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May 2003
MAY MEETING May 12,
2003 Paph Breeding and Culture Sam Tsui of Orchid Inn in Illinois will give a presentation on Paph breeding and culture. Sam is offering a special discount on pre-orders for both plants and flasks and will give at least us a 10% discount (except net and package items). If you want to order, please visit the newsletter online for his list of plants (www.nwos.org) or call Orchid Inn at (309) 278-2531. Beginner's program (starts at 6:30 p.m.): This month, Jerry Hoffmeister will be on hand to answer your questions. Feel free to bring in your plants if you have questions about a specific plant or plants. If you believe your plant has an insect infestation, please bring it in a plastic bag so to not spread them to other members plants. Plant Table: Bring your blooming orchids to show! Sales Table: Members may bring up to 10 plants to sell. Raffle: Win a new orchid for your collection and support NWOS. FROM THE PRESIDENT Spring brings on the arrival of many new things for us; it also brings a new slate of officers to carry on the inner workings of the society. This year's slate is President James Notman, first VP Jerry Hoffmiester, second VP George Grantham, Treasurer Louise Peterson, Secretary Robin Kemph. Four trustees will be returning with four new ones being elected. The nominees for the open trustee positions are Andy Wright, Shannon Boling, Mike Boyd and Al Mysiewicz. It's also time to repot your plants and to facilitate this we will be having a potting clinic on the third Monday in May at 7 p.m. in the Douglas classroom—that's the one down by the greenhouse. That's the Monday after our regular meeting. You can bring up to three plants and we will provide the medium and pots. Our panel of experts will pick plants from the ones you have brought and use them for demonstrations. There will also be hands-on experience. All who attend will have a good time. I know it seems as though our next big event is, oh, so far away (that being our fall show at the Seattle Center). In order for this event to go well it will take a lot of planning and work. As it stands now that work is done by about 10 people. We cannot do it all. We need your help. 'Help?' you say, where can I help? We need help in advertising, planning our judges' luncheon, setup, how the displays will be placed, what kind of trophies should be awarded and a bunch of other stuff I canıt think of right now. All you have to do to be part of the planning committee is call Robin Kemph and find out when the committee meets. We want to make this our most successful show since we parted ways with the NWFGS. Volunteer, be part of YOUR Society. See you at the next meeting. Jamie
Notman WEB SITE OF THE MONTH Internet Orchid Phot Encyclopedia As the site claims, it has photos and information on "4,059 species in 493 genera"—to call it comprehensive would be an understatement. Although navigating the long, long pages of text can be cumbersome (hint: use the CNTRL-F "find" command in your browser), this site is a great reference when you find a name in a catalog and want to know just what it looks like. — Brian Anderson March 2003
Web Site of the Month: Zuma
Canyon Orchids SHOWS PAST AND FUTURE The busy spring show season is finally winding down. The Spokane Orchid Society Show was held April 5th and 6th in a spacious room in the Northwest Quest Casino just off Highway 2 east of Spokane. It was a nice show and we did very well with our display (see photo below) this year. We had about 50 plants in the display from seven different members. About 35 of our plants received show ribbons and two plants received AOS awards. They were Phrag. Noirmont (AM/AOS) and Caleanthe furcata (AM/AOS) both belonging to Shannon Boling. In addition a Paph Lady Isabel, also Shannon's, was nominated, and all seven plants she sent received blue ribbons. Way to go Shannon! She garnered "best Phrag or Paph" and "best species-other" for the two awarded plants and these honors included a prize of a nice glass piece with pictures of orchids hand-etched on them.
