Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society Established 1951 Helping You to Become a Better Grower October 2010 SCVOS Newsletter (please note that links in electronic copies are functional Speaker Notes On Wednesday, October 6 th, our speaker will be Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids. Fred created Sunset Valley Orchids in 1995 as a natural outgrowth of a hobby that began twenty seven years earlier. Sunset Valley Orchids is a boutique style nursery where they are dedicated to excellent customer service and unique offerings. Backed by 24 years of experience in the horticultural industry as a professional grower and manager, Fred applies these skills to produce robust and unique orchid hybrids. Sunset Valley Orchids is located in Vista, California, 30 miles north of San Diego and 60 miles south of Los Angeles approximately 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The 13,000 sq. ft. of greenhouse space is composed of 4 distinct growing environments. SVO is a specialty plant breeder of award quality orchids. Their efforts are focused on the development of cutting edge orchid breeding lines. They are providing new and unique hybrids and species in several genera including; Cattleya, Paphiopedilum, Catasetinae, and Bulbophyllum. Their plant offerings are produced in a laboratory and grown from seed at the nursery. The flasking lab processes over 300 new hybrids annually producing 2000 replate flasks. The plants are selected on strict criteria of robust growth and ease of flowering. This is accomplished by selecting only the most vigorous seedlings throughout the processes of flasking, community trays, and potting. This grading results in the strongest and best plants for both customers and for future breeding. Fred s presentation this time will focus on his work with miniature cattleyas, and should include some truly beautiful pictures. SVO in my opinion produces some of the best minicatts around, as his awards record shows. Pot. Toshi Aoki Pizzazz AM/AOS Fred is an accredited American Orchid Society Judge in the Pacific South Judging Region. Orchids from Sunset Valley Orchids have many AOS awards, including seven that have received the highest honor, the First Class Certificate'. Here are a few of his awarded plants: Potinara Pure Love SVO II AM/AOS Cattleya Black Jack 'Universal' HCC/AOS Please be sure to come to see this exceptional speaker!! Support your SCVOS and Become a better grower!! 1
Membership No new members this month??!! Please go out, find a friend, and drag them to the meeting that s how we grow!! Big thanks to those of you who joined us for the auction! SCVOS News If you are not getting your newsletter via email, please be sure to give your currently correct address to Ed Nazzal, paphman@gmail.com. All plants brought for sale by members must be properly labeled, disease free, and priced in even dollar amounts. Ten percent of the sale price goes to the club treasurer, Marvin Bell, before you leave. We rely on the honor system. Thank you to those abiding by this rule. Refreshments Announcement: All members with last names starting with F-H please bring in refreshments for October. Remember that you have the highest percentage chance to win a plant from the opportunity table by bringing food. In August there were only 4 tickets in that drawing this month s winner could be you!! Thanks to Dave, Ann and Ed for your pictures this month. Unfortunately it seems like everyone else s plants are just like mine these days all nothing but a bunch of lettuce. Hopefully the wonderful summer we had was just the thing all your paphs and cyms needed to have a spectacular flowering season this fall and winter, and that you ll be able to send in some nice pictures in the months to come to the new newsletter editor, Dave Smitt. Since Dave takes all the pictures anyways, hopefully he ll be able to include lots of his own images; hopefully as I step back a little I can have more time to do things like take pictures. Everyone else?!! Please make Dave s job easier by sending him some images. It s really difficult to put together an interesting newsletter if no one submits any images. Please remember lots of pictures = interesting newsletter, and I like to be interested. Yay. Ed went to San Bruno Mountain State Park and found a relatively rare orchid, at the southern end of its range. This is Piperia elegans, a beautiful terrestrial that ranges from Santa Cruz County north almost to Alaska. Typically found in much cooler conditions, the fact that Ed found this in the San Bruno Mountains attests to the effects of elevation on temperature; I think it s pretty cool to find orchids growing in the wild. Nice work Ed!! 2
