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PAGE 8 WEDNESDAY JULY 16 1986 WHITBY FREE PRESS Whitby couple cultivate exotic flowerý By JAN DODGE Free Press Staff Canada lias the fastest growlng market for orchlds of any place ln the world and Whtby growers Mal and Joy Bain have a plece of that market. At Orchld Haven whlch they operate out of their Rosaland Rd. home they are debunklng the myth that orchids are too delicate for the average person to grow. "People used to thlnk orchlds *were sensitive and only the wealthy couldgrow them,"' Mal says. '«0f course the wealthy were not ready to divulge their secrets." Mal points out a group of orchlds growlng happily on a table ln the screened porcli. On a recent coilec- tlng trip la Ecuador, he says, lie stored those plants la a cardboard box' for two weeks before planting them at home. "The care la flot dlfflcult," Joy says. She lias some on tables just like ordlnary house plants. She suggests a south window would lie a good place for some or grow liglits work weil too. For many or- chlds the care la similar to that for African violets. "«The secret la la nurturlng the plant so that you will get it la bloom," she says. "«It la alniost impossible for the plantlitself to die - unlesalt la totally neglected. " Besides belng tough, orchlds have a complets colon range, and are usually perfumed. Plants vary la size from two ladies tai] wlth dalnty one-egthinch blooms to 25 feet tai] wlth magnificent ten-Incli blooms. The main reason People like them, Mal says, la their long- lastlng bloom. fle average single bloom of a Phalaenopos lasts for thnee montis, and the plant could continue bloomlng for six montlis to thneeyears, he says. The Bains, unlike the ricli, are wuiilng la share their orchld- growlng secrets. Witli escl plant sold they include directions for its culture and they encourage people lphone for advlce. "lWe often get long distance phone calas because we have the expertise," Mal says. "If we don't know we'Il researchi the question and get back tlathem." They speak and do dlsplays and demonstrations as welI. Mal willl be featured at both the Oshawa and Pickerng Horticultural Socleties this November. Althougli some orchlds are sen- sitive, Mal says lie sella those that adapt best la this climate. There are lots la choose frons. "Nearly every country lias some orchids growing wild," lie says. Canada lias 22 native specles witli lady's-sllpper the most common. From the known 28,000 species available, the »Bains selI 150 <1f- ferent specles, the two most prominent of whlch are the Phainenopsis (the smail moth or- chld) and the Cattleya (a large blooms often used for corsages). Wlth hybridization the opportun- Ities for variations from the exlsting specles are endless. Mal says thene are about 200,000 dif- ferent orchld plants reglstered wlth the Royal Horticultural Society of England. The main difference between or- chids and ordinary house plants are the roots. The roots of both an- cher or give support, as well as brlng moisture and the necessary nutrients la the plant. House plan- ts, however, are anchored la soil. Orchlds are not. Their roots prefer the air se they wrap themselves around bark, the brandi of a tree, tree fern, heavy mosses, or cork - anythlng that wil support them. Since many are used to jungle or woodland environment, tiiey nequire moisture, but do not like sltting in water. In the natural state, Mal says the roots would be altennately washed by and dried with winds. Raina would feed the plants. with nutrien- ts plcked Up by dripping tirougli mosses and lichens. To simulate tiiese conditions la the greenhouse, where lie has some 1,000 plants, Mal lias orchlds pot- ted la an appropriate growing mediumi other than soil, set on grida over trays of stones whlch are kept wet. He also sprays the plants wlth a solution of water and fentilizer. Fans la the greenhouse keep air moving, and lndoor-outdoon car- petlag helps 'la retala molature. Open weave fabric used as blinda filtera ligit for orchids wti low and medium liglit requireements, while higli ight orchida get almost full sun. In the higi liglit area, many or- chids are not potted, but are la- stead tled la sturdy 4 by 6 inch slabs of