SONOMA COUNTY ORCHID SOCIETY

Transcription

1 SONOMA COUNTY ORCHID SOCIETY December 2014 A California Non-Profit 501 (c) (3) Corporation IN THIS ISSUE 1: Holiday Party Info 2: President's Corner; Membership Report 3: Thank You; Message from Show Chair 4: Classifieds 5: AOS Corner 6: Board Highlights 7: November Meeting Pictures 8: Growing Lycastes 9: December Checklist 10-11: Events Calendar JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY When: Tuesday, December 9 (Remember, this dinner is in lieu of our monthly meeting) 6:00 p.m. No Host Bar 7:00 p.m. Dinner Where: Legends at Bennett Valley (Golf Course) 3328 Yulupa Avenue, Santa Rosa Price: $36 per person, payable in advance. Mail your check to: Billie MacCarthy, 4704 Hillsboro Court, Santa Rosa Check must be received by December 1 to hold your reservation. No cancellations or refunds after December 1. (Note: the time to sign up and/or cancel has been extended to 12-1!) Specify on your check your choice of entrée: Chicken, Tri Tip or Pasta If you wish to participate in a voluntary gift exchange, bring a festively wrapped orchid or orchid related gift (no more than $25) to be placed under the holiday tree. Remember, the Marie Wascow Award will be presented! Page 1

2 President s Corner Dear Orchid Friends, Happy Holidays! It s time to get into the Holiday Spirit! There are Christmas trees to decorate and bright lights to affix onto houses. There are presents to wrap and surprises everywhere! A beautiful blooming orchid is a fantastic living gift that will last beyond the holiday season! There is so much to be thankful for this year. I am thankful to be involved in such a wonderful organization with people who love all things associated with orchids. Our Holiday Party is coming up soon, on Tuesday, December 9th. Billie MacCarthy has been working hard to make this party a success. Sign up so you can join in the merriment! You want to be there when the winner of the Marie Waskow Award is announced! And don t forget, the beautiful table decorations will be raffled to lucky attendees. It s time to get your orchids prepared and volunteer caps on to get ready for our Spring Show, "A Symphony of Orchids" in March. It s only three short months away! There are a lot of things to do to get this Show ready! Our Show Chair, Lynne Murrell, is heading a superb cast of Show Leaders to make our annual show a great one! Everyone needs to get involved in order to make this Show a success! Since this is the last SCOS newsletter in 2014, I would like to personally thank all of you for your support and encouragement throughout this year. It is YOUR efforts that make our SCOS a successful and fun organization! Have a Wonderful Holiday Season! See you at the Holiday Party December 9th! Susan MEMBERSHIP REPORT If you haven't paid your membership dues for the July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015 fiscal year, please do so as soon as possible. If you cannot make it to a meeting, you may mail your check and membership form to Jeanne Van Blarcom, 897 Matsuda Lane, Sebastopol, A membership form may be found in a back issue of the newsletter or on the society website at Thank you for renewing! We presently have 94 paid members. Thank you to all who have brought their memberships current. Don't forget to wear your name badge and sign in! Wear your name badge or make a paper name-tag at the membership table when you enter the meeting room. Then, sign the list at the Membership Table. At each meeting, one name will be drawn and that person will receive a free strip of 3 raffle tickets. Those who would like to order a name badge should Jeanne at jeannevanb@gmail.com. Change of address? To send an address or change, go to our Society website at and use the "contacts" link to send an to the membership chair. Page 2

3 DO YOU WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT? Our Society offers gift memberships! What a great idea for that special friend or relative who also loves orchids. Just complete a membership form and give it to Jeanne at the membership table or send it to her at 897 Matsuda Lane, Sebastopol Jeanne will then send you a gift certificate to pass on to your gift recipient. Only $25 for the entire year for an entire household. Thank you Thank you to JUDY CARNEY for her fantastic skill session on "Plants that Need a Dry Rest". Thank you to Ann Possinger, Angelique Fry and Kathie Hile for helping promote our Society at the Raley's Orchid Faire in Rohnert Park. We applaud your efforts. Thank you to Josie Lee for getting the engraving done for the Marie Waskow Award plaque. GET READY FOR OUR 2015 SHOW & SALE A SYMPHONY OF ORCHIDS We have a Display Chair and theme. Angelique Fry volunteered to head up the Display Committee and provided our 2015 theme "A Symphony of Orchids". We will soon have flyers and postcards. You can help by posting the flyers in grocery stores, nurseries, senior centers, swim and exercise centers.anywhere they will be seen. If your auto has clear windows, posters or postcards taped to the inside of your windows is a good way to advertise our Show. We need interesting items donated for our silent auction table, i.e., services, restaurant meals, wine and wine tours or wine/food pairings, concert tickets, gift certificates, lodging...use your imagination. The value of items should be $50 or greater. ALL DONATED ITEMS GENERATE CASH FOR YOUR SOCIETY. Start grooming your plants for the display, enter your plants for judging, look for orchids to sell at the Society Sales Table, and finally, look for orchid and garden related items and books as well as non-orchid plants for the Orchid Boutique. Page 3

