REMOVING USELESS LEAVES AND BULBS
An unsightly appearance is given to many collections of Orchids by the
presence on some of the plants of a number of damaged or yellow leaves.
These are often supposed to be the result of bad cultivation, and, in
some cases, rightly so. But in all collections of Orchids the old
leaves, even of the evergreen species, do not pass off naturally as they
do in their native habitats, where they have the natural seasons with
their climatic changes to cause the leaves to fall naturally. When
cultivated under glass, the species which are known as evergreen kinds
retain their old leaves long after they would have passed away in their
native wilds; and not only that, but they decline and become unsightly
for years under glass, instead of passing away in a few months.
Consequently many Orchids in collections often carry at least twice as
many leaves as they ought to do, and the oldest are the most unsightly.
A ready example of this kind is given by most collections of
Masdevallias. The leaves are usually densely packed, many of the older
ones shabby, and not only unsightly in themselves, but interfering with
the full development of the new growths.
Masdevallias have no developed pseudo-bulbs, but a joint will be seen
where the leaf-blades join the basal stems; all damaged leaves should be
cut off just above that joint, and it will be found that some of the
plants will be benefited, both in appearance and condition, by having
from one-third to one-half the number of their old and damaged leaves
removed. The same remarks apply to all Orchids of similar growth, such
as Pleurothallis and Octomerias, and indeed to the species generally,
for damaged or decaying leaves can be of no assistance in the
development of the plant, unless in exceptional cases where the grower
must use his own discretion.
USELESS PSEUDO-BULBS
If an imported Orchid such as a Cattleya or Laelia, which has been
cultivated under glass for several years and has many pseudo-bulbs, be
turned out of the pot and the roots freed from the potting material, it
will be seen that the new roots which nourish the plant are confined to
the freshest pseudo-bulbs, and that the roots beneath the older
pseudo-bulbs are in such a condition that they are useless in the
economy of the plant. This fact goes to show that the old pseudo-bulbs
are being supported by the newer growths, and, that they are seriously
impeding the full development of the flower-producing part of the
specimen. In such cases it is a common thing to see large specimens
collapse and die off, the decay being traceable to the old bulbs in the
centre of the plant. It is, therefore, better to remove old pseudo-bulbs
behind the last three or four leading ones, and, if it is desired to
retain all leading portions of a large mass in one pot or pan to form a
specimen, they should be potted together, when it will be found that,
given reasonable treatment, they will make better specimens than if left
in a mass. In the case of varieties that need to be propagated, the
pieces removed should be placed in comparatively small Orchid pans or
baskets, properly labelled, and in due time useful and often valuable
specimens may be secured from material which would only have been
detrimental to the parent plant. The same kind of treatment will be
found equally beneficial in the case of garden hybrids which have been
cultivated long enough to have a number of back bulbs. In such cases the
plants frequently degenerate after the first two or three years, until
they produce inferior flowers, but the removal of the back pseudo-bulbs
results in giving the flowering growths the full benefit of the root
action, and consequently the plants again produce flowers of good
quality.
Potting time is a very convenient season to give special attention to
the removal of useless leaves and pseudo-bulbs, as the plants can be
readily handled when they are out of the pots.
All useless parts removed should be taken out of the house and burnt. It
is a common practice to throw the leaves under the stage. No rubbish of
this, or any other kind, should be allowed in the Orchid house, as it
forms a harbour for insects and is, in other respects, objectionable.