E A S T E R N I O W A O R C H I D S O C I E T Y A small group of people with a big love of growing orchids. The Spike In This Month s Newsletter: Notes from the President page 1 Note the March meeting is 1 week late Meeting directions page 4 March 2015 EIOS is now on Facebook! Jon Lorence told EIOS Club members how he grows Phrags. AND he grows them well! Story on page 4 President: Lois Dusdieker (319) 626-2236 E-mail: lois-dusdieker@uiowa.edu Vice President: Jim Quaintance (319) 624-2758 E-mail: yakmanq@southslope.net Secretary: Mike Hampton (319) 377-0106 E-mail: mike_eios@qwest.net Treasurer: Cathy Wilcox (319) 354-5879 Email: wilcoxfam4@lycos.com AOS Representative: Laynez Ackermann (319) 656-2063 Email: lwla@kctc.net Mid-America Representative: Nile Dusdieker (319) 626-2236 E-mail: niledusdieker@gmail.com Newsletter Editor: Mike Hampton (319) 377-0106 E-mail: mike_eios@qwest.net Web Page Editor: Jim Quaintance (319) 624-2758 E-mail: yakmanq@southslope.net President s Message March 2015 Our meeting this month is March 10 th the SECOND TUESDAY and How to Photograph Orchids with Joel Wilcox is our program. I encourage members to bring their digital cameras and accessories as well as orchids for the show and tell table that we can photograph. The plan is to have Nile s computer hooked up to the TV and we can share each other s results on the big screen. (I guess my Pentax point and shoot is out of date as I can t even get film any more.) We must all enter the digital age and our March program is a good place to start. Some of our members are already quite proficient. On Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend (April 4-5) and Mother s Day (May 10 th ) EIOS will be setting up a small orchid display at the Noelridge Greenhouse Showcase in Cedar Rapids. We will also be selling donated blooming orchids as our fundraiser for our fall orchid show. We answer a lot of questions usually about ice cubes! Volunteers to staff our display and sales area would be greatly ap- (Continued on page 6) Calendar of Events EIOS MEETING First Presbyterian Church Topic: Orchid Photography by Joel Wilcox Hands on Workshop Plan to bring your cameras NOTE 2ND Tuesday Northeastern Wisconsin Orchid Show, Neenah WI Illinois Orchid Show Chicago Botanical Gardens Glencoe Il ILIowa Orchid Show Wallace s garden Center, Bettendorf, IA Noelridge Greenhouse Showcase Display and sale EIOS MEETING First Presbyterian Church 3/10/15 3/7-8/15 3/14-15/15 3/21-22/15 4/4-5/15 4/7/15
Page 2 THE SPIKE Iowa Clubs Deuce at Madison Show Neither snow nor ice nor frigid cold kept two Iowa orchid clubs from participating in the Orchid Grower s Guild Show at the Marriott West in Middleton, Wisconsin the weekend of 1/31 2/1/15; although both did stay an extra night rather than trying to brave the drive home. Not too bad a time, we all watched the Super Bowl at a mostly deserted Irish Pub with great service and beer! The Eastern Iowa Orchid Society received the AOS Show Trophy and Best Display in the Show for our in the round exhibition. (left). The Illowa Orchid Society received first place ribbon for their 50 display and Best Plant of the Show for Dave Wujek s Oncostele Midnight Miracles, (right). EIOS had over 70 plants from 10 members (some veterans of the Minnesota Show) displayed on two trees and a Z shaped island with varying heights. Doc Bannister s big lavender Okarchee Addison was the central focus as its flowers projected in all directions. Dorothy Hampton s Ctt. Goldiggers (x2) highlighted one side and two Onc. maculatum species rounded out the other end of the display. Although we did not have any one outstanding plant (no Best of Class flower award), all the blooms were well presented and placed such that each had its own space in the exhibit. Thanks to Bill Page, Dorothy Hampton, and Lois Dusdieker who did the majority of the setup. Michael Hampton collated registration labels for the exhibit and Nile mostly talked!. Illowa, likewise had a nicely spaced floor up exhibit with a wonderful Phalaenopsis Mikki Valentine in the center top. I m told it was a Lowe s Special, with lip and petals of a solid pink and sepals webbed white and pink. The show was well attended with over 1200 people by Sunday morning and lots of great vendors were present. Overall, the new location was a success and we look forward to next year. Enjoy the photos. C. Okarchee - left, Granners Happy face - below left, ribbons and trophy below, Hamptons Gold Digger Buttercup - right and other yellows
Page 3 THE SPIKE More Show Pics Bill Page (left) wrapping plant for placement Michael Hampton (right) finding the label Dorothy Hampton and Lois Dusdieker adding the finishing touches. Far right is Jim Quaintances Paph. Fairy Dell Below is Doc s Rlc. Mem. Irene Feil Ruby Red Recording the ribbons (above) The EIOS Madison crew (left)
Page 4 Phragmipediums: the topic of our February meeting The club watched an AOS Webinar presentation by Lois Cinert on the evolution of Phragmipediums from early species and hybrids that were basically green and brown to the addition of brilliant orange colors with the discovery and use of Phrag. besseae in hybridization and finally with the new hybrids using Phrag kovachii that are HUGE! Lois pointed out that phrags have been considered hard to grow and were largely ignored in flower judging circles until recently. It seems that color and size really grab the eye! Rarely does one find a brighter more vivid orange than that of Phrag besseae. The kovachii hybrids that are now just coming into bloom in some cases double the size of the flowers although the deep lavender color of kovachii is not dominant at all. Also these new large hybrids do not hold their shape for long as the