Orchid Society of Coral Gables

Transcription

1 FEBRUARY 2016 Orchid Society of Coral Gables The Orchid Society of Coral Gables is a non-profit organization established for the purpose of showing the cultural and economic importance of the orchid, as well as the intrinsic beauty, and biological and ecological importance of this group of plants. We promote the scientific research and study of orchids including their classification, evolution, propagation, culture, care, and development. Additionally, we support the conservation of orchids in nature, and disseminate educational information and knowledge about the orchid family to the general public. Highlights in this Issue February Tips Good Advice from Dr. Motes Page 3 First Place at Tamiami! Our Society Wins Again! Page 4 Monthly Checklist from AOS What to do each month Page 11 Beautiful Photos from the January Meeting Thanks to Ron! Pages 6-7 Februar y Meeting Tuesday, Februar y 2, 7:30 pm. Jeff Adkins, AOS Judge, Adkins Orchids How to Know and Make the Perfect Orchid Habitat We welcome to our society a familiar face to many of us. Jeff Adkins is an AOS Accredited Judge, an avid orchid grower with his own nursery, and also a greenhouse builder. He is a past President of the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society. Jeff will be speaking to us on How to Know and Make the Perfect Orchid Habitat. Whether it be in a yard, in a tree, in a greenhouse, or whevever, how do you know what is working or what you should do to make it work! Jeff is a very interesting, informative, and entertaining presenter that you should not miss out on seeing. He will also be suppling our raffle table, and will be selling from his nursery too. Beautiful plants! Don t miss it! One of Jeff s displays at an orchid show

2 ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES President s Message Beginner s Class: 6:45 pm Open Forum Night Bring any topic, question, idea, example, etc. February days are a marketing gimmick: Love happens every day. --Randeep Hooda PAGE 2 Hello Members, I enjoyed sharing our latest program last month with the society - The Four Horseman. From your response, I believe you enjoyed it too! With January came the Tamiami Show. We did it again! We won the AOS Show Trophy, eight years running. We also received, for the first time, a Silver Certificate, which means we scored over 85 points! And there was some excellent competition this year. Thanks to everyone who contributed by bringing in display plants and helping set up the display. It was a real team effort. It turned out beautiful. There is more in the newsletter on this great success. Thanks again, to everyone. So we are off to a great start to the 2016 orchid show season. And what is right around the corner but our own show hosted by the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. It s never too early to begin preparing for this important event. I will have more to share about the show at the meeting on Tuesday. And what can I say about our weather? What has happened to our dry season? What I can say is that we all have to be diligent in caring for our orchids during this period. Longer days are triggering many orchids to begin their blooming cycle sooner than we are used to. Others are shooting out new growth. Both blooms and growth are tender so we have to make sure we protect them from this unusual wetness. This means fungicide and awareness. Usually we have stopped using fungicide during the winter. But this wet winter calls for additional applications. And checking for rot daily. Looking at your plants daily will catch any outbreaks of black rot. We have generally had so far a very mild winter, but it only takes one cold snap to do damage to your plants. Keep an eye out for the evening lows and take precautions, according to your type of plants. And if we have a few dry days and you have to water, remember to water in the morning, if possible, so plants can get the moisture they need, but dry off before the cooler evening. Nobody likes going to bed with cold wet feet. At our house, one of the results of this warm weather is a very abundant Carambola crop! I have many more Carambolas than I can use. And let me tell you, they are one of the sweetest Carambolas I have ever had. So, if you are interested in having some, bring a plastic bag to the meeting. I am bringing a couple of boxes of these delicately sweet fruits to the meeting - first come, first serve. Just don t forget to bring a bag - I m afraid I don t have many at home for everyone. Last year at this time, I had an Open Forum Night for the Beginner s Class. It was a great success, and I will do it again this month. Bring any question, idea, or topic you may be interested in to the forum, and I will try to answer your questions. No question is off limits or too dumb. If you want to know, so do other people! And in case there are not questions, I will also be talking on Cattleya leudemmanniana which are blooming right now. See you at the meeting, Jim

