Orchid Care Blog

The cycle will continue only if the...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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The cycle will continue only if the grower devotes the utmost attention to the special requirements of the orchid.

The reward for his devotion comes when the brilliant bloom and beauty of the tropics is reproduced in the greenhouse.

No hard and fast rules can be set down for the beginner to follow.

It has been said that each grower in his own greenhouse, within limitations established by the plants, is a law unto himself.

The amount of each element in the light-heat-moisture-air formula will vary according to season, experience, and variety.

One of the things that make the growing of orchids unique and stimulating is the spirited controversy that arises over every aspect of culture.

One of the many points on which there is no incontroversial procedure is the matter of how much light should be admitted.

It must be decided whether to grow the plants 'soft' or 'hard,' to use the parlance of experienced growers.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

If the greenhouse faced east-west, the battens...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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If the greenhouse faced east-west, the battens would run up and down rather than lengthwise.

The entire wood structure may be oiled with linseed oil or painted.

The following material is required for a 9x12 greenhouse with a 30 degree roof: 3-2 x 3 x 12 feet 9-3/4-inch pipe flanges 8-1 x 2 x 6 feet 3-3/4 x 7-inch pipe nipples 10-1 x 2 x 5 1/2 feet 6-3/4 x 6-inch pipe nipples 130-1/4 x 1 1/8 x6 feet galvanized nails and screws THE grower's task, and it is no easy one, is to set in motion the complicated growth processes of the orchid plant, and, through maintenance of proper balance, insure continuation of that process.

Using the energy provided by light, the green leaf chlorophyll transforms the carbon dioxide from the air and the mineral salts from moisture into sugar and other carbohydrates.

These energy carbohydrates are stored until needed either for rebuilding plant tissue or for flowering.

The pseudobulbs of some types, the large leathery leaves of others, and the slender grass-like leaves of orchids lacking pseudobulbs are the storage reservoirs.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

Small wood wedges were placed on each...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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Small wood wedges were placed on each side of the flanges on the ridge, so that the flange is on a flat surface.

Cross pieces, from the center ridge to the side members, were 1 x 2's, nailed level to the side members and to the bottom of the center ridge.

This permits putting small pieces of wood or strap iron at the top of the center ridge to hold the sections of slats down.

Each section of slats, consisting of battens (slats) 1/4 x 11/8 spaced 1 inch apart, is 6 feet wide and extends from the ridge to just below the eave on the greenhouse.

Battens are nailed to 1 x 2's and held to the side members with bolts and thumb nuts.

The greenhouse in the illustration runs north and south, and it was necessary to put a small framework of battens on the south of the house in the space between the main framework and the greenhouse (shown in photograph).

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

One bench might be left without piping...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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One bench might be left without piping for this purpose.

Warmer-growing plants can be placed in the warmest part of the greenhouse.

Plants requiring direct sun, like Laelias and Cattleya gigas, can be placed right up against the glass.

Whatever form of shading is used may be varied from one part of the roof to another to provide special conditions.

Plants will have to be moved about the house until observation shows the spot in which a particular species will thrive best.

SLAT SHADING The framework and slats for the greenhouse illustrated in Plate VII were made of dry redwood.

It is essential to use dry lumber for the slats or there will be considerable warping.

The center ridge and side members were made of 2 x 3's and attached to the greenhouse with pipe flanges and nipples.

Seven-inch nipples were used for the center ridge and 6-inch for the sides; the finished framework is then equidistant from the glass.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

It is conveniently placed for this purpose...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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It is conveniently placed for this purpose and will be warm in winter.

These plans are not for the 'ideal' greenhouse, if there is any such thing.

The ideal, of course, would be three greenhouses.

The first would be for the cool-growing orchids like Cymbidiums, some Cypripediums, and Odontoglossums, and would be kept at a minimum winter temperature of 48 degrees F. at night.

The second, which might be called the intermediate house, would be kept at 60 to 65 degrees, a temperature suitable for Cattleya and allied genera.

The third, or hothouse proper, would have a minimum night winter temperature of from 68ø to 700, making it suitable for Phalaenopsis, Vandas, Dendrobiums, and the mottled-leaf slippers like Cypripedium Maudiae.

Most amateurs, however, lack space and resources for three houses, and with ingenuity one house can be departmentalized.