parent, kovachii, reflexes its petals and becomes floppy after just 4-5 days. Jon Lorence then gave us all some practical tips on how he grows his phrags to perfection. He gives them lots of light, right under his Cattleyas in the greenhouse with little or no artificial light supplement. He provides a moist humid atmosphere with humidity around 70%. His greenhouse is partially underground and water in the gravel floor keeps humidity up. His temperatures are intermediate - 55 degrees at night to mid 70 in the daytime in winter and much warmer in the summer. Lots of GOOD water - rain water with low salt content is best. He flushes the plants from the top of the pot and does NOT get water on the leaves or in the crowns of the new growths. He says plants will take plenty of water as long as it drains well and the media is not stale. He repots his yearly and uses mostly a standard bark mix. Don't over divide the plants as they may take considerable time to recover. Phrags like some extra calcium as many grow on limestone in nature. Jon fertilizes with 1/4 strength concentration of a variety of common brands from 20-20-20 to bloom booster to 30-10-10 for growth promotion. And of course - he adds a bit of love which makes all the difference. Top is: Phrag. Eumelia Arias (Phrag. kovachii x Phrag. schlimii) The size of this hybrid is greatly increased over tiny schlimii. Above: Phrag. La Vingtaine (Phrag. Memoria Dick Clements x Phrag. kovachii) note the lovely besseae coloring with a hint of lavender. Right: Phrag. Cardinale (Phrag. Sedenii x Phrag. schlimii) lovely coloring and very reliable bloomer. All the flowers on this page grown by the Lorences
And the JOY CONTINUES! EIOS wins AOS SHOW TROPHY at SUBURBAN CHICAGO (BATAVIA) ORCHID SHOW Page 5 Hamptons, Dusdiekers, Bennetts, and Batavia friends Cheryl and Jani Erins after setup was done! Special Tony Quirk Award for Doc B s Phal. Tadia Pearl (below) We braved the winds and cold to ascend upon the Du- Page County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, Illinois from two different directions and neighboring states. Richard and Kathy Bennett drove in from Michigan and Hamptons and Dusdiekers from Iowa. All total we had 72 plants from 11 EIOS members placed in a lovely crescent shaped display with whites in the center this time and darker colors on the sides. The track lights on the floor really made the flowers jump as the venue tended to be rather dark. EIOS won the Show Trophy and Illowa Orchid Society won Best of Class Orchid Society Displays - Congrats to them as well! Our blooms received 39 ribbons with several special awards. Bill Page s Paph. London Wall won first place and was pulled for AOS judging - not quite an award but very close! Doc Bannister s phalaenopsis continue to shine with the big white Sogo Yukidians taking ribbons and Best of Class Phalaenopsis. A special award - the Tony Quirk Award for Best Phalaenopsis in the Show was given his Phal. Taida Pearl - a truly fantastic small deeply spotted white and lavender. Sharon Neff contributed 5 plants for 5 ribbons! The Bennetts always bring nice vandas and some compact multifloral phalaenopsis. We needed the trees for several hangy downy flowers including the Dusdieker s Gongora scaphephorus. Sunday brought a visit to Hausermann s Greenhouse and chili dogs at Portillas before heading home - another show tradition! Paph. London Wall (above left); S Neff s Psychopsis Mendenhall (above right); Bennetts blue vandas - V. Tharab Blue was 1st place winner. Closeup of Gongora scaphephorus - a flying dragon orchid (below).
Back Page The EIOS booth at the Winter Gardening Fair February 21. Bill and Jean Snyder, and Peggy Green provided a display of their orchids and provided advice on orchids and their care. 600 vendors, Exhibitors and Master Gardener volunteers attended Bill Page with his Blue ribbon, from the Batavia Show, Paph London Wall (Continued from page 1) preciated as well as any donations to acquire sale plants. A signup sheet will be out at the March meeting. The Chicago Botanical Gardens at Glencoe, Illinois is featuring an Orchid Extravaganza which started Valentine s Day and runs through March 15 th with thousands of orchids presented in their greenhouses. The weekend of 3/14-15/15 is also the Illinois Orchid Show at the same location and EIOS will take a display. Last year s feature was gorgeous and this year s feature will be even more beautiful. This would be a great time to visit the botanical gardens (bring your AOS card or other botanical garden card to avoid the $25 fee). The following week is the Illowa Orchid Show in Bettendorf (March 21-22) so put that on your calendar as well. Stay warm and see ya March 10 th! Bring blooming orchids for a photo-op! Lois Dusdieker Membership dues for 2015 are now DUE. They are $20 for one $30 for family. Bring to meeting or mail to: Cathy Wilcox 119 Taft Speedway Iowa City, IA 52245 Hosts for Upcoming Meetings March Jon & Joan Lorence If you would like to volunteer to help with refreshments, please e-mail Lois Dusdieker (lois-dusdieker@uiowa.edu). Directions to First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City From East on I-80 take exit 249 on Herbert Hoover Hwy turn left and go about 5 minutes on Rochester and turn left on Mount Vernon Dr. As soon as you turn left the church parking lot is on your left. From West on I-80, take exit 246 turn right to Dodge St, turn left to Scott Blvd, turn right on First Ave, and stay on until you meet Rochester Ave, turn left, go few minutes, turn right on Mount Vernon Dr. As soon as you turn right the church parking lot is on your left. The meeting is in the Youth Room, as soon as you enter the building turn left & turn right.