3 FEBRUARY 2016 Tasks for Februar y from Dr. Motes Spread snail bait lightly. Spread again lightly in two weeks. Spray for Botrytis using Florida recommended fungicides or Bicarbonate of soda Begin Spring repotting. Watch for mites. Februar y in Your Orchid Collection from Dr. Motes Monday, February 15, 2016 Despite the bloom on the avocados and the burgeoning new leaves on the live oaks, February is not spring in South Florida. Danger of freeze continues past mid month and frost can occur still into March. Even if the weather is balmy it's too early to let down our guard or take down any protection we have mounted against the cold. The trend however is toward the positive as each lengthening day brings extra hours of warming sunshine to begin waking our plants from their long winter's rest. February characteristically brings a wide swing of day to night temperatures, ideal for spiking ascocendas and vandas but also wringing from the air heavy dews and dense fog. Whilst these add a romantic atmosphere to the South Florida landscape, Wuthering Heights is singularly devoid of snails and slugs (much less Botrytis). The silvery carpet of dew provides a silky path to our orchids for snails and slugs which can range far, under these favorable conditions. They are eager to make a nice meal of your Phalaenopsis leaves or the soft crowns of your vandas before they retire during the dry months of March and April only to dream of the fresh shoots of the sympodial orchids brought forth by the first rains of May. Now is the time to give them a rude awakening. Remember that snail bait is most effectively applied lightly (scatter the pellets every few feet) and frequently (every 7 to 10 days). Two or three applications should do the job. The heavy fog which can cause condensation on leaves even under cover can also bring trouble. Botrytis is a fungus disease that can disfigure flowers with small black spots. Particularly apparent and annoying on white Phalaenopsis, Botrytis can ruin other flowers as well. Control is typically achieved in commercial greenhouses with fungicide in aerosol forms and by running fans to prevent condensation on the flowers. The latter option is also available to collectors. A small fan turned on the spiking and opened flowers at night will greatly alleviate the pressure of Botrytis. So will, to a degree, the application of soap which we suggested in January to control mites. Bicarbonate of soda, ordinary baking soda, at 1Tbs. per gal will help as well. Quaternary ammonium compounds (Physan, RD40, Consan, pool algicide) also give some control. Maintaining long lasting flowers like Phalaenopsis, dendrobiums and bi-foliate cattleyas in more perfect condition is well worth the effort. Having waited so long for the flowers we want to enjoy them as long as possible and they do all last longer in cool weather. The lower overall temperatures of February call for less frequent and lighter applications of fertilizer as was the practice in January. If any reddening of the foliage persists another application of Epsom salts (1Tbs per gal), preferably in combination with Potassium nitrate, is called for; Nitrate nitrogen being more available to the plants under cooler conditions. If your resolve holds steady not to water (or above all) fertilize those Himalayan dendrobiums, your reward may shortly become evident in bursting flower spikes. Like the avocados and the live oaks, many cattleyas and other sympodial orchids have bloomed and are just commencing new growth in February. Right after flowering is usually an excellent time for repotting from the plant's perspective and the cool day time temperatures in the greenhouse are hospitable to the orchid grower as well. It's still a bit early to re-basket vandas But an early start on the cattleyas will allow plenty of time and energy for those Spring chores which are right around the corner. With that thought setting out to secure a good supply of pots in anticipation of the potting season ahead is on February's agenda. PAGE 3

4 ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES Hurrah for OSCG! We did it again! 1st Place at the Tamiami Festival! So, how great is OSCG? We are GREAT! For the 8th year in a row, we have earned a First Place in the Society Exhibits at the Tamiami International Orchid Festival, garnered another AOS Show Trophy, and for the first time, a Silver Certificate! This could not have been done without all of us working together as a TEAM! We did a great job and had some stiff competition this year, but we all put in the effort and it was worth it! The Society wants to thank all those who came and worked, who donated plants, and donated props. It was wonderful to see everyone working together side PAGE 4 Photo by Joan Manley by side, and everyone had a good time to boot! A special thanks goes to the co-leaders, Jim Davison and Karina Motes. They did a tremendous job of putting in this display, and it was the first time for both of them putting in a floor display! Also, an extra helping of thanks to Jim Wheeler who assisted Melana Davison with the both the preparation and removal of the display. This year we had just enough people for setup and breakdown to make things go very smoothly. Due to some changes in the Tamiami schedule, we had to complete the display an hour earlier. But we were allowed to bring in all our props and materials (except for orchids) the day before. That was a huge help. A big thanks goes to all the members who helped the society install and take down this wonderful display: Jim and Linda Wheeler, Karina Motes, Javier Morejon, Tomy Edwards, Laura Aiken, Rosa Cuadrado, Linda Curle, Rita Maruri-Rivero, Lorraine Lee, Jim and Melana, Joan Manley, and Claire Warren. Thank you also to the members that took the time and effort to bring in their plants for use in the display. Without them, there would be no display! Thanks to Larry Cox, Jim and Melana Davison, Jim and Linda Wheeler, Tomy Edwards, Laura Aiken, Lorraine Lee, Javier Morejon, Howard and Adrian Hochman, Lance Seltzer, Chris Pfeffer, Gladys Roudel, Victoria Clemente, Audrey Hartwell, and Yife Tien. Besides the prestige of winning First Place, we also received the AOS Trophy for the display and $600 from the Tamiami Festival Committee! How wonderful is that? Well worth the time and effort. Lastly, we had a membership table in front of the display throughout the whole show. Our thanks to the following members who handed out materials, applications, and good will to all the guests at the show: Don Moore, Victoria Clemente, Linda Matanis, Javier Morejon, Rosa Cuadrado, Jane Millman, Maggie Echeverria, and Jim and Linda Wheeler! Thank you to everyone! What a wonderful job you all did for the society!

