Orchid Plant Care

Odontoglossums, aristocrats of South America, are normally found at heights of from 5,000 to 12,000 feet. They require cool, shaded conditions at all times and for this reason they are a little difficult to raise with other species.

Mil-tonias are found at heights up to 8000 feet in Brazil, Costa Rica, and Colombia. They require shaded sunlight. Deciduous Dendro-biums, native to India and the Philippines, must be protected from the sun during the growing season.

Cypripediums, usually called lady's slippers, are found in many lands and in a great variety of climates. Consequently they like differing amounts of sun, but all must be protected from burning. Generally the mottled-leaved types require more shade and more heat.

The problem of the amount of heat is closely allied to the matter of light. Most climates in the temperate zone require artificial heat in the orchid house to supplement that provided by the sun. Automatic controls simplify the matter, but they do not take the place of brain work.

The beginner must watch his plants carefully when it comes to orchid plant care, combining all his knowledge of orchids with solicitous observation and a strong admixture of green thumb.

Experimenting with orchids is extremely precarious because their life cycle is so long, five to seven years from seed to bloom, and the cause of damage may have been forgotten in the six or eight months before it is evident.

The grower should vary heat conditions to balance other conditions of the house and plants when it comes to orchid plant care. As in most native habitats, the temperature can be some degrees lower in winter than in summer.

This is another point on which there is difference of opinion. Some growers increase the heat a bit during the winter day, reducing it again at night to sustain balance.

The ideal set-up for growing the widely differing genera would be the three-house system. One house would be for orchids tolerating 45 to 48 degrees F. minimum night temperature in the winter—Cymbidiums, some Laelias and Cypripediums, and all Odontoglossums.

The second house would be the 'intermediate' or 'Cattleya' house, requiring moderate sun and a heat of 58 to 65 degrees F. minimum night temperature in winter. Cattleyas, allied genera, and hybrids thrive in a house of this type.

The third house would be the 'hothouse,' with a minimum night temperature in winter of 65 to 70 degrees F.

Tiny seedlings, Dendrobiums (although the deciduous type should be removed to a cooler house while resting), Cypri-pedium Maudiae, Phalaenopsis, and Vanda Sanderiana are among the types preferring conditions of this house.

The average amateur, however, will not find it practical, advisable, or necessary to have three houses. With some ingenuity one house can be adapted to serve all purposes. The so-called 'Cattleya' house lends itself most readily to this adaptation.

Heating pipes or other heating equipment may be omitted from one corner. This cooler corner, together with heavier shading and more ventilation, will approximate cool-house conditions.

A protected spot near the source of heat and away from the ventilators will substitute for a 'hothouse.' If additional protection is needed, as is necessary for very young seedlings, a glass partition may be added.

For all conditions it should be remembered that the control of heat, aside from the automatic turning on and off of the heating system, hinges directly on the amount of air and moisture allowed.

In regard to ventilation we again find varying needs among orchids. 'Cool-house' orchids require increased circulation; Cattleyas a moderate amount; and 'hothouse' orchids still less. A gentle circulation of air is specified at all times.

Strong draughts are injurious—thus the warning to the grower, when building, to tceep vents away from prevailing winds. The more crowded a house is, the more ventilation will be needed to prevent the air from becoming stagnant. Air provides the plant with carbon dioxide. Carbon-dioxide starvation can result from conditions preventing free circulation of air.

If ventilators are properly placed in the building for orchid care, warm air will rise and escape at the top of the greenhouse. Cool air will take its place and rise as it becomes warm, thereby creating a gentle circulation.

It will be necessary to experiment with the ventilators so that while adequate ventilation is provided there is not so much that moisture is carried off too rapidly. Orchids require a live, buoyant atmosphere and will quickly show the result of air that is too stagnant or dry. Flowers grown in a well-aerated house seldom show blemishing spots.

The manipulation of ventilators depends on atmospheric conditions outside as well as inside the house. In damp climates the vents may be kept open even on the coolest days. The entrance of damp air will cut down the use of water.

In a hot, dry climate, on the other hand, it may be advisable to keep vents closed to conserve the humidity of the house. At times a difficult choice between humidity and fresh air must be made—again a matter where observation and commonsense rather than hard and fast rules must be obeyed.

With the proper balance of light, heat, and ventilation there remains only moisture to round out the growth formula. The technique of watering orchids includes, besides watering in the pot, spraying and damping.

With orchids the old familiar watering in the pot is the trickiest and the most dangerous procedure. There are a few general rules to be observed. Watering or spraying should be done only with a rising temperature with orchid care.

Daily watering of plants up to three inches in height is recommended; thereafter caution is urged. Tiny seedlings should be kept wet at the roots, but must not be allowed to become soggy.

Finally, the beginner is warned once more not to acquire too many plants. There should be only as many plants as can be handled individually once a week—never less often than once every two weeks. This is the only efficacious manner of checking watering needs, to say nothing of the fact that it provides a needed check on scale, fungus, and pests.

In watering fro orchid care, the amateur again finds wide variance in the needs of the many species. When watering Cattleyas, it is well to soak the pot thoroughly and then allow the potting material almost but not entirely to dry out. The pots should not become completely dry since the bulbs may shrivel and plant growth may be retarded for at least a year.

How to take care of orchid continued here.

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