The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-23
ORCHIDS FOR EVERYBODY
GROWING THEM IN THE WINDOW
GARDEN NOT DIFFICULT.
Retting the Plants the Most CONFUSING
Thing About Their Culture-The Ten
Best Varieties to Grow nj Home-Their
Care Largely o Matter or Experience.

AnALo SaStbs AeSp
Best varieties to Grow Mt Home-Their
Care Largely o Matter OF Experience.
1T In all humbug about orchids being
only for the rich.' said q commercial orchid
grower when oomplimented on the unusual
beauty Of his plants. There are at least
fifty Of the most desirable orchids that can
be grown with no more trouble than the
average run Of greenhouse plants.
~In this country people seem to be afraid
to try an orchid In q window garden. while
England Is full of little greenhouses and
window gardens In which orchids are grown
along with geraniums. People seem to
think orchids need q different and more
difficult culture than n other variety
OF plants. r. 49,
.The truth Of the matter is that only In
one particular does the culture OF orchids
house plant-in the potting materials.
The most confusing thing about potting
! orchids Is the multiplicity Of receptacles.
baskets. RATS, cylinders and all sorts OF
c~ontrivances that are on the market for
that purpose H
"The beginner has only to remember one
point which explains many things that may
seem at first peculiar. Most Of the culti-
waited orchids are air plants; that is they
get their food from the air. So in potting
| orchids no soil should be used and the COM
, post thai takes It's place must be OF such a
nature as to admit air to the roots at all
times. The standard potting materials
arc peat and moss. which hold the neces-
sary moisture. For q beginner ! would
| recommend the use Of baskets simply be-
| cause they admit air to the roots and are
| more ornamental than pots made especially
! for orchids. 49,.
'For potting / recommend sphagnum
| moss, the COARSE leaved varieties rather
than the narrow leaved kind. and live moss
| rather thar dead moss. Both peat and
NOES can be got direct from the wamps
or bought Of an orchid dealer. There lie q
third potting material. leaf mould, with
which the orchid growers in Europe have
had unusual success. but personally I have
never been able to make much with 1t.
"The first thing. TO do when potting an
orchid 10 to provide for drama &c. They
need moro drainage than any othar plants
and at least from one-half to two-tfirds Of
!. tho pots or baskets should be filled with
drainage material While I recommend
broken bits of flower pots for other plants.
have found charcoal the most satisfactory
for orchids. Plenty OF rough. broken
pieces should be used. scattered all through.
the peat or moss.
One OF the most Important points 10
firm pottng. Orchids that wabble are
sure to perish. 1t La best to mound up
the compost 90 that the crown Of the plant
10 q little higher than the level OF the pot
or basket. In repotting be careful not to
disturb the roots. 1t is much better to
break the pots.
at IL not necessary to know q thousand
and one facts about each orchid before at
tempting to grow 1t. There are three
things, however. every n should know
before buying an orchid. First. whether
it is terrestrial or epiphytal. because the
kind Of potting depends on this; second.
whether 1t belongs to the cool. the hot or
the intermediate compartment Of green
! house culture; third, It's blooming Oeason,
because this tells its resting period.
These facts you can always get from the
dealer from whom you buy. Orchids need
| plenty Of light. air and a sufficient quantity,
Of water, but how much must be learned by
while more expensive than the more
ordinary varieties Of window garden plants
many. Of the most beautiful varieties OF
orchids arc not costly. There are plants to
wise a person desiring good blooms the first
season to pay from 81 10 IS for their plants.
The ten best orchids for growing In the
house in my opinion are as follows Cat
tleya ~trisnee, which is the largest winter,
flower; Cattleya massie, the largest spring
flower; Cattleya gigas, the largest summer
flower; Cattleya labiata. the largest autumn
flower; the baby orchid; the amateurs
| orchid; Cypripedfum insigne, the most popu-
lar and beautiful OF all the lady slippers;
Cologne c~ristata, the best white orchid;
Leila purpurata, the largest Of that particu-
lar species, and the Leila anoeps, the best
winter bloomer.
where only one plant can be cared for
and the place in which IL must be kept lie
the window Of the ordinary dwelling house
then by all means let the beginner select
the Cologne c~ristata. I would rate it
among one OF the FIVE best and most popular
orchids and by all odds the safest for the
ordinary window culture. It IL a free
bloomef n its blossoms measure four or
Ave inches across. 4.
in a few weeks 1t will be time for the
window gardener and. the flower lover
with o small greenhouse to begin putting
in plants, II they will add a few orchids
to their varieties and use ordinary intelli-
gence in oaring-fo them they will Be amply
repaid. !
IF the flowers are to be sold as cut
flowers it may be OF interest to know that