Harry Mar received similar prizes for a lovely red Miltonopsis (best Oncidium alliance) and for Angulocaste Jupiter 'Sunset' (best Lycaste-related hybrid). Our display won the AOS trophy for best exhibit. Mike Pearson and Abby Chang helped with the setup Friday night. Besides Shannon, Harry, and Mike and Abby, many thinks to Andy Wright, Jamie Notman and Mike Foster and Donna Pierce for sending plants. In addition, thanks very much to my wife Cylvia for her tireless efforts. The Oregon Orchid Society Spring Show was held on April 26th and 27th and we are preparing for it at the time of writing. On May 24th and 25th the South Central Washington Orchid Society Show will be held again this year in a wonderful spot, the Allied Arts Building in Richland. It is a lovely setting next to a park on the Columbia River. The show is small but always very nice, and this is an ideal time to visit that part of the state. There should still be some spring wildflowers along the road on the drive over and the summer heat has not yet arrived. We will be out of town that weekend and Mike and Abby will be in charge of our display. If you are able to help in any way, especially with transportation over and/or back, let them know. Please mark your calendar for the week of May 19th and let them know if you have anything to send. That will bring the show season to a close. I will be doing the 2nd VP job again next year but will be looking for volunteers to help out, perhaps with an eye toward taking over the position in the future. If interested, please let me know. George Grantham George Grantham, 2nd Vice President ORCHID IN A BOTTLE Well, you've finally got your hot little hands on that hard-to-get orchid. Only trouble is, it comes in a bottle. Buying orchid seedlings by the flask allows you to experience all the variations in a cross. Flasks generally contain at least 20-30 (and often many more) seedlings, so they can be a good bargain as well. You can grow some for yourself and some to sell. So how do you get it out of the bottle and flowering in a six-inch pot? First things first. The little babies are fragile and delicate, so check the bottle to see if they are big enough to come out. If not, place the flask in a well-lighted area that is out of direct sunlight which will cook the seedlings. Bright, indirect light (from a north or east window) is best. It is important that you do not deflask your seedlings too quickly after you receive the flask. The flask should be given time to acclimatize and the seedlings time to grow. If the flask arrives shaken up, gently tap the flask until the seedlings are sitting on top of the medium again. Let the seedlings grow until they reach a size that looks like five or six of them could fit in a 4-inch community pot (a.k.a. "comm pot"). This will vary by genus. Harden off and prepare When the seedlings are large enough for you to handle them, harden them off by placing the flask in a shady, dry area for several days. Again, closer to the window for extra light will do, but never in direct sun. Prepare your work area with a sheet of clean newspaper on the table. Make sure you have a clean pot ready and fresh sterile potting media. The biggest danger to flask seedlings is soil- and water-borne pathogens, so be sure to keep your work area and tools clean. Use a mix appropriate to the orchid you are growing and your growing conditions. Deflasking method There are two ways to remove the seedlings from the bottle. The gentle method is to wash them out with warm water (to help dissolve the agar). The stress-relieving method is to break the flask. Wrap the flask in a soft towel and use a hammer to carefully break the flask (you don't want to be picking tiny glass shards out of your seedlings). Gently rinse the seedlings in warm (but not hot) water to remove the agar. This will help prevent fungus infections. Place the seedlings on a clean sheet of newspaper and allow them to dry until they are just damp. Seedlings like to be together and will grow better in a community pot than potted individually. A four-inch pot should hold at least 5-6 large seedlings. Initial care Water the pot well and allow to drain. Seedlings need a humid environment with good air circulation to avoid fungus infections. For the first few days, very lightly mist the leaves and keep the seedlings in heavy shade. Frequent light misting will prevent dehydration and encourage new root growth without letting the medium get too wet. Some growers use a light spraying of Neem oil (an organic pest repellent) that coats the leaves and prevents drying out. Dyna-Gro's Pro-Tekt® product has the same effect and doubles as a mild fertilizer. After a few days, the seedlings can be watered so that they are just damp but not wet. Keep in mind that the most common cause of death for seedlings is overwatering. Hormone formula (e.g., SuperThrive) or very weak fertilizer can be used. Harsh