JANUARY 2017 STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2017 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, January 26 th, 2017 PRE MEETING DINNER: Denny s Restaurant Arch Road location 5:30 p.m. STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY C/O BRIAN POOT 5617 ANADA COURT SALIDA, CA 95368

2 2017 BOARD: President: Lesley Slayter (209) Vice President: Brian Poot (209) Treasurer: Roelyn Poot (209) Secretary: Faye Sutton (209) Board Members: Jerry Slayter, Bill Poot & JD Wikert Newsletter: Brian Poot (209) BOARD MEETINGS: Please note, board meetings will now be held the second Wednesday 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 $20/yr Family $25/yr Contributing $35/yr Patron $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: January 10 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 26 th - General Meeting 7:00pm: Ernesto Sandoval - Growing and Propagating Hardy Aloes February 15 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 23 rd - General Meeting 7:00pm: To Be Determined March 8 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 23 rd - General Meeting 7:00pm: To Be Determined OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS: (not club related) None SUNSHINE REPORT: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to: Roger Coelho, Leslie Oliver & Edward Aldrete.

3 THIS MONTHS PROGRAM: Ernesto Sandoval The January program will be presented by Ernesto Sandoval; he will give a talk on: Growing and Propagating Hardy Aloes The UC Davis Botanical Conservatory and Ernesto have been experimenting with a greater diversity of aloes here in Northern California. Ernesto would like to share his experience with growing and propagating aloes beyond some of the common species such as A. comosa, melanacantha, peglerae, hereroensis and other cool/wet tolerant species. He ll touch on the more and less available Aloes. Although his talk is focused for Northern California conditions, he ll touch on those that are less suitable for our climate and more suitable for Southern California or parts of the Bay Area. As always, he ll bring a selection of uncommon succulents, Aloes, and other plants for your Collection and gardens and to help the Botanical Conservatory s programs. Biography: Ernesto Sandoval has been wondering and seeking questions to why plants grow and look the way that they do for a long time. Now he explains and interprets the world of plants to a variety of ages and experiences from K-12 to professionals and Master Gardeners. He regularly lectures to a variety of western Garden Clubs throughout the year and particularly to Succulent Clubs throughout the State and elsewhere since that group of plants is his particular passion within his general passion for plants. He describes himself as a "Jose of All Plants, Master of None." Ernesto thoroughly enjoys helping others, and gardeners in particular, to understand why and how plants do what they do. When he was about 13 he asked his dad why one tree was pruned a particular way and another tree another way. His dad answered bluntly "because that's the way you do it. Since then he's been learning and teaching himself the answers to those and many other questions by getting a degree at UC Davis in Botany and working from student weeder/waterer to Director over the last 25 years at the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory. He's long left the "mow blow and go" monoculture landscape gardening world and has immersed himself in the world of polyculture and biodiversity by growing several thousand types of plants at the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory, many of them succulents. Several of his favorite garden projects involved converting lawns and or water loving landscapes to drought tolerant and diversity filled gardens! He likes to promote plant liberation by encouraging gardeners of all sorts to grow more plants in the ground when possible. He loves the technical language of Botany but prefers to relate information in more understandable methods of communication! By helping people to understand the workings of plants he hopes to help us better understand how to and why our plants do what they do and how we can maximize their growth with less effort. * Ernesto will provide the raffle table this month. *Reminder to the Poot's (drinks) & the Ackerman's (snacks), this is your month to bring refreshments. *Reminder that we need someone to volunteer to be the greeter this month MINI-SHOW WINNERS: Novice: Joan Stewart with 30 points Advanced: Barbara Coelho with 92 points Open: Bill Poot with 40 points Congratulations to all the winners. We had a total of 14 different participants throughout the year & I hope to see more of you participate this year. It is so nice to see such a great number & variety of plants at each meeting.

