AUGUST 2013 STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2013 MEETINGS: Fourth Thursday each month, 7:00 p.m. * Unless otherwise noted WHERE: San Joaquin County Building 2707 Transworld Drive Stockton, California *NEXT MEETING: Thursday, August 22 nd, 2013 PRE MEETING DINNER: Denny s Restaurant Arch Road location 5:30 p.m. STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY C/O BRIAN POOT 1180 BOXWOOD WAY TURLOCK, CA Hyper tufa pots

2 2013 BOARD: President: Roelyn Poot (209) Vice President: Brian Poot (209) Treasurer: Lori Mace (209) Secretary: Pam Fish (209) Newsletter: Brian Poot (209) Board Members: Bill Poot, Steve Roberts & Maybelle Abplanalp BOARD MEETINGS: Please note, board meetings will now be held the second Tuesday of each month, at 7:00 p.m., except in December, or if that date conflicts with something else. Anyone is welcome to attend, but please call first to let them know you will be coming to make sure of the date. Thanks! We can always use new ideas & opinions for the club, as well as help with behind the scenes stuff. If you are interested, please come to a board meeting. Thx! MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION: Individual Family Contributing Patron $20/yr $25/yr $35/yr $50/yr All dues should be sent to the treasurer before the February general meeting. Membership runs January-December. Complimentary Jan. & Feb. issue if unpaid. CALENDAR: August 13 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 22 nd - General Meeting 7:00pm: Ernesto Sandoval "My Summer Sabbatical of Succulents and Such in Southern Africa" September 10 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 26 th - General Meeting 7:00pm: Country Store October 8 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 24 th - General Meeting 7:00pm: Brian Poot Lotusland slideshow OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS: (not club related) **We will also be listing other clubs shows, sales, and speakers, as well as cacti related events that may be of interest to our members. If you know of something that should be listed, please let the editor know. Thanks SUNSHINE REPORT: by Trudy Spahn HAPPY BIRTHDAY to: Roelyn Poot, Lesley Slayter, Ernie Maier, & Patty Aukland.

3 THIS MONTHS PROGRAM: Ernesto Sandoval "My Summer Sabbatical of Succulents and Such in Southern Africa" From Jan 1-Feb 28 Ernesto lived in the Cape Region of South Africa and traveled throughout southwestern Africa including a trip to the Richtersveld and twice to Namibia. Seasonally speaking that is the beginning of Summer and he hopes to convince us that it is still well worth a visit, even during the dry season. Find out what Welwitschia looks like, what Kokerbooms and Halfmens are, and which succulents grow in the fynbos and other things that he learned about succulents and desert plants that fascinate us during his time there. The Poot s will provide the raffle table this month. Everyone please bring boxes. *Reminder to Marcia Azevedo (drinks) & Maybelle Abplanalp (snacks), this is your month to bring refreshments. *We will be meeting in Greenwood 3 Room park in front. COUNTRY STORE: by Barbara Coelho The Country Store is coming again in September. We've been doing this for the last few years and it has been well received. We are asking everyone to start gathering items for this event. There will be 5 tables with raffle items: Succulent Plants, Cactus, Garden/Houseplants, Other garden items (pots, tools, etc.), Edibles (sweets, preserves, garden produce), and one more table for the silent auction items. Remember, all items are donated by you, so the more you donate, the more fun we have. Look around for duplicate plants that you can share or other plants that you just don't have the space for anymore. If you don't have plants to donate, maybe you have too many pots, duplicate garden tools, etc., that someone else would love to have. If you prefer, bring sweets (homemade or store bought, individually wrapped) or produce from your overly productive gardens. Raffle tickets will be 50 cents each, so you can buy lots, and everyone will be sure to go home with new treasures. You place your tickets on the table with the items you are interested in, so you bid on only what you want. Let's make the Country Store an even bigger success that they have been in the past. Lots of fun is guaranteed. This is another opportunity for those who missed the potluck auction to go home with some real treasures at bargain prices. We will need help calling raffle numbers. Anyone with a loud voice who is interested in calling out raffle numbers, let us know at this month's meeting. Thank You! PLANT OF THE MONTH: This month we will be talking about Gymnocalycium for cactus. We will discuss where the plants come from, what kind of temperatures they can handle & how to care for them. If anyone has the plants that we will be talking about please bring in one of yours to share with the rest of us. We would like to get volunteers to talk about a plant of the month & you will get to pick which family (genera) to talk about. Please contact Brian Poot if you would like to volunteer. NEW CLUB RAFFLE: Don't forget about the second plant raffle at the club meetings that will be strictly for cuttings & all the proceeds of the raffle will go directly to the club. So if you have plants that are getting to big & would like to bring in the cuttings to the club instead of throwing them away this is a great way to help the club. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS: Terra Lim Rosslyn Abbott John & Pat McWilliams 5445 Cosumnes Drive 3321 Worthington Drive 5560 Pleasant Valley Road Stockton, CA Modesto, CA Oakdale, CA (209) (830) (209) terralim1@att.net rosslynabbott@gmail.com

