Although the practice is not so common now as in the past, orchidists today, particularly in the United States, continue to import plants from the wild. Formerly, this was almost the only way to acquire orchids, but with the tremendous increase in the popularity of these plants and their more extensive commercial cultivation, they are now available in most parts of the country, readily and in general inexpensively.
All orchids-and many other plants-entering this country from abroad (except those from certified nurseries, which have been inspected and passed as clean and disease-free by agricultural authorities) are subjected to fumigation at the U .S. Department of Agriculture Plant Inspection Station nearest their point of entry. This fumigation (conducted after a thorough, careful inspection of the plants by the entomologists and pathologists of the Station) is usually a rigorous jolt to the plants, since they are placed in a sealed chamber and fumigated-generally with methyl bromide gas-under high pressure for two hours or more. The customary mortality rate for many delicate orchids so treated is discouragingly high, but it is only in this manner that such plants may be imported.
When plants are received from the fumigation station, repacked in their original cartons or containers, the following procedure should be carried out:
(I) As soon as the plants arrive, they should be carefully removed from the containers. The orchid plants are then spread out in a well- shaded, airy spot, preferably out-of-doors, so that they do not overlap one another; if open wire or lath benches are available, these are perfect for the purpose of aeration, which is most important as part of these initial preparations. Any spot that allows the just-fumigated orchids to receive a large amount of fresh, freely moving air will be suitable, but they should not be crammed into any sort of confined spot. The plants should be turned over at intervals, so that the gases residual from the gas chamber may be fully dispelled by the breezes. These gases are lethal to the orchid specimens; hence it is most important that they be driven off as rapidly as possible.
(2) The next day the plants should be given a heavy washing with tap water, either by immersion in a large pail (this is preferred), or by very thorough soaking with a garden hose. When the pail-soaking method is used, two cups or so of ordinary household sugar ( or honey) may be added to the water, and the plants allowed to stand in it for five minutes or so. This high concentration of readily available sugars seems to give the debilitated plants a much-needed boost, and in most instances speeds their recovery from the shock of the long trip plus the fumigation. Following this washing-which must be thorough-the plants should then be spread out once more, still in the shade, and allowed to drain.
(3) If the collector can be patient for this length of time ( and this is often rather difficult! ), potting of the new imports should not be done until about one week or more after their arrival. Certain experts recommend the immediate potting of newly arrived specimens, but I have found that this often causes excessive rot and loss, evidently because not all of the noxious gases have managed to free themselves from the roots and rhizomes. The plants to be potted are carefully trimmed of all dead or decaying parts-with all cut surfaces dusted with flowers of sulphur or one of the new rot-inhibiting substances- and labels are made for each specimen.
With most orchids, division of large specimens into smallish clumps should be made, since this generally accelerates the production of new roots and eventual growths. There is no reason to leave old, shrivelled or almost dead pseudo bulbs or stems on a plant. It seems, rather, to start better if such defunct portions are carefully removed before potting.
Since newly imported plants are likely to have no live roots, a special "establishing" procedure is strongly recommended. The new arrivals should be placed in proportionately small pots, in compost, which induces rapid root-production, though it may not necessarily be the compost in which the plants will later be kept. For this purpose, under most conditions, a mixture of chopped tree-fern fibre (or small chunks of tree-fem), with an equal amount of one of the new bark preparations, plus a smaller quantity of chopped sphagnum moss, is most acceptable. This is packed as firmly as possible around the remaining roots of the plant, and if necessary (as it usually is) a staple or two, made from a length of galvanized wire, may be placed over the rhizome and pushed well down into the potting medium, to hold the plant firmly in position. For tall or top-heavy specimens, it is often helpful to use a galvanized tie-stake, with twine or plastic-covered wire to maintain the plant in an upright position. The label is put into the pot, or affixed to the plant, and the potted orchid is then ready to go outside to the greenhouse or lath-house.
(4) Immediately after potting, the compost and all parts of the plant should be thoroughly soaked, so that water runs copiously from the container for some time after. A drying-out period of about one week should then be afforded, in the case of most orchids, during which only a slight spraying should be given at frequent enough intervals to avoid undue shrivelling of the plant. At the end of this week, regular watering should begin. Within a few weeks, new green-tipped roots generally appear, and in many instances, growths begin to show.
When I fertilize my orchid collection, which I do about every two weeks, I include these newly imported plants in this fertilizing schedule, provided at least one week has elapsed after their initial potting and thorough watering. Such new plants should be kept in a semi-shaded spot until root-action is rather advanced; this usually requires at least two or three months. They may then be moved to their presumed permanent situation in the collection.
(5) At the end of six to eight months ( in most cases) , the new imports are ready for transplanting into larger pots and, if necessary, to a different types of compost and/or container. Many orchids grow well in the basic mixture noted in section 3 above. Such types may not need transferral until they have outgrown their container or the pot- ting medium has become exhausted. Many others, though, need to be removed at this stage from their small "establishing" pots into other containers, or into other composts for best all-round results.
For example, many orchids do better on tree-fern slabs or rafts, once they have become well established and rooted. I find, however, that when newly imported orchids are placed directly on such slabs or rafts -without adequate root-systems-they generally require many months to become established, and often do not do especially well for years to come. The system of growing new imports at first in "establishing" pots is therefore strongly recommended for those orchids in particular.
Roger writes: This excerpt was taken from the book "Orchids" by Alex D. Hawkes. Printed in 1961.
As many of you will know, I regard Alex Hawkes as one of the best, and his book "Encyclopaedia of Cultivated Orchids" I often call "The Bible". Maybe I should sometimes call him 'God'.
Keeping within the law, I have copied this information purely for the interest and knowledge of our orchid growing members.
