nicotine sulphate 1 oz. to 3 gal. of water). Soap enough to make water 
wet the foliage smoothly. Pour excess out of crowns. Ants often are a pest by carrying 
mealy bugs up onto the flower stems and crown of the plant. Control the ants and 
the mealy bugs won’t have a chance after you sponge them off. You may place cotton 
around the flower stem to prevent them climbing to the flowers. Chlordane is the 
wonder ant killer used as a dust or spray on ground and benches. 
Phalaenopsis generally like to be grown moist—especially during the growing 
season of Summer. However, don’t let water stand in the crown of the plant over- 
night, particularly in the Winter when chilled water will rot the crown and your plant 
will disintegrate in a fairly short period. In Winter spray in the mornings and on 
sunny days. During Summer water about once a week thoroughly and syringe with 
water in a fine mist when days are warm and sunny. During the Winter every 10 
days or 14 days unless heating dries them out should be sufficient to water. Rainwater 
is by far the best. 
Phalaenopsis may be repotted every year after flowering or every two years. Here 
again every grower develops his own preferences. They may be grown in almost any 
type of container and they will do well. Some people like wooden baskets, others clay 
pots or bamboo or cypress rafts—cocoanut husks—tree fern blocks. They do not need 
to be potted quite as firmly as cattleyas and often like a bit of sphagnum moss to hold 
moisture. Place charcoal and broken clay pot pieces throughout the osmunda to 
insure good drainage and aeration. The lighter brown osmunda mixed with some dark 
works out well. 
There is just one thing about the Moth orchid—if you like orchids at all you will 
like this genera. If you can and like to grow orchids you can grow these with a min- 
imum of effort. 
Growing Orchids in the Home 
To keep moisture around the plants use a tray that will hold at least an inch of 
water (large cake tin or fish aquarium). Set the orchid plants upon a half brick 
or inverted flower pot. Then place pebble rock or pea gravel—charcoal or coke around 
the bricks or pots. This will help keep the water clean and sweet. If you do not have 
a thermostatic controlled furnace to maintain night temperatures as suggested—use a 
chicken brooder heating unit in a fish aquarium or a fish aquarium heating unit. 
Or use light bulbs and place them in a tin can to avoid excessive light on plants at 
night. If you have a closed-in space you are heating, always allow some means of 
ventilation at top and also at bottom if possible. 
An exposure facing East is considered the best and depending upon your Iatitude 
you can have full sunlight until 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Then you should 
have some cheesecloth or shade to reduce the light intensity about half during the 
mid-day (this means Summertime, June thru August). In Winter full light generally 
will not burn the foliage. 
If you can hang the plant outdoors from June thru August, this will give fine 
Summer growth. Try to give them a protected spot which will not allow winds to 
dry them out excessively. Daily mists of water in Summer are encouraging to root 
growth and cooling. Generally a heavy watering every 3 to 5 days is enough in Summer 
whereas in Winter once in ten days is enough. Do not keep the plants wet all of the 
time, an occasional drying out is healthy. 
20 Greenhouses at Mandarin on the St. Johns River 