4 JULY MINI SHOW RESULTS: Novice Division, Cacti: NONE ENTERED Advanced Division, Cacti: 1 st - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Echinocereus engelmanii 2 nd - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Echinocactus grusonii Open Division, Cacti: 1 st - Bill Poot w/ Ortegocactus macdougallii 2 nd - Brian Poot w/ Gymnocalycium ochoterenae 3 rd - Brian Poot w/ Encephalocarpus strobiliformis Novice Division, Succulent: 1 st - Mike Bradshaw w/ Adenium arabicum Advanced Division, Succulent: 1 st - Steve Roberts w/ Cyphostema cirrhosa 2 nd - Lesley Shores w/ Ledebouria sp. 3 rd - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Dyckia fosteriana Open Division, Succulent: 1 st - Bill Poot w/ Monadenium schubei (Red form) 2 nd - Bill Poot w/ Euphorbia obesa x Suzannae 3 rd Roelyn Poot w/ Haworthia cymbiformis Novice Division, Blooming: 1 st - Joan Stewart w/ Gymnocalycium friedrichii Advanced Division, Blooming: 1 st - Steve Roberts w/ Euphorbia clavigera 2 nd - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Mammillaria sheldonii 3 rd - Steve Roberts w/ Stapeliopsis neronis Open Division, Blooming: 1 st - Brian Poot w/ Rhytidocaulon macrolobum 2 nd - Brian Poot w/ Luckhoffia beukmannii 3 rd - Bill Poot w/ Caralluma sp. Allied Interest: NONE ENTERED MONTHLY MINI SHOW: OPEN TO ANY CLUB MEMBERS THAT WANT TO SHOW PLANTS! The mini show, held at the general meetings, is a time when you can bring your plants, to compete against other members plants. There are 10 categories: Cacti & Succulent, (Open, Advanced & Novice Divisions), Bloomers (anything in bloom, also three divisions) & Allied Interest (dish gardens or natural planters). You may bring up to 2 from each category. The forms for judging are available to take home so that you can fill them out prior to the meeting if you wish, or there will be some at the meeting as well. The plants are judged by the members attending that meeting; Who ever receives the most votes wins that months mini show & will get their name in the next newsletter. The person(s) receiving the most votes at the end of the year will receive a gift from the club. WE ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS TO BRING PLANTS TO SHOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR! FYI: The mini show categories are Novice - those with fewer than 5 years of showing in the mini-show. Advanced those who have shown for more than 5 years in the mini-show & does not sell more than $300 in plants a year. Open those who sell more than $300 in plants a year. Also you must own the plant for at least 6 months before you can show the plant in the mini show. Brian Poot, Mini show coordinator

5 LIVING ART CREATE A VERTICAL GARDEN: by Melissa Erickson 07/10/13 Instead of framing a picture, why not frame a garden? New and now, vertical gardens are popular with urban dwellers who are pressed for space and with people who like the novelty of growing plants in an upright form. When you don t have a lot of room, gardening vertically can add a lot of greenery to your space, said Cara Meyers, co-owner of DIG, an urban/city nursery in Santa Cruz, Calif. Even if you have a large yard, vertical gardens are perfect for an otherwise boring fence or wall and can add a focal point to an outdoor room. Succulents are ideal for a vertical gardens because they grow slowly as well as close and low to the picture frame, and they have low water requirements. For visual interest, the variety of succulents such as hen and chicks, sempervivum, aeonium, echeveria, sedum and senecio will add texture and hues. I recommend sticking with a color palate when designing your succulent picture frame, such as warm or cool tones, Meyers said. Create a plant painting by using one variety of succulents, such as sempervivum for the backdrop and multiple colors of echeverias creating your focal point. Particularly a river of one or two varieties running through the picture can have a gorgeous effect, she said. A few tips to start: Use a leftover or flea market picture frame to keep costs down. Cut small buds of the succulents leaving a stem of at least 1/4-inch long. Remove old bottom leaves and place cuttings on a tray in a cool, shaded area for a few days before planting so the stem ends dry and callus. (The cuttings may shrivel up a bit.) Add a focal point with color, a cluster of succulents or a larger plant. Instead of buying succulents, ask a neighbor for clippings, since they multiply and spread so easily. How to make a living picture frame: Materials: A frame Outdoor paint or sealant A 2-3-inch shadow box that fits the back of the frame Hammer & nails Chicken wire to fit over the front of the frame Staple gun ¼-inch plywood for the backing Cactus soil Sphagnum moss 50 or more succulent clippings Pencil Weatherproof the frame with the sealant or waterproof paint. Nail the shadow box to the back of the frame. Set the wire mesh inside the frame and secure it with a staple gun, then nail a plywood backing to the back of the shadow box. Add the soil using your fingers to push soil through the wire. Soil should reach bottom of wire grid. Layer with the sphagnum to help retain moisture. Plan your design by laying out the clippings on top of the frame. Start with your focal point or work out from one corner. Create waves or spirals of color for dramatic effect. On a flat surface, use a pencil to poke holes into soil, then insert the cuttings. The florets should rest on top of the wire. Start with larger plants and fill in with smaller ones. Since the succulents will grow and fill in the space, you may see gaps and a bit a wire at the beginning. Keep the garden flat and out of direct sunlight for about two weeks to allow roots to form. Gradually acclimate the garden to direct sunlight. Do not water for first two weeks. It can be a little tricky getting the succulents to take root, and it can take up to six weeks before you can hang your picture, Meyers said. The frame will be heavy, so hang with sturdy picture hooks or simply prop it against a wall. Succulents do not need to be watered often. Lay the frame flat, water, let dry and then rehang. If indoors, place garden near a south-facing window.