Ann sent in this picture of Paph. parishii, one of few actually epiphytic paphs. This one typically grows in birds nests or fern roots in high tree branches. Not too picky about elevation or temperature, this species lives naturally in Yunnan China and Thailand, but has to some extent been line-bred in captivity. Some of the best have upwards of 12 flowers on an inflorescence. Ann also sent in this Bulbophyllum grandiflorum, a member of the Hyalosema section of bulbos (which is a very taxonomically confused group). This species, native to low elevation forests, lives on islands from Sumatra to New Guinea, and exhibits quite a bit of variation from one island to the next, especially in terms of how far the flower opens. Ann s plant has fairly closed flowers. Are these separate species? I don t know Paph. Doll s Kobold is a hybrid of charlesworthii and henryanum, and exhibits pretty much exactly what you would expect for the cross nice pink color and spots on the dorsal sepal. Also, it s a very small plant very cute. Nice one, Ann!! We had a fabulous auction this month, with some of the best deals on great orchids that board members could remember in recent years. Lots of plants went for just $1!! Maybe that makes the auction a good idea to put down on your calendar for next year a great chance to pick up some pretty nice plants pretty cheap. Also, Manuel Sagisi brought some great cyms to this year s event; hopefully he can be persuaded to bring in more!! Big thanks go out to Ed Nazzal for organizing the event and to Jeff Trimble for serving as auctioneer (and to Peter and Ann for help running plants back and forth. This event is always so much fun seems a pity to wait until the spring for the next one. Hope to see you there!! Thanks to Dave Smitt for taking pictures of it. 3
Thanks to Dave, Ed, and Ann for sharing some pictures. Please keep those pictures coming!! Thanks so much to those of you who have been so consistent in sending them and by all means keep it up!! Your photos and thoughts submitted to me or Ed Nazzal become a valuable part of the tradition of the SCVOS: helping people become better growers. Remember, for much more information about orchids, links, our future schedule, care sheets, contact information, previous newsletters, and lots of pictures of plants and people, visit the website: santaclaravalleyorchidsociety.org/links.htm The SCVOS: Helping You to Become a Better Grower Future Speakers November 3 rd : Samantha Kha!! Samantha Kha, of Orchid Zone fame, will present pictures from the finest event in the orchid world, the Tokyo Dome Show in Japan. Every year, the very finest orchids in the world are exhibited here, along with spectacular displays and amazing sales booths. Did you know you have to pay to exhibit a plant there? Did you know that the winner of best in show gets a Mercedes Benz as the prize? Did you know the same guy has won best in show three times? Steeped in tradition and full of amazing plants, our trip through Tokyo Dome will be led by one of the best paph breeders in the world her knowledge of both paphs and other species and hybrids is immense, and she s just the person to take us on such a tour, since most of the paph section in Tokyo Dome comes out the door of the Orchid Zone. One of the best Tokyo Dome stories is of a white Paph. Mystic Knight that was sold from the Zone to a Japanese man, who carried it on his lap on the plane back to Japan, where it immediately went to the Dome show, won grand prize, then promptly died due to all the stress of moving and then sitting in the show for a week. Wow. Draaaama. Sounds fun. 4 Upcoming Events and OCA The Diablo View Orchid Society show is on the 14 th of October try to go and see this show for all the species grown there but not here. A number of growers there have perfected the art of growing cool species in a rather warm environment. I m always impressed to see Draculas and huge specimen Masdevallias there, alongside the colorful minicatts that make up the bulk of plants entered. I ll be there judging on Saturday, so I hope to see some of you up there as well there tends to be some good vendors there as well. This would be a great opportunity for you to go support another society just like ours; I hope you ll consider making the short drive up there. The Berkeley Botanic Garden is close by, and would make a nice side trip for those of you planning to spend the whole day. I know I ll be there on Saturday and will probably go for a walk around the garden on the way home. In SCVOS-land, our last major event of the year will take place on December 5th, at the Annual Holiday Party. I m sure I don t have to remind you all of how much fun this one is it is the only event where we have an open bar. Wait a minute maybe we should have one of those more often!! In any case, there s great company, great food, and lots and lots of plants both free and on the raffle table for you to enjoy. Since last year s plants from Maplethorpe Orchids went over so well as freebies, we ll be going back there for more; your payment includes a free plant probably in a 6 pot or larger. It s worth it right there to attend!! In addition, we ll be flying in some rare species plants from Haiku Maui Orchids in Hawaii since Ed knows the proprietor well, we get special select plants not listed in their catalog and unavailable to the general public. I remember a few years back I got an awarded Laelia tenebrosa! Remember that attending the Holiday Party is a privilege of society members and their guests and that the society covers a large portion of the costs associated with running the event. So please support your society and make every effort to attend. It s a ton of fun, and the more people, the louder and more fun the party becomes. More info to come, but see the flier below for details!