cork. Tougli pointed roots nessembling those of twltch grass soon pierce the cork securing the plant la place. The Blalis hang from hooks on a wire grld on the wall la rows of lit- dle live wall plaques. When la bloom, Mal says, luatera of tiny orchlds often dwarf the plant. A home tempenature of 5040o degnees F at nigit with 70M8 degrees durlng the day la con- ducive laonheldd growing, con- ditions whlch fre not unusual in Whltby homes, particularly la win- ter. Although the low niglit tem- perature la not crucial to main- talalag the plant, it la crucial for setting bloom. Since most orchlda come from countries south of the equator, Mal says they bloom easlly here during the winter mon- Ilis, thein summer. Onchld Haven, la business for only five years, sella orchlds at al stages of development from seedllags la mature plants la single la individuals or businesses. The Bains, both la their nird-flfties, have 250 customera in the area, as well as a mail order catalogue business ail over Canada and the U.S. Mal estimates total customers for the business at 1,500. Mature plants seil between $18 and $35, but five seedlings cultuned la a baby food jar sell for as littie as $5. Joy ls busy now pottlng 1,000 seedllngs la individual pots for the International Orchld Centre la sell at the NE. "We have gotten so large now we have to decide whethen to go big or keep it as a smail family business," Mal says. He adnilts Orchld Haven la profitable, but says a lot of that money la ploughed hack into the business or used for travel. Orchld gnowlng for Mal actuaily stanted as a hobby ten yeara ago. Wantlng to try somethlng différent from bis gardenlng wife, lie decided on orchlds. He began wlth two, soon iad ten, and tien 200. la competition wlth ordinary bouse plants the orchida soon took oven because of thein longer blooming tinie. He built a greenhouse by exten- ding the south wail of the family roosa, followed by a larger greenhouse by extending the souti walof the livingnroom. Mal had taken early netirement from lis job at L.C.B.O. la 1977 so la 1981 declded la go commercial. At that tinie, Joy, along wlth a pan- buer, establlahed a labonalary la gnow onchlda frona seed. Tia became B&H Labo last year wlth Wayne Hilaton, a biology teacher from Uxbrldge, as partner. Hingalan lias a dlean air lali ah bis home la whlch lie cultures seeds for Orchld Haven or for customera) under stenile con- ditions. (Thene are up to 10,000 seedsIn one seed pod.) At six mon- ths la a yean they are taken la Joy's basement lali wlere she con- tinues the special cane. She holds up a quart-slzed glss sealer whlch luis been lying on its side. It contains a jelly-llke medium (agar) whlch lias sparse grass-llke spikes above Its surface, the tallest of whlchlathree quar- tera of an inchi. Thesesedng have had two years growth," she says. A hole lias been drilled la the mason jar lid, stuffed wltli lam- bswool la allow air in, then covered wlth ' foil to keep out microorgamlasms that could destroy the young plants. The next stage are the flats whlch are open and hold the growlng plants la a varlety of mediums under liglits. Joy, who likes la experiment, recently tried chancoal. "'They like it just fine," she says. "AUl they need la something la hold on la. " As they becomne large enougli she transfens eacli la Its own tiny pot, repotting and lncreasing the size of the pot as they grow. As space permits they go to the greenhouse. At about five years the plants are consldered mature. Orchld Haven la more than a business la the Bains. Their ex- citement and enthusiasmn la con- taglous. Mal taiks of hla recent collectlag trip spent wlth 26 othen onchld fanclens pollng down an Ecuadorlan river, .slogglng throgh Jungle, cllxnlg trees and mountains, ail la searcli of the lllusive orchld. He looks forwand to sharlng future tripe with Joy who la June retlred as principal of Meadowcrest Public Scbool. They are both antlclpating travel la Tokyo next Mardi where tiey wlll attend the 1Mt World Orcid Congress, "the ultimate la orchId shows," followed by a visit la Bangkok la meet some of their suppliera, and a buying trip ta Slagapore wlere they may work la a llttle collecting lao. "Tlila la a fun business," Mal SEE PO. 13