New Orleans Orchid Society's Newsletter. February 2014

Transcription

1 New Orleans Orchid Society's Newsletter February 2014 Officers: President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Past President: Newsletter Editor: Website Editor: Board of Trustees: Carol Stauder Ian Hiler Duane Cormier Alice Barrios Donna Stange Larry Hennessey Debbie Dinwiddie Pat Herbert Eddie Barrios Frieda Palmgren Meeting Notice: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 City Park Garden Study Center 7:30pm Program: Stanhopeas: Pixies of the Rainforest Jennifer Huber Orchid Basics Group Program: TBA Prez Sez, Last month I wrote about volunteering. Let s continue in that vein. I am urging all members to be more active in our society. Please help in any way that you can no matter how insignificant it may seem to you. Sometimes the smallest effort can make a great difference. Sometimes your help can make things run smoother. More people helping means less work for all. In the coming months there will be many opportunities to give back to the Society for the knowledge you glean from being a member. Starting this month and continuing until our show we will pass around sign-up sheets for Show Clerks and Raffle Staff. Check your schedule, pencil us in and sign up when the clip board reaches you this meeting or the next. I am happy to say that we did have some of our members volunteer to set up exhibits. Ian with Ed and Ethel will set up the Gulf Coast Show. Molly, Donna, Ian and Larry volunteered to take it down. We have the Terrebonne show coming up March 21 through 23. If you have never helped to set up a show before, volunteer with one of our veterans. It s fun, you learn a lot and you meet new people. If you help clerk at that same show, you, again, learn a lot, meet new people and earn the thanks of the host society. The Board decided to have a vote on a theme for our show. We will pass around a ballot at this meeting and the theme that gets the majority of votes will be the winner. These are your options: The Family of Orchids A Fantasy of Orchids Orchid Odyssey A World of Orchids Orchidstrations Is Winter over yet? Best wishes for good growing, Carol

2 New Orleans Orchid Society Minutes January 21, 2014 Reprinted from December newsletter Carol welcomed all members and called meeting to order, new members welcomed were Arden James and Jackie Robichaux Reports: Vice President Ian Hiler tabled SWROGA report till February meeting. Treasurer no report Alice is ill Secretary Duane is taking dues for 2014, also check your s for newsletter delivery Newsletter - Larry is asking for articles or ideas for newsletter Old Business: Thanks to Donna Stange, Carol Molero, Sarah Galvez who stayed to clean up after Christmas Dinner, Ann Roth who ordered all the plants. Congratulation to Max for winning the Orchid Digest Diamond award Old Business: There will be a board meeting in February, date to be determined, combined with a show committee meeting. Please consider signing up to help out with the show in June, contact Marian Prigmore, show chair or Molly Prokop for volunteering opportunies. Ian Hiler has volunteered to take on the Gulf Coast Show February 14 to the 16 th. Please have plants to Carol Stauder before 8:00pm on February 12 th or before noon on Thursday the 13 th if you wish to participate. Cards for Paul Young, Alice Barrios for signing in the back Larry Hennessey, and Carol Stauder for all their wisdom of this genus Plant judging - Ann Roth. Raffle and Door Prize 33 members and 4 guest were present. Next meeting: Next regular meeting with be at City Park on February 18 th 2014 Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Duane Cormier Secretary Welcome New Members Art Brizzolara Kathy Dizinno Josephine Daspit Arden James Esperanza Martinez Jackie Robichaux Anne Rooney Michelle Rowan Break: Thanks again Max for cake and coffee Program: Phalaenopsis, Thank you Ann Roth,

3 Orchid Shows Gulf Coast Orchid Society Show February Gautier Convention Center 2012 Library Lane, Gautier, MS Gulf Coast show flyer with map IPA/Shreveport Orchid Society 4 th Annual Symposium and Tabletop Show February 22 Randle T Moore Center 4101 Fairfield, Shreveport, La Mobile Area Orchid Society Show February 28 - March 2 Mobile Botanic Gardens 5151 Museum Dr, Mobile, AL Terrebonne Orchid Society Show March Southland Mall, Houma 5953 West Park Avenue, Houma, La Dues are now considered past due Dues were due January 1, If you have not paid your 2014 dues, please plan on bringing a check to the next meeting or send a check to the society's P.O. Box, so the secretary can have you current with your dues for It makes the secretary's job a lot easier if they don't have to remind people to pay their dues month after month as the new year starts. Greater Pensacola Orchid Society Show March Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds 6655 Mobile Hwy., Pensacola, FL January Judging Result Award Exhibitor Plant Best Grown 1st Carol & Arne Stauder 2nd Ethel & Ed Suberville 2nd Ann Roth Best Hybrid 1st Ann Roth 2nd Carol & Arne Stauder 3rd Molly Prokop Best Species 1st Molly Prokop 2nd Duane Cormier 3rd Patricia Sander Ascda. NOS 50 th Anniversary Blc Greern Dragon x Blc Campbello Blc Goldenzelle 'Nicole' Blc Goldenzelle 'Nicole' Ascda. NOS 50 th Anniversary Blc Golden Boy x Blc Goldenzelle Rhy gigantea 'Spots' Pths macroblepharis Paph concolor

