Anyone who owns or runs an orchid farm today owes this lucrative occupation to the efforts of some of the early pioneers in orchid cultivation.
Orchids were initially considered to be difficult to germinate from seeds. Exposure to weather conditions unlike their native environment did not help either and the first botanists to attempt cultivation did not quite understand their reproductive functioning. Linnaeus divided orchids according to the positioning of the stamen and defined eight genera and 58 species of orchid. Charles Darwin, who grew orchids near his home, studied the reproduction of orchids and also their relationship with insects.
An early milestone in cultivation came from the experiments of Conrad Loddiges and Sons. An immigrant from the Netherlands, Conrad Loddiges set up his nursery in Hackney, England and produced great results with tropical epiphytes. His son, George Loddiges, continued the good work and improved on several of his father's achievements. He established what was known as the largest hothouse at the time and invented an irrigation system that sprayed mist rain onto the plants, mimicking the rain forest that was the natural environment of so many orchids.
Several orchids, including the Loddiges Dendrobium were named after him. George published 'The Botanical Cabinet' and established ties with various scientific bodies to gain further visibility. He welcomed prominent authorities in the fields of botany and horticulture. One distinguished and enthusiastic visitor had been none other than Charles Darwin. The innovations of George Loddiges influenced gardens as far afield as Russia and Australia. The business closed under Conrad's grandson, when the lease on the land they had used for the nursery expired. Some of the rare Loddiges orchids came into the possession of botanical illustrator John Day, after they were auctioned off.
In 1852, John Dominy created the first orchid hybrid between two species of Calanthe orchids. Throughout his career in horticulture, which spanned over four decades, he achieved many successes with orchids and specifically in the creation of more hybrid varieties.
The German plant collector Gustave Wallis introduced various species of orchid to Europe, during his associations with the Brussels orchid nursery L'Horticulture Internationale, to whom he sent the newly discovered Cattleya Eldorado, and also with James Veitch and Sons, who enlisted him to travel to the Philippines to acquire samples of the Phaleanopsis species. Jean Linden, owner of L'Horticulture Internationale had himself been an avid traveller and collector of orchids and had a particular fascination for orchids growing at high altitudes. One of the real challenges of those early days, was keeping specimens alive during long sea voyages. An orchid collector with a gift for pinpointing locations of new species was Benedict Roezl.
These were just some of the leading figures to play a role in the evolution of the orchid farm, as we know it.
Alan Stables is a keen gardener, and one of his specialities is caring for orchids. Given optimum environment conditions depending on the various orchid types, the correct orchid food, and the right amount of sunlight and water, you too will be able to grow beautiful orchids in no time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Stables
No comments:
Post a Comment