4 CLASSIFIEDS COLUMN Don't forget you can get orchid supplies from Kris and Jim Foster or Small and medium Rexius bark Perlite Sphagnum Orchid labels Stakes Charcoal ORCHIATA BARK ($17 includes tax) AND NUTRICOTE ($3 for 1# bag) FOR SALE BY YOUR SOCIETY! Orchiata: Classic #9 Power #5 Power #5a Super #7 1//4" 3/8" chips 3/8" 1/2" chips 1/2" 3/4" chips 3/4" 1" chips TED PRUDEN'S 10' x 14' GREENHOUSE IS STILL FOR SALE TAKE A LOOK AND MAKE AN OFFER Everything included: Reverse Osmosis water system, holding tanks, benches, misting system, heater, etc. Call Kathleen Pruden to see greenhouse $3, or best offer. DOES ANYONE WANT WINE CORKS?? I have a couple of buckets full of wine corks I would love to give away. If you are interested, please me at jph.kah@gmail.com. K. Hile DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR SALE ADVERTISE HERE FOR FREE!! Angelique bfry@pon.net to Order and arrange for pick-up Please note: The California Sierra-Nevada Judging Center is having issues with its website. We will be notified when their website is up and running again. So far, the center has only given one award in November. It was an HCC 78 to Rlc. Memoria Anna Balmores (C. Memoria Robert Strait x Rlc. Good News) owned by Sue Davis from Napa. Congratulations Sue! Lunch, after a wonderful morning at Gold Country Orchids View from the backseat, on the ride home from Lincoln Page 4

5 AOS CORNER What is all the fuss about?: AOS Judging, Part 1 of 2 (Part 2 in the January newsletter). I ve seen plants lined up on a table at our Sonoma County Orchid Society (SCOS) Spring Show and know an American Orchid Society (AOS) judging has occurred, but I don t really get it. What is an Award of Merit or other some such award, and why does one plant get it, but the other plant down the row, which to my uneducated eye is much prettier, doesn t get any kind of award at all! Are the judges' blind or do they just possess poor taste?!?! As usual, when I have these kinds of questions I find myself snooping about, looking for answers. Here s what I found out. Anyone who has ever seen dogs or cows judged, or entered something they made themselves in a local fair has experienced the judging process. It is no different for orchids. The judging process is done to evaluate new and superior forms of orchid species and hybrids and recognize those people who have exhibited superior culture. So I guess that means only experienced or commercial growers would ever want to enter or attend a judging contest, right? Not so. As a hobbyist, you may feel you know nothing compared to the brains running the show. Here s one place judging can benefit and educate you. Just like the quilt that took you a year to make in your basement and entered in last year s fair, your orchid might look pretty great to you, but you are just a beginner. So learn something about it from an expert for free by entering it in a judging! A few weeks ago SCOS member Angelique Fry decided she wanted to observe an AOS orchid judging event. Angelique heard the Napa Valley Orchid Society had arranged for AOS judges to come to their regular meeting to perform a judging. Napa Valley was encouraging their members and those from other societies to submit plants. It cost nothing to enter and only required some minor paperwork. I asked Angelique to share her experience with me. She said two panels of judges had come to judge the plants at the request of the Society. Each panel consisted of two experienced, accredited judges and a probationary judge. One student judge acted as clerk. Another accredited judge ran the projector, which had access to a database (AQplus, which can be purchased by individuals via the AOS website) which contains the best examples of previously judged plants for comparison. The accredited judges were fun, personable, friendly and educational. The probationary judges tried to stay out of trouble. People from Napa and other societies brought about 12 plants to be judged. They filled out their paperwork then sat back to see what the judges would say about their plants. The judges reviewed all the entries and then REJECTED ALL BUT THREE for judging. What?!?!? Rejection can happen for numerous reasons, some of them quite minor. The goal is to find the best example of a plant that represents the gold standard. If a plant brought in for judging is too immature, has flowers not yet open, has flowers that have been open too long, hasn t been staked correctly, has bug damage or any other problem items, the judges don t judge the plant. They already know the one in the database is a better example at that time and they don t want to judge a plant unfairly if it s not at its peak. Once a plant is judged, it can t be judged again until something new happens, such as a new spray of flowers or the plant gets more mature. By disqualifying the plant before it is judged, the plant can leave the event without a black mark on its reputation, and can be judged another day when the timing is right. Stay tuned for the continuation of the judging process, which will appear in the January Newsletter! Page 5