4 Information about this month's Speaker Catts and Dens. I think I had my first one within 4 months of beginning to grow orchids (nothing like jumping right in). NOOS member Jennifer Huber will be presenting an original program titled: Stanhopeas: Pixies of the Rainforest. More from Jen about her program and how she grows Stanhopeas: I will discuss the history and culture of Stanhopeas along with giving an overview of some of the species and hybrids. I will also have information about where to purchase quality Stanhopeas in case anyone feels the need to start growing them! As far as my personal background and experience with Stanhopeas, they were one of the earliest genera I started growing, and I have 82 of them growing in my house right now (I counted tonight and didn't know whether to celebrate or cry at this number!). Stanhopea embreei 'Pamela' CBR/AOS My growing setup is very unique, but it works. I have a converted double shotgun that still has the original 14 foot ceilings, so I've added groups of decorative 6 foot long chains about 10 foot off the floor in the corners of most of my rooms and have the plants hanging in rows from those. That height gives the plant enough room for the big leaves to go up, enough room underneath to allow easy movement in the house and for the spikes to come down and bloom without getting in the way/broken and allows me to be able to easily get the plants down each day for watering. I get a lot of natural light from the big windows the house has, but I've also changed the lights in my light fixtures (4 bulbs in each room) to 1600 lumen, daylight growing lights (which makes it extra bright for the plants, but since the bulbs are disguised in normal light fixtures, it doesn't look weird). I leave those on for at least 12 hours each day. I water daily to every other day depending on the plant and the humidity in the air, and fortunately for me the plants do well with this crazy setup! I grow mostly in plastic and wire baskets, and only use wood baskets for non-blooming size plants since wood baskets tend to make it hard for the plant to bloom (the spikes get lost in the basket). You often need to cut the basket to let new spikes come through without getting damaged, and this is much easier to do with plastic and wire than with wood. I've actually got some pictures of this with my plants that I've included in my program because so many new Stanhopea growers don't realize they will probably need to do this. I've been growing Stanhopeas for three-four years (which is almost as long as I've been growing orchids in general). They were the fourth genera I started growing after Phals, I grow several other genera in the Stanhopea subtribe including Acineta, Gongora, Coryanthes and Sievekingia. My favorite of this group would have to be Acienta (and I think they don't get enough attention in the U.S. unfortunately). I personally think the Gongoras

5 are the most difficult to grow well, but that's probably because they have somewhat different watering needs than the others and it can be tricky to find the right balance (and they can be unforgiving if you get it wrong!). I think the AOS culture sheet has some great information. It's written by Nina Rach if I remember correctly, and she's probably the AOS judge who knows the most about Stanhopeas. She has an amazing collection of them herself and grows in Houston. Nina also has a really nice website and blog that covers Stanhopeas and many related genera called The Stanhopea Pages, but that's probably geared more toward those of us that grow them already rather than novice Stanhopea growers. Stanhopea wardii 'Dozer Dan' HCC/AOS (78 points) Stangora Quetzaquatl '', AD/AOS (Gongora. chocoensis x Stanhopea tigrina) References: All photos courtesy of AQ/Plus The Stanhopea Pages by Nina Rach Rudolf Jenny The Genus Stanhopea. AOS Bulletin 62(12): Barney Greer The Astonishing Stanhopeas: the upside-down orchids. Stanhopea tigrina 'Sanbar Gold' AM/AOS (80 points)

6 Stanhopea Web Culture Sheet Reprinted from AOS website Stanhopea (stan-hohp-ee-ah) Stanhopeas and related genera have large, pleated leaves and bear incredible flowers with intricate, complex structures and mechanisms for pollination, ranging from channeled walkways for insects to buckets of a watery solution. Most have inflorescences that grow downward, so the plants must be potted in hanging baskets or similar containers. Flowers are often spicily fragrant, and although the flowers are short-lived, each plant may produce many inflorescences throughout the year. Related genera Paphinia and Peristeria grow warmer than others in this group, and may produce upright inflorescences. Light should be bright, with direct sunlight diffused so as not to burn the leaves. Most growers suspend these orchids due to their pendulous inflorescences. This also brings the plants closer to the light. Light levels approximating those for cattleyas, around 3,000 foot-candles, are best. Poor watering habits are also conducive to root loss in these types, and some may be very slow to re-establish once they have lost their roots. Fertilize at regular intervals. Most growers fertilize with a diluted concentration every week to two weeks. For plants in bark, use a high-nitrogen formulation, alternating with a balanced formulation; in the blooming season, which is mainly summer, use a blossom-booster formulation. Plants grown in osmunda need fertilization only infrequently. Potting is done best right after summer flowering, as most plants seem to grow year round. Plants that rest in the winter can be repotted in the spring. The best flowerings come from large clumps of plants, so large baskets are usually used. An airy, yet moist medium seems to work best, such as mediumgrade fir bark (often mixed with sphagnum peat) or osmunda fiber. Vigorous plants may need repotting every three years or so. Temperatures should be moderate: 52 to 60 F at night, with day temperatures 68 to 75 F in the winter. Plants can stand short spells of higher temperatures, but air movement, humidity and shading must all be increased. Many species flower in the summer, and putting them outside in the summer may be beneficial. Move into higher light slowly to avoid burn. Water in ample quantities is important to produce strong pseudobulbs and prevent foliar spotting. Stanhopeas and their relatives can be sensitive to salt accumulation in the medium, so should never be allowed to dry out entirely, even during the winter months when growth may slow or stop.