Reintroduction of native orchids in Panama This project is an instrumental part of our orchid conservation strategy in El Valle. A widespread practice of wild orchid gathering among local people has dramatically diminished native orchid populations in this tiny Panamanian town and the surrounding mountains. It is thus imperative to reintroduce these orchids into the wild so that this place will be a paradise for them again. In close cooperation with the Institute of Agricultural Investigation of Panama a local nursery plans to reproduce eight native orchid species in its nurseries and plant them in their original habitat. Once the reintroduction process is completed, our rangers will try to prevent the exploitation of the precious flowers from occurring again. We identified eight orchid species particularly badly affected by excessive gathering: Acineta chrysantha, Cycnoches warscewiczii, Eriopris biloba, Gongora armeniaca, Gongora gibba, Gongora tricolor, Houlletica tigrina, and Neomoorea irrorata. With the technical assistance of the university, we will reproduce and cultivate these orchids in our nurseries. Once they grow sufficiently large, we will plant them on the protected land. When the reintroduction process is completed, our rangers will watch over the orchids until they start reproducing. This is Neomoorea irrorata, one of the species selected to reproduce. Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt. Remember that your SCVOS dues help support projects like these, and that these projects are essential tools in learning in situ orchid conservation. Please help support them!! What a great project! Click here for more. Orchid Facts Cymbidium (Cym.), also called boat orchids, was first described by Olof Swartz in 1799. The name comes from the Greek word kumbos, which means hole or cavity, referring to the shape of the base of the lip. It has 52 species distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia (India, China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Borneo) and northern Australia. The large flowered hybrids that people all over the world are familiar with have been bred from species that grow in high altitudes. The species in this genus may occur as epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial. Tropical species usually display their flowers in a pendent fashion. Cymbidiums grow with sympodial growing habit, like the Cattleya. Some can grow to a height of about two feet. The flower stalks of some species can reach the length of three feet. Flower size range from two to four inches. A flower stalk can bear fifteen or more flowers depending on the species. The flower spikes from the base of the youngest mature pseudobulb during the winter season. A plant with many pseudobulbs can have many flowering spikes giving it a spectacular display. Colors for this genus can be white, green, yellowish-green, cream, yellow, brown, pink, and red (with markings of different colors at the same time), but not blue and black. Recent hybrids have produced dramatic dark maroon hues that can almost be considered black; usually these hybrids have Cym. canaliculatum as a parent. Some cyms have waxy flowers that can last ten weeks, but this is dependent on the species (or the species used in a hybrid). Some flowers last as little as two weeks (Cym. dayanum). They can grow as many as eight long, narrow, green leaves on each pseudobulb. Probably the most number of leaves produced on a pseudobulb in the orchid family. They are one of the most popular and desirable of orchids. Cymbidiums make great houseplants. In temperate countries, they are relatively hardy, and can withstand temperatures as low as 45 F. The flowers make beautiful corsages and are used in floral arrangements. In China, they have been in cultivation for thousands of years. In Bhutan, Cymbidium hookerianum is a delicacy cooked in a spicy curry or stew. 5
