RYERSON EXPANSIBLE ORCHID FOLDER Page F. 
LET'S TALK ABOUT SEEDLINGS IN INDIVIDUAL POTS 
The close confinement in the package makes it necessary to ship your seedlings on 
the dry side. If it is early in the day when you unpack your seedling order, re- 
store the moisture immediately. One effective method is to dip each plant, fol- 
jage and all, in a bucket of tepid water until thoroughly wet. Bubbles will rise 
to the surface as the osmunda picks up water. When the bubbling stops, the pot 
Should be lifted out and set aside to drain. 
But, NO MATTER HOW DRY THEY ARE, DO NOT WET THEM UNLESS THEY WILL HAVE | PLENTY OF 
TIME TO DRY BEFORE DARKT 
It is always vetter to let your plants remain a bit too dry than to let them "go 
to bed" wet. This rule applies to all watering. “Water on a rising temperature." 
Follow the rules mentioned in the CARE OF COMMUNITY POT SEEDLINGS, at bottom of 
Page D, with these additional precautions: 
1. Do not let water stand in the cup of an un-matured new lead. 2. An indica- 
tion that you are keeping your individual pots too dry is the shrinking of the 
osmunda from the sides of the pot. 3. Seedlings grow best in conditions that are 
fairly warm, light and humid, without being too stuffy and yet without drafts. 
WHEN AND HOW TO RE-POT SEEDLINGS 
As a rule, each newly potted seedling you receive will have a new lead started or 
ready to start. When the new lead is completed (leaf and bulb should be consider- 
ably taller than preceding lead) the seedling will be ready for the next size pot. 
Put broken crock into the bottom of the clean pots you plan to use until they are 
one-third full. If second-hand pots are to be used, they should first be scrubbed 
thoroughly. The size of the broken crock pieces should be the same or slightly 
larger than those in the pots they are leaving. Be sure none is going to block 
the drainage hole. The osmunda you plan to use should be thoroughly soaked and 
allowed to drain, preferably overnight. 
Let the pots from which seedlings are to be shifted soak in sufficient fresh, 
tepid water to cover the osmunda until bubbles stop rising to the top of the water. 
Slip seedling and osmunda ball out of pot with aid of a sharp knife. The only 
roots damaged will be the few clinging tightly to pot. 
If it has soured or is deteriorating, remove all old osmunda from roots of the 
seedlings. Wrap a strip of the fresh, dampened osmunda around the roots. Prac- 
tice will show you how large this strip should be to snugly fill the pot. 
Press this freshly wrapped ball of osmunda and roots down into the pot, not ex- 
actly centering the seedling but placing oldest growth close to side of pot, leav- 
ing plenty of room for new growth at opposite side. Usually an additional bit cf 
osmunda will need to be tucked down in front of the new growth. Seedling should 
not be jammed in place; should be firm, not wobbly. 
With sharp scissors, trim off tag ends of the new osmunda. Tuck correct tag or 
label into place. Never OVER POT, thinking seedlings will "grow up to their pots". 
They won't grow well at all, if the sides of the pots are too far from the roots! 