chemical fungicides should not be used as they can inhibit growth in seedlings. If you start seeing signs of fungus or mold, it means your conditions are too wet; cut back on watering and increase the ventilation. Growing on Once the seedlings are established and grown to their second lead or new larger leaf, they can be repotted in individual 2-inch or 3-inch pots. Growing seedlings from flask is something to be learned through practice and, once mastered, can be very rewarding. Seeing the first flower on a plant you grew from a tiny baby is quite an experience. Adapted from an article by Ian Walters of Burleigh Park Orchids with additional information from Jay Perez, NWOS. AOS BOOK SALE Six American Orchid Society (AOS) books will be available at the March meeting with deeply discounted prices for NWOS members. These prices include sales tax. The books will be in the plant sales area. In keeping with the March program on home orchid growing, Growing Orchids Under Lights, should be of special interest. This guide by Charles Marden Fitch explains the needs of orchids under various types of grow lights, discusses how to select equipment and timers, and covers the basics of good culture. Almost one-third of the guide is devoted to 32 genera that are especially suited to growing under indoor lights. 95 color photos, 76 pages. Growing Orchids (James B. Watson, editor) explains culture basics, pests and diseases, propagation, nomenclature, repotting, orchid names, and how to grow orchids in the home, under lights, and in the greenhouse. Readers will learn how to grow 30 popular genera. 120 color photos, 108 pages. Your First Orchid, by Stephen R. Batchelor, is aimed at the neophyte grower. The author tells how to select orchids and discusses suitable growing areas, fertilizers, repotting, and ailments. He also recommends orchids for beginners. 70 color photos, 64 pages. The Orchid Tourist: An International Guide to Public Orchid Collections, is a pocket-sized worldwide directory of 115 orchid collections open to the public in 37 countries including the U.S. and Canada. Each listing has contact information plus details about the collectionıs content and size. 64 pages. Orchid Pests and Diseases is a guide to diagnosing insect, noninsect, bacterial and fungal diseases with remedies. 77 color and 25 back-and-white photos; 118 pages. The Handbook on Judging and Exhibition will help you understand what AOS judges seek when they assess orchids. Quantities of this book are limited. Kathy Murray NEW ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARD AVAILABLE The Northwest Orchid Society web site now lets member share information and ask questions through an online forum. Webmaster Mike Pearson has installed new software to create the "Orchid Forum Message Board" that allows members to post messages with tips, questions, advice, or orchid-related news. Members will need to register online and create a username and password to post messages, but anyone can read messages without registering. Registration requires only disclosing your name and e-mail address and you can choose not to publicly display your e-mail address in messages you post. The NWOS newsletter is also available through the NWOS web site now and PDF software is not required to read it. Stop by online and check out all the new features at the NWOS web site at: 2003 SPEAKERS SCHEDULE June - Scholarship winners will present their results. July - Mark Bamber of Out on a Limb Orchids intends to speak about Miltonias as well as a general talk on pests and diseases. August - Picnic to be held at Out on a Limb Orchids tenatively the second Sunday. September - Larry Moskovitz will give us a talk entitled "Bizarre Orchid Species" October - NWOS Auction - This year, we're going to try having the auction at a regular meeting rather than at the August picnic. November - Open December - Christmas party, program TBD January - David Morris of Clackamas Orchids will tell us about orchids in the Maxillarieae tribe with an emphasis on Lycastes (at the request of Bill Carley and I). Got a suggestion for a speaker or program? November 2003 and most of 2004 is currently open and first vice president Jerry Hoffmeister is interested in knowing what you would like to hear about at upcoming meetings. E-mail at jerry@hoffmeisters.com or call him (206-932-9912) with your suggestions. UPCOMING EVENTS MAY 2-4,
2003 MAY 10,
2003 MAY 19,
2003 MAY 24-25,
2003 This is the end of the "orchid show" season in the Northwest. The show schedule begins again in the fall. MAY MEETING PRE-ORDER Sam Tsui of Orchid Inn in Illinois will be our speaker at the May meeting. He has offered a minimum 10% discount for any pre-order (except NET and packages items). Here is his latest flask list and plant catalog for those interested in placing pre-orders that Sam will bring with him to the meeting.
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