Osmundine
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Read about Osmundine in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Osmundine. The material now so largely used in this country, and also exported to Europe in quantities for the rooting medium in which to grow epiphytal orchids. Not long ago it was considered necessary to send to England for peat for this purpose, and the word peat used in this connection meant the roots of the bracken, Pteris aquilina, when growing in bog-mold. The supply of this became exhausted, owing to the enormous growth of the orchid cultivation, and it was necessary to find a substitute. The first thing tried was the mats of root-fibers of the common Polypodium vulgare as found growing on trees in large masses in the moist climate of Ireland. This was composed of a clear light brown fiber with a little humus, and could be torn off the branches in large mats 2 or 3 inches in thickness, and when cut up in suitable pieces made excellent material. However, the supply was soon exhausted and Belgium furnished a quantity which is still being used to some extent. In the meantime the roots of the two species of Osmunda so common and so widespread in this country, O. cinnamomea and O. Claytoniana, have been found to give very excellent results. These two ferns make huge masses of roots above the level of the soil, sometimes several feet square, and when these are grubbed up, or rather off the ground, sawed in slabs with a cross-cut saw, the fern rhizomes taken out, two grades of material are obtained in which any orchid will grow. The fiber at the base is coarse, black, and contains some earthy matter, and is very suitable for the culture of cypripediums, coelogynes, and other orchids like the lycastes that are more or less terrestrial. For orchids with the characteristic white aerial roots, the brown upper part of the osmundine is most suitable, as it is sponge-like in color and texture, and will not decay or become unsuitable for at least three years. Care must always be taken in potting orchids to make all firm, or too much moisture will be held in suspension by the osmundine for the roots to ramify and do well. In cattleyas imported from their native habitats, mats of polypodium are often seen which, together with the orchid roots, enable the plants to anchor securely to the trees. The nature of these fern-masses is identical with that of osmundine except that they are living, whereas the osmundine is not. It is well to use the osmundine as soon as possible after being cut up from the original piece. The pieces are best gathered in autumn, stored in a dry place for the winter's work, and cut up as needed, and if any are not used, place the clumps outdoors for the summer in a shady place where they will grow on indefinitely until wanted for use. The collection, manufacture, and export of osmundine is now quite a large industry, and the United States is supplying practically all the orchid-growing world with an admirable material, often in thousand-barrel lots, at a price below that of any other kind, with the additional advantage of being more durable than any other. The osmundas named are indigenous to all the eastern states, but the osmundine industry is confined at present to New York because of easy shipment. Osmunda regalis is not used, as it is more often found in swamps, and the root-fiber is likely to be sour. Moreover this species does not make the large clumps that the others do, making it unprofitable to gather them.
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Cultivation
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References
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
External links
- w:Osmundine. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Osmundine QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)