4 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE: by Lesley Slayter Hi all, Hoping everyone had a joyous holiday season & your New Year has started well! It was great to see all who came to the Christmas party dinner & auction. Thanks to everyone who donated things & to those who bought them, as well as the people who brought food dishes to share. A big thank you to Mary Bertken, & those who helped her set up, for decorating the tables, bringing the tree & hand making/sewing some beautiful items! It really made the meeting hall look Christmassy!!! This years food was catered by Mary's own son with his business partner Rob from Rob's Smokin' Rub. Personally I thought the food was very good. I was a bit rushed to do things so didn't get to socialize much, so I apologize if you were one of those I didn't end up sitting down & speaking with. The night went well though & I had fun. Hoping you did too! As for this year, we the board can always use any help we can get. We have speakers we usually use, but if you have ideas for meetings please let me know or even better, come to a board meeting! All are welcome & coming doesn't put you on the board or anything. Just share an opinion or idea. We can always use new ideas & even more so, helpers. We also need fund raising ideas & help. As I said last year, we do not have a lot of help; ESP with setting up outings & activities. So if anyone wants to help with that, please give me a call. (Please do not me!) It is much needed & would be truly appreciated. And like I have told everyone in the last newsletter & October meeting, this year will be the test to see if our club continues on a monthly basis, does outings, etc, OR goes down to 4 meetings a year for 2018 or we just dissolve the club. Both of which I would hate to see & why I am still President. I will do my best to get good speakers, schedule some outings & a few workshops, but because of my health you may see others leading meetings & those things at times. I/we could sure use help making calls, getting workshops scheduled & items picked up, help with getting our clubs name out there, etc...very few do all the work for this club & it gets hard to continually do that. I do hope that you all will come to the meetings & participate even more this year. Remember, this is your club & your participation is what makes it fun for all! Also that I get to know the new members & those I haven't been able to yet, hopefully better this year! Please come up & say hi... I don't bite. See you at the January meeting. We have a great speaker who always brings good plants for sale & the raffle! Sincerely, Lesley Slayter, Pres. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS: Carol Swope 2316 Dana Lane Modesto, CA (209) 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; whoever 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 SUCCULENT PLANTS LOOK GOOD IN LANDSCAPE: by Rick Gibson Do you have a saguaro, prickly pear, or a century plant in your landscape? If so, you get to enjoy the beauty and interest of a succulent plant. Cacti and other succulents are popular landscape plants here in the desert Southwest and there naturally are many questions about these intriguing plants. From the often spectacular flowers to their relative hardiness and nonchalance about heat and drought, these plants definitely have a place in our landscape plant palette. Let s take a quick look at some of the more important facts about these plants. When we speak of succulent plants, we are talking about the wide variety of plants that have the capacity to store water for future use. Think of the saguaro and how it swells and shrinks as it transitions between wet and dry conditions. All succulents have this capacity. A mesquite tree, on the other hand, does not have near the capacity for water storage as the roots pretty much pick up the water from the roots and by a direct line carry the water to the leaves without much pause along the way. This is not to say that there is no flexibility within non-succulents to withstand some drought conditions. They do have some flexibility, but that is a story for a different time Succulents are also different from other plants in that they have a different way of creating energy from sunlight, the process of photosynthesis. Most plants end up with a three-carbon sugar after it is all said and done. Some plants create a 4-carbon sugar which give them a leg up over the 3-carbon guys, but the succulents have an entirely different pathway called the Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, or CAM for short. I will not bore you with the details right now but just know that this difference gives the plants a huge lift in dealing with desert conditions. When it comes to keeping plants healthy, whether in low water use landscapes, or in the middle of a long term drought, the succulents are among the most resistant. There is also a huge variety in the make up of the succulents. Cacti definitely fall within the succulent group, but not all succulents are cacti. The agaves, yuccas, and aloes are also succulents. It is important to know the difference. Cacti fall within the major division of the flowering plants that have two food storage organs in the seed. We call this group dicots. The agaves and yuccas are monocots, meaning that they only have one storage area. When it comes time to control (monocot) grassy weeds in a broadleaf (dicot) hedge, these differences become of extreme importance. That also is a topic for the future. Getting back to our topic, let s look at the landscape benefits of succulents. First up is the color and variety of flowers. Spring is the time of year to look for and enjoy the inherent beauty of desert flowering plants. Succulent plants bloom with an entire rainbow of colors. For example, many absolutely love the vivid violet of the hedge hog cactus, the waxy white flowers of the yucca, the brilliant red of the ocotillo, the blues of the tiny mammillaria cactus, and the yellows and oranges of the prickly pear. Combined with the bright and cheery yellows of brittlebush and palo verde, a desert landscaped yard can be absolutely spectacular. Another feature that succulents provide in the landscape is the variety of shapes and sizes. From the thick, juicy leaves and stems of the agaves to the fleshy pads of the prickly pear, there is a huge opportunity to inject variety and diversity into otherwise drab landscapes. The downside, of course, is that these plants have thorns; sharp and sticky thorns. The threat provided by these plants can be offset easily though by placing them in a low traffic area. Some choose to clip the spines at the tips and margins of the leaves of agaves with fingernail clippers or pruning shears to protect passers by and to gain access to clean out weeds near the center of the plant. Some species of cacti are relatively thornless Among the various succulent plants available to desert gardeners are the many species of Agave and Yucca, most of which are well-adapted to the harsh desert climate. Both species have thick, fleshy sword-shaped or strap-shaped leaves coming from a central core, and central flower stalks that come out of the terminal to support white or creamy white flowers. These plants make great specimen plants that attract the gaze and give an authentic feel to desert landscapes. The century plant, Agave americana, is one of the most popular of the Agave species. Its large size and its blue-green color make it a favorite in our area. The plant gets its name from the mistaken idea that it flowers only after 100 years of life. These plants actually flower after 10 to 15 years with a large central stalk that is, in itself, impressive. Other agaves include the A. filafera, A. parryi, A. victoriae-reginae, and A. vilmoriniana, the octopus agave. Continued on next page.