Board Meeting The October board meeting will occur on the 20 th at the home of Sandi Fox. For more information, directions, or if you d like to make an announcement, please contact Kristina by phone at (408) 229-2747 or by email at kbellwolf1@sbcglobal.net. Participating on the board is a very rewarding and infinitely educational experience highly recommended! Please come out and support your society!! The type species of the genus is Cymbidium aloifolium, photo courtesy of IOSPE. - Oliver Colmenar SCVOS Online So much online check it out!! We have a Facebook page. Have a look at it on Facebook! Also see Matt Bond s Flickr page, and Eric Hunt s SCVOS Show page, and the Internet Orchid Species Encyclopedia, which the SCVOS helps fund. Calendar Oct 14-17: Diablo View OS Show and Sale Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA. Contact: Dennis Olivas d.olivas@comcast.net See Flier Below!! Oct 16-17: Hanging Gardens Open House Shelldance Nursery site, Coast Highway, Pacifica - east side of the highway, 3/10 mile north of Reina Del Mar Avenue. Contact: Dan Newman hgardens@earthlink.net See Flier Below!! Dec 5: SCVOS Annual Holiday Party Three Flames Restaurant, 1547 Meridian Ave, San Jose Contact: Sandi Fox sfox@greybeard.net 2010 SCVOS Board It s election time in SCVOS-land, and here is the slate of candidates to be voted upon at the November meeting: President: Kristina Bell Vice President: Peter Brown Treasurer Marvin Bell Secretary: Sandi Fox Membership Chair: Cristin McDaniel, Roger Bindt Directors: Ann Stuart Eanghak Quach Dave Smitt Ed Nazzal Marie Lofton Now is also the time to consider joining the board. If you re at all interested in serving on the board, we encourage you to attend a board meeting in the near future or the December budget hearing. Serving on the board is a wonderful experience, and one that I would totally recommend to be in the know about our society, orchids, and where to go to buy what (and lots of trips to nurseries!!). SCVOS Board The Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society is a non-profit organization that meets the first Wednesday of each month at the American Legion Hall, 1504 Minnesota Avenue, in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California. The meeting starts at 7:30 PM. The skill session starts at about 7:00 PM. 6
Officers for 2010 Kristina Bell, President (408) 229-2747 kbellwolf1@sbcglobal.net Tim Culbertson, Vice President (301) 641-2556 timc@harker.org Jay Rose, Secretary (408) 506-3262 jayman8117@yahoo.com Marvin Bell, Treasurer (408) 229-2747 marvskis@sbcglobal.net Directors for 2010 Kate Culbertson (301) 356-4041 kmackey@stanford.edu Ed Nazzal (408) 268-3573 paphman@gmail.com Eanghak Quach (408) 629-3794 epigarden@yahoo.com Dave Woodfill (408) 248-5983 ofiew@comcast.com Peter Brown (510) 755-3654 pjb@presol.com Ann Stuart (408) 267-3397 annystuart@yahoo.com Sandi Fox (408) 683-0145 sfox@greybeard.com Marie Lofton (408) 629-0264 smlofton@pacbell.net 2010 Auction Chair Ed Nazzal (408) 268-3573 paphman@gmail.com Membership Peter Brown (510) 755-3654 pjb@presol.com Sandi Fox (408) 683-0145 sfox@greybeard.com Website: santaclaravalleyorchidsociety.org Tim Culbertson (301) 641-2556 timc@harker.org Member Database Ed Nazzal (408) 268-3573 paphman@gmail.com Newsletter Tim Culbertson, Editor (301) 641-2556 timc@harker.org Dave and Ofelia Woodfill, Mailing (408) 248-5983 ofiew@comcast.net Publicity Susan Wiedmann (408) 979-1726 Hmgbird@pacbell.net Library Marie Lofton (408) 629-0264 smlofton@pacbell.net Plant Opportunity Tickets Dave and Ofelia Woodfill (408) 248-5983 ofiew@comcast.com Kitchen Crew Conrad Kumata ckk1boater@aol.com Liz Gehrig (408) 363-6901 eagehrig@aol.com 2010 Greenhouse Tour Doug Pulley (408) 354-1412 dpulley1@comcast.net 2010 Show and Sale Tim Culbertson, Co-Chair, Secretary (301) 641-2556 timc@harker.org Eanghak Quach, Co-Chair, Judging (408) 629-3794 epigarden@yahoo.com Peter Brown, Co-Chair, Sales (510) 755-3654 pjb@presol.com 2010 Bus Tour Kristina Bell (408) 229-2747 kbellwolf@aol.com 2010 Holiday Party Kristina Bell (408) 229-2747 kbellwolf1@sbcglobal.net AOS / ODC Representative Tim Culbertson (301) 641-2556 timc@harker.org My Final Entry!! Weeeelll, if you ve gotten this far, thanks in bunches I m about done with the position of newsletter editor and I wanted to thank you all for your comments and support over the years. Five years is a long time to do a good job lots of opportunities to become complacent, boring, and trite in writing something, often similar or the same things year after year after year. I feel like I ve tried to keep it interesting; I hope you ve read and been interested in the newsletter all this time as well. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to learn so much lots of new species and hybrids every month, lots of new events to keep track of, and lots of great new speakers. It s been a trip I d really like to thank you all as well for your overwhelmingly positive comments about the newsletter. Every now and again your comments kept me writing thanks for that. I wish I could continue, but I want to spend as much time as possible with Mark; I ll try to bring him by so you can watch him grow up some. Again, thanks for all your kind words, your help, your photos, and your assistance with writing this, and best of luck to Dave Smitt as he takes it over. I can t wait to see the new format, new layout, and new ideas of a new mind jumping into something fresh. I so enjoyed the ride -Tim 7
Recent AOS Awards From the AOS Pacific Central Judging Center Images are property of the photographers and/or the AOS and should not be reproduced. Phalaenopsis bellina 'Goblin' species AM 81 Exhibited by Ramon de los Santos Awarded September 1 2010 at Sacr. OS Meeting Anguloa ruckeri 'Winston' (A. clowesii A. hohenlohii) HCC 79 Exhibited by Amy and Ken Jacobsen Awarded September 7 2010 at SFOS Meeting AOS Cal-Nevada Region Judging occurs on the first Wednesday of the month at the Oddfellows Hall in Sacramento in association with the Sacramento Orchid Society meeting. AOS Pacific Central Judging occurs on the first Tuesday of the month at the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park in association with the SFOS meeting, and on the third Wednesday of the month at the Lake Merritt Garden Center in Oakland in association with the OSC meeting. Dendrobium cuthbertsonii 'Christopher John' species CCE 94 Exhibited by Steve Beckendorf Awarded September 7 2010 at SFOS Meeting 8
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Hanging Gardens Open Greenhouse Sale Saturday & Sunday, October 16 & 17 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Orchid species in and out of bloom Many rare and hard-to-find plants Cool to intermediate/warm growers Mature plants, seedlings, established and bare-root divisions Orchid companion plants Orchid growing supplies Shelldance Nursery site, Coast Highway, Pacifica - east side of the highway, 3/10 mile north of Reina Del Mar Avenue Take the Highway 1 Pacifica exit from Highway 280 or Highway 35. Follow the long curve down the hill, then make a U-turn at Reina Del Mar Avenue, the first traffic light you come to on Highway 1. Turn right into the driveway marked by an orange sign saying "Orchids", and go up the hill to the unpaved parking lot. My greenhouse is the first one on the right side, just before you get to the parking lot. For more detailed directions, email hgardens@earthlink.net or call 415-305-8355. Come to shop or just to browse - everyone is welcome! Dan Newman 10