A section away from the source of heat and infrequently pene trated by the sun should be selected for the orchids preferring coolness.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

The disadvantage of this layout is that...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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The disadvantage of this layout is that heat may be lost by backing up into the city system.

The side-arm heater system with two-inch pipe is only suited for a small house in a mild climate.

For the larger house in a mild climate it may be operated by a boiler or Arcola type of heater.

Where temperatures drop below zero the pipe should be four inches, and heat should be supplied by an oil or coal boiler.

The gravity system is probably not practical for the larger house.

In such circumstances a circulating pump can be used to force the water through the pipe.

The pump must be kept in good condition, for, if it should freeze, water will not circulate and the boiler may explode.

The chimney should be taller than the roof and designed to keep injurious fumes from the house.

Many amateurs use the shed housing their heater as a potting shed.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

The water passes through the coils and...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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The water passes through the coils and rises as it is heated to the highest point (A).

As the water heats, it expands, forcing some up into the expansion tank (9), which is open to the air at 10. Gravity carries the water to B, a drop of one-half in three inches being allowed.

From B the water falls to the pipe (D-D), which is level with the ground, causing equal amounts of water to flow to both points.

Water then flows from D down both sides of the house and back to F under the same drop as it did from A to B. From F there is another drop back to the heater and the process is repeated.

A water outlet (8), outside the shut-off valve, is provided for watering the house.

The 'closed' system is similar to the 'open' system outlined above, but has a reduction valve from the city system and should have a 'bleeder' so that the maximum water pressure in the pipe does not exceed 28 pounds pressure per square inch.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

Where severe winters prevail, hot-water or steam...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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Where severe winters prevail, hot-water or steam systems with coal or oil burners will be required.

There are many types from which to choose, but only one can be examined here in any detail.

The simple gravity system has been found very efficient for small greenhouses (nine by twelve feet to twelve by fifteen feet).

The best pipe for this or any system is the one and a half or two-inch hot-dipped galvanized, rust-resistant type.

Black pipe is a good conductor of heat but is more susceptible to rust from the constant damp.

In the sketch (Plate vn) the gas enters through a valve (1) and goes to the solenoid valve (2) (controlled by the thermostat [11]).

From there it goes to the copper coil side-arm heater (coils should be at least % inch), which is controlled by a pilot light.

Water enters the heater through the shut-off valve (7), which is closed after the pipes are filled.

A valve (6) is used to drain the system.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

The simplest heating systems can be considered...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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The simplest heating systems can be considered only expedients-some of them dangerous ones.

The fumes of a kerosene stove are disagreeable to humans but a few orchids in a tiny house.

In case of emergency, and many an amateur has set the alarm for the middle of the night to refill the stove against the cold.

A type of gas floor furnace, well vented and with the flame not directly open to the house, has been found satisfactory for the small greenhouse.

Humidity must be maintained to offset dryness.

Open gas heaters are a menace in the greenhouse, for if the flame is accidentally put out the fumes will quickly kill the plants.

Electric heaters are too drying and too concentrated for plants near by and do not provide enough warmth for plants some distance away.

More elaborate systems are required for a completely satisfactory solution of the heating problem.

For areas where the temperature does not fall below zero, hot-water systems operated by thermostatically controlled gas are very satisfactory.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara

Walks may be of brick or rough...

Here are more orchid-growing tips (continued from my last post)...

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Walks may be of brick or rough concrete.

Durable wood walks are more comfortable to stand on and, if constructed of slats, will dry out rapidly enough.

They do, however, provide hiding places for slugs and other pests, including rats.

Aisles between benches should be wide enough so that one may walk comfortably without fear of breaking off new shoots, damaging flowers, or knocking down pots.

Heating is perhaps the most vexing problem concerning orchid housing.

Fear of heating failure, which may leave orchids exposed to the disastrous cold of freezing weather, causes the sleepless nights of many an orchidist.

One amateur has gone so far as to have an alarm bell rigged up in his bedroom to warn of any heating failure.

Most of the worry can be avoided if enough thought goes into a heating plan well in advance of construction.

Visits to the houses of other growers, discussions with them of the merits of different systems, conferences with a local plumber or heating expert, and investigation of available material will be worth all the time and effort so spent.

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I'll post more orchid care tips soon!

- Sara