5 Hospitality Corner This month, in honor of Valentines Day and Amore, we are having Lasagna and Pizza! FEBRUARY 2016 The society will be providing the usual Valentine Dinner, Lasagna and Pizza You need to bring the sides - garlic bread, green salad, antipasto, vegetables, whatever you would like for a February Valentines Love Dinner! We can use desserts too. Remember, each member needs to bring one food dish during the year to qualify for the Holiday plant at the Holiday Party. Maybe this month is the month for you? Drinks will be supplied by the society and do not qualify as a food dish. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden s 14th Annual Show - Friday, March 11, :30 AM to Sunday, March 13, :30 PM Orchid Entries - Wednesday, March 9 9:00 AM -3:00 PM AOS Judging - Thursday, March 10 PAGE 5

6 ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES Photos from the Januar y Meeting Photos by Ron Rosenthal PAGE 6

7 FEBRUARY 2016 Javier and Show and Tell PAGE 7

8 ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES Endangered Ghost Orchids To Grow Again In Native Florida Forests By Samantha Mathewson, Nature World News January 27, 2016 "We've successfully developed procedures to culture plants from seeds in the lab and then successfully acclimatize them into our greenhouse," Michael Kane, professor of environmental horticulture at UF/IFAS, said in a news release. "We've also obtained a high survival and vigorous re-growth rate when they're planted back into the wild." Researchers have begun stepping up conservation efforts, as recent reports indicate there are only an estimated 2,000 ghost orchids remaining in Florida. These rare flowers have many unique characteristics: First off, its name pays tribute to its eerie tendency to move at night, when it is generally pollinated by the sphinx moth. It is also leafless, and its roots attach to the bark of the host tree. For the past three years, researchers have been working toward increasing the survival chances for lab-grown seeds they're planted in their native environment. To do this, they collected ghost orchid seeds from southwest Florida, germinated them under sterile conditions on a gelled medium, and then transfer the plants into a PAGE 8 greenhouse. "Orchid seeds in the wild won't germinate unless they are infected with a mycorrhizal fungus," Kane explained. Aside from the sphinx moth, however, the flower's nectar is not easily reached by many insects. And to make matters worse, the ghost orchid does not flower reliably. Using their innovative technique, however, researchers were able to successfully culture seeds. They even recently brought some of the plants back to their native habitat in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Collier County, Florida. About 70 out of the 80 orchids planted have survived and are vigorously growing. Similar success has also been observed in cultured seeds planted at the Naples Botanical Garden. "For orchid conservation, this (Photo : Flickr: David McAdoo is big," Kane concluded in the university's release. "We are very excited." Their study is currently being considered for publication. However, its success has not gone unrecognized: Doctoral student Hoang Nguyen -- working under the direction of Kane -- won the outstanding research poster contest at last June's meeting of the Society for In Vitro Biology.