6 SUCCULENT PLANTS LOOK GOOD IN LANDSCAPE: Continued Popular Yucca species include Spanish bayonet, Y. aloifolia, the Datil yucca, Y. baccata, the Joshua Tree, Y. brevifolia, and the soap tree yucca, Y. elata. Members of the Agave and Yucca genera prefer soil with good drainage and do not flourish when their roots are kept continually wet. For this reason, it is a good idea to make sure that the soil dries out regularly between irrigations to ensure good root health. It is also a good idea to group these plants with other plants that have a similar water requirement to ensure proper irrigation. The only a few insect pests that are important to succulents. The agave snout weevil, a one-inch long black beetle with a long nose, attacks the agaves, but not the yuccas or aloes. The adult weevils are active during the warm months of early summer and finish their life cycle by laying their eggs at the base of a leaf. The young larvae burrow into the soft tissue of the plant and introduce a harmful bacterium that rots away moist plant cells. It is upon this decomposed organic material that the larvae feed. Heavy infestations of the weevil can lead to a rapid breakdown of important water and nutrient conducting tissues which in turn causes a gradual drying of the plant. The first symptoms will be a general wilting of lower leaves, but over time, the entire plant eventually dries out. Once the plant is dead, the plant usually can easily be pushed over by hand. Agave snout weevil can be controlled with a liquid insecticide application labeled for use landscape use every two weeks during the months of May through July when the adults are active. Apply the insecticide to the base of the leaves to kill the adults. Granule formulations can be added to the soil underneath the plant to kill larvae. The long horn cactus beetle has a healthy appetite for prickly pear and other cacti. The cochineal scale looks like a fuzzy fungus but is really an insect. It also likes prickly pear cacti. Other pests of succulent plants are cottontail rabbits and the antelope jack rabbits native to the desert. Vertebrate pests can screened or walled out for the protection of the plants. For those who crave a lush but water stingy landscape, Agave and Yucca succulents can spice up any desert landscape and give it that finished look. SUCCULENTS ARE VERSATILE, EASY TO GROW: by Jennifer Smith Over the last decade or so, succulent plants have gone from being a niche of the indoor plant industry to being available in nearly every garden center, hardware, grocery, and even some retail stores. Why are they getting so much attention? Probably because they are easy to grow, look pretty in a variety of designs and displays, and offer so much versatility. The term succulent is a common name given to a large group of plants characterized by thick, fleshy stems and/or leaves that store water. They might remind you of cacti without the prickly spines. Cacti are succulents, but they are only one family within the larger group. Other succulents typically lack spines. If you have been tempted to buy the cute little pots of succulents that are widely available right now, go for it. All they really need is a window and a little bit of love. Succulents are a great choice for beginners and for experienced gardeners. About that window most succulents need a half day or more of bright light. Although you might be tempted to set them on a desk, a shelf, or end table, do so only for staging or guests. The overhead lights in your home are simply inadequate for succulents and most other indoor plants. Experienced growers may wish to use grow lights or a stand to optimize growth. Love is a temperamental thing for plants. They need care, but more indoor plants are probably lost to too much love rather than the lack of it. Over-watering is the biggest risk to success with growing succulents. For best results, water succulents when soil is dry below the surface (use your finger or a craft stick to check). This could be every day in your warm, dry, sunny window, or once every two weeks in your cool, humid window with a half day of indirect light. Try to water before the soil completely dries out, though, as potting mix is like a sponge that is hard to re-wet once completely dry. When watering, set succulents in the sink or bathtub, or use saucers. Wet the soil until it is completely moistened and water comes out the bottom of the pot. Allow excess water to drain from the pot before putting it back in the window. If using saucers, dump any excess that remains after a few minutes. Remember that plants water needs change with the seasons because of changes in day length, temperature, humidity and growth rate. Fertilize as desired when plants are actively growing. Succulents are survivors, so they can get by with the minimal supplementation as long as they are occasionally re-potted. (Most commercially available potting mixes contain fertilizer.) Fertilize more frequently only if you want to up the growth rate. Pests are rare, but keep an eye for them just in case. Common indoor plant pests include scale insects, mealybugs, spider mites, and aphids. Popular, easy-to-grow succulents for indoors include multiple varieties of crassula, echeveria, aeonium, bromeliads, and others. Most of them are sold with tags only identifying them as a succulent, though, so unless you want to impress your gardening friends, just look for a plant shape and color that meets your fancy. Many succulents are also suitable for growing outdoors, including the ever-popular sedum.

7 DECEMBER MEETING PHOTO'S BY BRIAN POOT

8 DECEMBER MEETING PHOTO'S BY LESLEY SLAYTER & MAYBELLE ABPLANALP STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM Annual dues (January-December 2017) Single Membership.$20.00 Family Membership...$25.00 Contributing $35.00 Total Due$ Please Print: Name(s) Address City State Zip Do you want the newsletter Phone ed to you - Check 1 Yes No Birthday (Month Required) *Please mail this form, along with a check made payable to the Stockton Cactus & Succulent Society to the membership chairperson before the February general meeting to continue receiving the newsletter. Roelyn Poot East Hwy 120 Ripon, CA 95366