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My sheaths turn mouldy and dry up. What causes 
this? 
Usually this is caused by too much overhead watering 
late in the day. To avoid this spray your plants in the 
early morning hours on bright, sunny days. Also cut 
the dry sheaths across the top so that the buds can 
come thru. 
What causes roots to turn brown and rot off? 
This is usually caused by overwatering the plant. 
New growth or lead is flabby, soft, dark green and 
will not grow erect. What is the cause? 
This may be caused by using some kind of fertilizer 
on the plant, or it can be caused by the plant not re- 
ceiving enough light. The solution is to either stop 
fertilizing or give the plant more light. 
The leaves of my Cattleya Orchid plant are shriveling 
up. What causes this? 
It may be caused by destruction of the entire root 
system due to too much watering. Or, it may be due 
to lack of water. Pull the osmunda apart and if you 
still have a good white root system it means you are 
underwatering the plant, or if the root system is rot- 
ten, that is the cause. In either event, the treatment 
for saving the plant is the same. Repot in fresh os- 
munda and sprinkle the leaves of the entire plant 
morning and noon each day until it improves. Also 
inspect plant carefully for scale; a white cottony di- 
sease, and if found treat with DDT 10% in solution. 
How will I know when to change the osmunda? 
Fresh osmunda is very stringey. Old osmunda crum- 
ples in your hand like soil or peat moss. The plant 
will rock in old osmunda and may easily be pulled 
out of old osmunda. 
Which way is better for growing Cattleyas Orchids, 
flower pots or wooden rafts? 
Flower pots are best, as you can judge and control 
watering of the plant more accurately; they are easier 
to handle in flower pots, and require much less care. 
Can I use the water right as it comes from my faucet 
to water my orchid plants? 
Yes, in the summer time. In winter let the water warm 
up to room temperature. 
After the flower dies on my orchid plant will I be able 
to get a seed pod? 
No. Orchids grown in the home or greenhouse must 
be hand pollinated to grow seed. 
How many flowers will my orchid plant have? 
This depends on the size of the plant. A single lead 
Cattleyas will average 2 flowers per lead. On Vandas 
like Joaquim they will average 5 to ll flowers per 
spike. I have had Tampenses that made over a thou- 
sand flowers to a plant. Orchids of different types 
and sizes vary in the amount of flowers a plant will 
carry. Usually the larger the plant the more flowers 
you may expect. 
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