6 SCOS Board Meeting Highlights November 18, 2014 The meeting was held Mel Walsh's home. We were treated to a wonderful cranberry pork roast, salad and vegetable with a pecan pumpkin pie with caramel sauce. Vice President, Angelique Fry, reported that she attended the AOS judging in Napa. She felt it was very informative, and worthwhile. Treasurer, Ann Possinger, reported that the society's property and liability insurances are due and will be paid. The rental fee for the meetings in 2015 has been paid in full. The deposit for use of the Vets building for the show has been paid. Jeanne Van Blarcom reported 94 paid members. She was pleased that we have added some new members. She is still working to reinstate a few more members. Cymbidium dayanum (Ann Possinger) Angelique, Ann P. and Mel are finalizing the society letterhead. Mel presented a draft letter to be used to request sponsorship for our events. A tag line Beautiful growing since 1957 was adopted. It will be printed at the bottom of the letterhead. The next show planning meeting will be Sunday, 12/6 at 2pm, at Ann P. s home. The following 2015 events are scheduled. The May 30 th bus trip is in the planning stage. Jeanne will host the repotting party June 27 th. Save the dates. The December board meeting has been canceled. The next board meeting will be January 20, 2015, at Jeanne Van Blarcom's home. Epidendrum porpax alba (Judy Carney) Paph Prime Child (Dale Martin) Paph. Pinocchio's Song (Dale Martin) Neostylis Lou Sneary (Susan Anderson) Page 6

7 Orchids on our Show & Tell Table and Helen's Unique Turkey Hors d'oeuvre Thank you to Ann Possinger for the pictures Helen made this great edible turkey for our dessert table Blc. Mishima Duchess 'Blumen Insel' (Earl Rathbun) Potinara Beaufort Gold 'Susan Fender' (Ann Possinger) Lc. Frank Shadle (Earl Rathbun) Paph. malipoense x bellatulum (Susan Anderson) Erica coronaria (Lynne Murrell) Laelia gouldiana (Lynne Murrell) Cattleya bowringiana 'Purple Princess' (Earl Rathbun) Page 7

8 GROWING LYCASTES adapted from an article by Alan Hope These cool-growing orchids are found mainly in temperate regions of Mexico and South America. Many grow in mountainous areas and are tolerant of low temperatures, thus growing and flowering under similar conditions to those enjoyed by many cymbidiums. Some species are semideciduous, dropping their leaves prior to the onset of new growth and flowering in spring. This behavior is their response to a distinct cool, dry season in their natural habitat. A reduction in watering during winter is essential to simulate the lycaste's natural growth cycle. Those lycaste species from warmer, less mountainous regions grow more or less continuously throughout the year and flowering occurs mainly in late summer or autumn. These lycastes need additional protection and some warmth during winter, being cool (rather than cold) growers. However most lycaste hybrids, being bred from both cool- and coldgrowing species, tend to do well in cymbidium conditions if kept protected from frost and rains during winter. Cultural Requirements. Lycastes grow satisfactorily in a shade house, but protection from rain and cold winds in winter is important. While they enjoy good light and air movement, their large leaves are prone to sunburn and they should receive the protection of 70% shadecloth in summer, although the extent of shading should be reduced in winter. Most hybrids seem tolerant of large temperature differentials and strong light, although they produce their best flowers during the cooler part of spring. The tendency for their sepals to furl is most apparent in warm or hot weather. Lycastes need to be kept well watered in summer and generally drier in winter. They appreciate high humidity during the growing period and appreciate overhead watering at this time. Some growers don't like to wet the leaves but if there is good air movement and the wet leaves are not exposed to direct sunlight overhead watering can be beneficial. A liquid fertilizer, applied at half the manufacturer's recommended strength, soon produce super-sized leaves and bulbs. Leaf size is one of the drawbacks to growing lycastes, as mature plants take up a lot of room. Potting is an important aspect for success with lycastes. They are more sensitive to the frequency and time of potting than are cymbidiums and need to have new, active growths at potting time, otherwise the root system may languish. Lycastes should be repotted regularly, as they soon show signs of decline in a sour compost. They also require a free-draining mix. They do well in a medium-size bark with perlite and charcoal; some growers like to add about 10% shredded oak leaves and/or peanut shells. A small amount of Osmocote or Nutricote may be added to the mix. Overall, lycastes are rewarding orchids and are suitable for novices as well as experienced growers. Try to acquire a range of species as well as hybrids to add interest and to extend the flowering period. Page 8

