The herald., 1897-06-27
RAISING ORCHIDS FROM SEED
Practical information From q Sue
cessful Grower

|
The mystery which for a long time
surrounded the cultivation Of orchids
will be dissipated by the following in
formation given by one of the most sue
cessful growers Of this beautiful plant
in New York city:
'aThe most easily grown orchids, that
is for the amateur, said this gentle
man. "are the cypripediums, laelias. ca
lanthes and dendrobiums. The condi-
tions of our northern latitude make
some cultural changes necessary, and
we should try to have the plants, after
the Towering season, rest as long as
possible, which can only be done by
keeping them very cool, dry and airy.
After resting. the bulbs should be
set on sand in seed pans or cutting boxes,
in temperature of from 60 to 65 de-
erees, the sand being kept moist so as
| to encourage new growth. After the
| young roots are fairly started there
should be no delay in getting the bulbs
potted, as there is always great danger
of breaking them. For potting material
use good fibrous turf, shaking out as
much as possible the fine soil, also a
little we'll rotted COW manure. with a
good sprinkling of sand. Good drainag,
is essential. and the best way to secure
it is by putting about ore-fourth good
clean charcoal or crooks in the bottom
of each pot.
after potting place the bulbs in a
temperature Of from IS to 20 degrees,
and they soon begin to grow. Care
should be taken not to water them too
freely until they are fairly started. A
light spray with a syringe In the morn
ing is about all that is necessary until
the pots are well filled with roots. Then
begin to give liquid COW manure twice
week, just enough fertilizer to color
the water, to begin with. This should
be increased in strength and applied
oftener as the growth advances. AS
soon as the flowers begin to open 1t is
not necessary to apply so much water;
the time they are in full bloom don't
give them any.
''It is not at all difficult to raise or
chids from the seeds. The plants are
as easily fertilized as most others, the
capsules ripen as quickly as those of
roses or carnations, and many of them
can be flowered from the seed in as lit
tie time, and in nine cases out of ten give
better results. have always found that
seeds do best in a pot containing a
plant of the same genus. In selecting a
location to SOW seed take a pot where
the compost is pressed in firmly, so that
repeated watering will not wash the seed
in too deeply to reach the surface after
termination. 1t is best to have the
sphagnum of a short stubby growth,
so as not to smother the seed. After
the seedlings appear they must be guard
ed against insect enemies until they
reach the second or third leaf. Then
they should be picked off singly and
put into two-inch pots or baskets, as
the genus may demand.
The potting material ought to consist
of finely chopped sphagnum moss or
half and half moss and peat. Fill the
pot one-fourth full of crock or charcoal
and the balance with compost, press in
firmly so as to hold the tiny plant, and
also to prevent the material from soak
ing UP too much water. This done,
place it in lightly shaded part of the
house containing plants Of the same
genus. Don't hurry it up, and give
the same kind Of treatment as older
plants, allowing water whenever the
compost appears dry"