9 FEBRUARY 2016 Singapore's Orchid Industry Threatened By Rising Costs, Competition By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia January 24, 2016 SINGAPORE: The Republic ranks among the world's top five exporters of orchids. This position is becoming harder to retain as local farms grapple with rising production costs, coupled by the availability of cheaper orchids elsewhere. However, local orchid growers and suppliers are fighting back, repositioning Singapore as a niche supplier of quality blooms. In the 1950s to 1970s, Singapore was a leading orchid grower in Asia. The exotic blooms were considered a prized possession, recalls Mr Too Peng San, who has been exporting orchids for about 40 years. "Each orchid seedling, a small plantlet can go for a few thousand dollars. When I just came out in the early '70s, one of my plants was stolen, despite me sleeping with it!" said Mr Too. The most famous bloom, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, was designated as Singapore s national flower in However, despite Singapore's ranking among the orchid exporters globally, other figures make for grim reading. In 2009, Singapore exported about S$33.5 million worth of orchids. In 2014, the value was S$19.3 million. That is a drop of more than 40 per cent. KEY PROBLEMS: LIMITED LAND AND HIGH COST Land scarcity and cost pressures have put the squeeze on orchid farms here. Local suppliers and growers said the cost of raw material like charcoal and fertilisers as well as labour have doubled over the past decade, while the price of orchids almost halved. Said Mr Too: "Frankly speaking, Singapore can't compete when you go on pricing because our cost is so much higher. The only edge that the Singapore orchid industry has is the differentiation." That differentiation comes in the form of quality blooms and efficiency - Singapore style. Orchids can be packed and exported anywhere in the world and within 24 hours. "Our orchids, every stalk is provided with water, up to the point they reach their destination," said Mr Too. "We do not want our orchids to arrive at the destination limp. We want them to be fresh, so we either provide a moist cotton swab or a water tube so they will receive hydration throughout the travelling time." Mr Too said that even the sorting of the orchids is conducted with strict quality control: "No blemishes, no defect... Even if one petal drops, we consider it a reject." But in land scarce Singapore, growers said they may be forced to move out to neighbouring state, Johor. "In Singapore definitely we can't own the land," said Mr Jack Lim, director of the Yik Zhuan Orchid Garden. "We can't buy the land. We can only bid for it from the Government. We can only rent it from the Government." THE 'GREENHOUSE EFFECT' Mr Lim is facing an uncertain future. His farm will be acquired by the Government come mid To start a new farm from scratch, he said, will not be easy. "There is opportunity cost involved, and the lost of income. For example, we need to set up at another area, totally from scratch," he said. But Mr Lim is not giving up. In a span of just over two years, he has invested S$1.2 million in two greenhouses to grow sub-tropical orchids. It is not something that most growers here do because of the high cost involved, but it is an investment that is paying off, according to Mr Lim. Said Mr Lim: "With the greenhouse we can control the amount of sunlight coming in and also the temperature and the humidity. For example, when the sunlight gets too high, the control panel will immediately inform the black netting, 'okay, it's time to cover'." (Continued on page 14) PAGE 9

10 ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES P l e a s e s S u p p o r t o u r A d ve r t i s e r s 2012 Tamiami International Orchid Festival PAGE 10

11 FEBRUARY 2016 January/February Checklist from the American Orchid Society...by Ned Nash and James Rose Cattleya Watering and fertilizing will be at a minimum, as will potting. Be on the lookout for senescing sheaths on your winter-into-spring bloomers. Careful removal of the dying sheaths will still allow buds to develop without the danger of condensation-induced rot. Low light will lead to weak spikes, so, and as noted above, staking is critical. If you have a chance to get out to nurseries, there may still be a chance to acquire good plants in sheath for spring bloom. Getting them now not only ensures that you'll have them, but allows them to acclimate to your conditions and bloom at their best. Lycaste The most glorious of all orchids, Lycaste, will be moving toward their flowering season. Make sure the palm-like leaves do not interfere with the emerging inflorescences. Tying them loosely together often is helpful. Some growers cut the leaves off at the pseudobulb, but this removes part of the attractiveness of this elegant orchid. Resist picking up the plant to inspect those beautiful buds and then setting it down in all different directions as the flower buds will be forced to re-orient themselves to the light source each time and will not open as nicely as they should. Keep plants a little drier during the shorter days. Odontoglossums Odontoglossums and their intergeneric hybrids offer a great splash of color now. Though once thought of as being difficult to grow and requiring cool temperatures due to the emphasis on odontoglossum breeding, the new intergeneric hybrids made using Oncidium and Brassia, for example, are just the opposite. These plants are quite content in more intermediate conditions. New growths generally emerge in the spring, later forming beautiful plump pseudobulbs. Look for the flower spikes to emerge from the inner sheath of the pseudobulb. If your plant's pseudobulbs are shriveled, then the plants have been kept too dry or too wet. Inspect the roots to determine which condition prevailed. If the lead pseudobulb is large, plump and green (and back bulbs are shriveled) but no flower spike is evident, the plants may have been kept too dry. Paphiopedilum The standard Paphiopedilum insigne-derived hybrids, which are called "bull dogs" and "toads," are at their peak. Unlike most other orchids, they can even be potted while in bud. There really is no wrong time to pot a paphiopedilum, and no other orchid responds so favorably to fresh mix and a cleanup. Keep an eye on watering until roots begin to grow. Phalaenopsis Now is the peak of spike development, with the first plants in full flower. Staking and plant preparation is a must for those all-important spring shows. Correct staking now will give a better display and also make it much easier to transport to your society meetings and shows. Care with watering is vital to avoid mechanical damage to the flowers, as well as rot-related problems. Keep spent blooms cleaned up to avoid botrytis inoculation. Do not repot this month. Now you'll be seeing lots of phalaenopsis at orchid shows and sales. PAGE 11