9 DECEMBER ORCHID CULTURE (Adapted from the Checklist of the American Orchid Society) General Orchid Growing Tips: Winter's cool days and nights have already affected most orchid collections. If all plants are not already in your home, a greenhouse, or a protected area, they soon should be. Daylight intensity is changing and you should place your plants in your growing area accordingly. Keep your growing area well ventilated fresh air is important for healthy plants. Cattleyas: Your Cattleyas are responding to the shorter, cooler days and less intense sun by slowing and ripening their growth. Reduce your frequency of waterings as the plants dry out more slowly and have a lesser need for fertilizer. Cattleya skinneri should be pushing its buds up into dried sheaths for a January flowering. Cattleya trianiae and its hybrids should be blooming over the next several months. Laelia anceps, sometimes called the Christmas Orchid, will have well defined buds just waiting for nature's signal to open. Cymbidium: We are entering the flowering season for some of the early bloomers. Outdoor growers should be cautious of freezing temperatures. Damage starts to occur below 30 F. Watch closely for slugs and snails. If weather is quite wet, protect your plants from the rain and this will help to reduce the risk of botrytis spotting. Dendrobiums: Generalizations are hard within this very diverse group of orchids. The winter resting deciduous dendrobiums of the Dendrobium (Nobiles and Seminobiles) and Callista sections can be kept dry and cool this month. Shoot for minimum temperatures of 40 F. Nobile type dendrobiums may show some swollen nodes on their leafless pseudobulbs and flowers may appear by the month's end. Your other dendrobiums will also be resting up this month, though not dormant. You'll want to water these half as often as you did in the summer. Try to keep minimum temperatures of and 55 to 60 for the biggibum types. Oncidiums: The mule-ear oncidium, Oncidium splendidum, and the popular thin-leaved type, Oncidium maculatum, should be producing inflorescences. Stake the oncidium inflorescence as it grows upward, but do not allow the tip to droop as you would for a phalaenopsis. Paphiopedilums: Some of the mottled leaved species like Paphiopedilum fairrieanum and sukhakulii begin to bloom now. Keep their potting medium moist and avoid getting water in the pouch. Phalaenopsis: Groom and stake each phalaenopsis spike. Avoid excess plant movement while the buds are developing or the buds may blast (wither). High humidity in a closed house can lead to flower spotting caused by Botrytis. Provide good air circulation with fans and/or increase temperatures above 60 F. Vandas: Vandas are starting to rest now. You can gradually reduce your watering to every other day and cut back on fertilizer. Ascocentrum aurantiacum may have some beautiful orange to yellow flowers in bloom by the end of the month. Miscellaneous Genera: The Catasetinae (catasetums, clowesia, cynoches and mormodes) are going dormant now and their leaves have been yellowing and dropping. Once the leaves yellow, restrict watering until the spring growth is a few inches tall. The jewel orchid Ludisia discolor will begin to develop inflorescences soon. Page 9