6 MY DAY AT THE FAIR: by Kathy Zumbrunn This year I didn t think I had time or energy to enter my plants in the fairs, but with Barbara s gentle nudging, I finally agreed to do one! After coming home from a week s vacation in Washington, I had 2 ½ days to get 44 plants ready for show! I surrounded myself with tweezers, spray bottles, Q-Tips, small brushes, etc. and got to work. It wasn t an easy task, but it got done. On delivery day it was near 100 degrees again (what else is new!) but with help from two of my friends, we loaded up the plants in our vehicles and headed for the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock with 42 plants. Yes, two got left behind: one was just too tall to fit and the other got lost in the jumble and stayed home! I suppose the effort was worth the blood, sweat and tears as I came home with 16 first, 8 second and 9 third place ribbons, plus two Honorable Mentions and Best Of Show with my little Dyckia! It is fun to go to the fair and see all my plants amongst the others, and also to see they placed well! It is a lot of work, but I think it is worth it in the long run. Maybe some of you might try it at the San Joaquin Fair next year? Think about it. I might have enough energy next year to try two fairs again.who knows?

7 SUCCULENT SUCCESS: by Molbak s 07/14/13 5 reasons to welcome succulents into your garden Sedums, Sempervivum, & Echeveria. Why are succulents like these so delightful to grow? There are countless reasons, and here are five excellent ones: 1. They are gorgeous. If you want to incorporate a kaleidoscope of geometric patterns, unexpected colors, and cool architectural shapes into your garden, succulents are a standout choice. With a myriad of interesting leaf textures and growth habits from bold and showy to delicate and diminutive succulents possess a striking beauty all their own. 2. They don t ask for much. Forget to water your garden regularly? Succulents won t hold it against you. Plant them in well-draining soil in an area that gets plenty of light, and you need only give them a good soak once a week. You want the roots of the plant to dry out completely between waterings, which is why welldraining soil is a must and clay soils should be avoided. Note: Succulents store up water in their leaves. So the thicker a succulent s leaves, the less water it requires. 3. They re versatile problem-solvers. Succulents can be planted indoors and out, in rockeries, container gardens and borders. You can even find varieties like Sedum Ogon, that fill the spaces around stepping stones, and bounce back into shape even with heavy foot traffic. Succulents are also easy to divide and replant, so you can experiment with where you place them, and move them as you see fit. 4. Their beauty multiplies. One of the best things about succulents is how easily they propagate. Simply pluck off leaves from your plants, put them out on damp soil, and they ll sprout roots and begin to grow on their own. It s simple and fascinating to watch, and it s a low cost way to bring additional beauty to your garden. Also, as your supply of succulents grows, you can share extras with friends and neighbors. 5. They let you know if something s wrong. With enough light and well-drained soil, succulents are easy to grow. And when something s not quite right, these low-maintenance plants will give you a sign. For example, if the roots/stem turn black, it means your plant is getting too much water. Water less, and amend your soil with perlite so that is drains better. If you notice brown/black spots on your plant s leaves, it s getting sunburned. Move your plant to a location where the light is less intense. If your plant starts "stretching" getting really tall with a lot of space between leaves it s searching for light, and needs to be moved to a brighter location. JULY MEETING PHOTO'S BY STEVE ROBERTS

8 JULY MEETING PHOTO'S BY STEVE ROBERTS