12 ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES UPCOMING EVENTS Other Area Meetings: South Dade Society: Thursday, Feb 11 Coalition for Orchid Species: Monday, Feb 15 Pan Am Orchid Society: Tuesday, Feb 16 SFOS Meeting: Wed, Feb 17 AOS Judging at Fairchild: Saturday, Feb 20 Asociación de Orquideología de Miami Meeting: Saturday, Feb 20 East Everglades Meeting: Tues, Feb 23 Upcoming Events: Boca Raton Orchid Society Show - Feb Naples Orchid Society Show - Feb Key West Orchid Society Show - March 4-6 Port St. Lucie Orchid Society Show - March PAGE 12

13 FEBRUARY 2016 PAGE 13

14 (Continued from page 19) Singapore Orchids As a grower, having a greenhouse sets Mr Lim apart. He is able to grow the orchids and supply it to local exporters and suppliers as well. "If they get it from overseas there will be freight cost involved and there will be bound to have damages when you pack it inside a carton, whereas if we grow it here, it's fresh and we deliver it maybe within a day," said Mr Lim. The setup, with the shifting roller-beds, also optimises land use, allowing about 1,800 plants to be placed on each bed. Once matured the plants are moved to a cold room. Said Mr Lim: "The greenhouse utilises space well. I can grow much more of these sub-tropical orchids compared to those tropical ones and also with less human intervention. Less work, less labour, which in turns reduce my labour cost for me, so I guess it boosts my productivity." But innovation, especially R&D, comes at a price - something that smaller growers and suppliers cannot afford, especially with the dismal rate of success for growing hybrids. "It takes a long time and at the end of three to four years, when we see our results, it might not be all the colours the market wants or we might not get our expected results. Often, after waiting three to four years, we have to throw the entire batch away," said The Orchids People managing director Wilson Too. But innovation is the way to go, said Mr Wilson Too, who is also a second generation farmer. "There are vertical farms in Singapore," he said. "The question is, can we adopt this technology to complement or even change the way orchids are grown? "There is also the use of artificial light - LED lights - to grow vegetables indoors. But is it feasible to incorporate the technology and to eventually change the future of orchid growing here?" SUPPORT FROM THE INSIDE With exports down, the industry is turning to the domestic market for a lifeline. It helps that often tropical orchids are deemed synonymous with Singapore. Changi Airport buys about 12,000 stalks of orchids every month to be displayed around its three terminals. It gets the blooms from local farmers. A specially curated orchid garden located within the transit hall of Terminal 2 was built in It is one of the earliest gardens in Changi. "We think we have done the right thing because it's an extremely popular garden," said Mr Khaja Nazimuddeen, the Airport Operations Management assistant vice-president for horticulture. "You can see there are people always mingling around taking pictures. And for anyone arriving into Singapore for the first time, when you arrive at the gates and you walk to immigration, this garden is sure to catch your eye." For as long as Singapore remains a garden city, orchids will be an everlasting symbol of this country and for the remaining few orchid farms here, the hope is that the industry, too, will continue to bloom. March Meeting, Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Beg inner s Class, 6:15 pm General meeting - 7:00 pm Dr. Aaron Palmateer, University of Florida, Tropical Research and Education Diagnosing Diseases of Orchids Don t miss this very entertaining and educational explaination of the things that ail our orchids. Great speaker, you will learn a lot!! We are on the web! oscgonline.org Fairchild Tropical botanical Garden Old Cutler Road South Entrance