10 UPCOMING EVENTS November 28,29 & 30, 2014 Sally Robertson Holiday Open Studios - Thanksgiving Day Weekend, Cherry, Bolinas Directions by sally@sallyrobertson.com Sally Robertson Watercolors, The Young Bird Collection, A catalog of works collected by David Young & Donald Bird over more than 2 decades. Small format, richly illustrated with 37 paintings. A limited number available at the studio, or available from Amazon. Bolinas Stinson Beach Open Studios Preview all artists at our HOLIDAY EXHIBITION, 11 Wharf Road, Bolinas Maps, images and details at: Please join us for this special holiday tradition! December 12/6 SCOS SHOW MEETING, 2:00 at the home of Ann Possinger, 5421 Santa Teresa Avenue, Santa Rosa. All Committee Chairs are encouraged to be present. Any member may come to the meeting (we welcome your input). Please RSVP to Ann at apossinger@comcast.net or /9 SCOS HOLIDAY PARTY. See page 1 for details. Please mail your menu choice and check to Billie MacCarthy, 4704 Hillsboro Court, Santa Rosa Don't forget the optional gift exchange of an orchid or orchid related item in price range up to $25. (Please, if you give an orchid as a gift, make sure it is fully named and in good condition). January /13 SCOS MEETING. Peter T. Lin from Southern California will speak on miniature Cattleyas. Peter is an accomplished grower and speaker with over 150 AOS awarded plants. 1/16 Gold Coast Cymbidium Growers Annual Collector's Auction. Preview 6:30 PM. Auction starts at 7:00 PM. San Mateo Garden Center, 605 Parkside Way, San Mateo, CA. Information: Carl Jukkola at cjukkola@aol.com or Darrel Wong at bacyms@yahoo.com or call (510) /20 SCOS BOARD MEETING at the home of Jeanne Van Blarcom, 897 Matsuda Lane, Sebastopol. Please RSVP to Jeanne at jeannevanb@gmail.com or February 2/10 SCOS MEETING. Harvey Brenneise from Seattle. Harvey's presentation will be on "Darwin's sexy orchids: First case study On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection". Harvey is a professional librarian, including from 2008 at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA. Long-time orchid grower in the Midwest, Pacific NW, and Southern California. 2/19-22 Pacific Orchid Exposition, Ft. Mason Festival Pavilion, San Francisco. Gala Benefit Preview - Thursday Feb. 19, :30-10 PM; Show and Plant Sale - February 20-22, 2015 Friday 10 AM - 6 PM; Saturday 9 AM - 6 PM; Sunday 10 AM - 5 PM. Tickets & Information: March 3/10 SCOS MEETING. Chris Mende of The Tiny Jungle will speak. More details to follow 3/14 3/15 Napa Valley Orchid Society Show & Sale. Details to follow Page 10

11 3/27, 28 & 29 SCOS SHOW & SALE: "A Symphony of Orchids". CLEAR YOUR CALENDARS! Show set-up on Friday 3/27. Please volunteer to help if you're not working that day. Show on 3/28 & 29. Volunteer sheets will be at the monthly meetings. Watch your newsletter for more details April 4/14 SCOS MEETING. Dennis Olivas will present "Orchids 101". A Great talk for those new to orchid growing! 4/18 4/19 Sacramento Orchid Society Show & Sale. Details to follow May 5/12 SCOS MEETING. May's speaker will be Janet Lamborn from Agdia, Inc./Agdia Testing Services. Janet's presentation will be on Orchid viruses and how to test for them. Members are encouraged to bring in plants with suspected symptoms to be tested. 5/30 SCOS BUS TRIP. "Gold and Wine Country Tour". We will be visiting Alan Koch's Gold Country Orchids in Lincoln. Jeff Tyler of Insitu Orchids and Dave Sorokowski of Paph Paradise will also be meeting with us at Alan's Nursery. We will then travel to Lodi for a tour of I-Hsin Nursery and perhaps we will also have an opportunity to visit one of Lodi's many fine wineries during our lunch stop. (Other orchid related stops are still being investigated). This will be a great trip not to be missed. ***** "Orchids in the Wild" Orchid Trips Orchid Conservation Alliance Spring 2015 ORCHIDS OF THAILAND Peter Williams of Mae Tang Tours has put together an itinerary covering temples, markets, orchid farms, wildlife sanctuaries, and mountain excursions into an amazing trip proposal. Dates of the trip are March 20 to April 4, The cost of the trip is $2250 per person double occupancy, $2850 per person single occupancy, not including air fare to Thailand. A maximum of 14 persons will be accommodated on this trip, so book early. This trip will be led by OCA director Mary Gerritsen. Summer 2015 BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION ON THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON Dulce Nascimento is a Brazilian botanical artist living in Rio who also teaches botanical illustration. Some of you have seen and purchased her work in the OCA booth at orchid shows. She and American print artist and illustrator Kathi McCord will be leading a trip on the Amazon riverboat Otter. The trip will run from June 3rd to June 12th, 2015 and originates in Manaus. Cost is $2150 for double occupancy and $2950 for single occupancy, not including airfare to Manaus. The trip is limited to 14 passengers. More details of the itinerary will be available in October. This trip will be led by OCA president, Peter Tobias. More information on the trips, detailed itinerary and booking forms can be found here: Thank you for your support of the orchid conservation alliance, Sincerely, Mary Gerritsen Page 11

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