Northwest Orchid Society Newsletter

July 11, 2005
7:00 p.m.
University of Washington
Center for Urban Horticulture
3501 NE 41st Street
Seattle, WA 98105

Dr. Glen C. Lehr of New World Orchids in Michigan is a specialist in Japanese orchids including Neofinetia falcata Benisuzume (pictured above).

Beginner’s program: (starts at 6:30 p.m.)
Bring your plant questions or troubles for some advice.

Plant Table:
Bring your whatever you have in bloom so everyone can enjoy them!

Sales Table:
Members may bring up to 10 plants to sell. Include a tag with your name and the price in the plant.

September 12, 2005
"Breeding with Brachypetalums" Karen Muir
Beginners program: "Bugs" George Grantham

October 10, 2005
"Orchid Hunting in Jamaica" Kathy Creger
Beginners program: "Preparing your plants for show" Mike Foster

November 14, 2005
"Easy-to-grow species" Jim Hamilton
Beginners program: "Potting and media for Pacific
Northwest orchid culture" Michael Corn

December 12, 2005
"Flowers Only I Saw Bloom" Jamie Notman
Christmas party and potluck

January 9, 2006
"Weird and Unusual Orchids" Ron Parsons
Beginners program: "Your first orchid" Jay Perez

February 13, 2006
To be announced

March 13, 2006
"Survival! How orchids have adapted to survive in nature" Dr. Joseph Arditti

April 10, 2006
"Dendrobium cruentum and other Section Formosae Dendrobiums" Michael Corn

Speakers and topics are subject to change. Got a suggestion? E-mail Jamie Notman, VP for Programming

It’s time to renew your membership. If you haven't renewed yet, you can download the form from the news letter web site at newsletter.nwos.org or call 206-818-4364 to receive another copy in the mail.

Members who joined in February 2005 or later do not need to renew until next year.

Renewal and update forms must be returned by August 20, 2005 if you want to be included in the 2005-06 NWOS roster. The roster will be distributed at the September meeting.

NEOFINETIA FALCATA: FU-RAN, THE JAPANESE WIND ORCHID

LIGHT
Neofinetias prefer medium light levels, from 1500 - 3000 foot-candles. If you are growing under fluorescent lights, keep the plants about 6” - 8” from the tubes. Under high-intensity lamps, grow approximately 4 feet from the fixture. This plant can be grown on windowsills, given an east, south, or west exposure. Plants may be grown outdoors in the summer with filtered sunlight.

TEMPERATURE
This plant can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. In the spring and summer, day-time temperature should be 70F or above, with a 10 to 15 degree difference at night. During winter months, day temperatures below 65F are preferred. Neofinetia falcata will tolerate winter temperatures in the upper 30s!

HUMIDITY
should be kept from 40 to 60%. Use humidity trays or a small room humidifier when growing on windowsills.

WATER & FERTILIZER
Use clean water, such as rainwater, distilled or reverse osmosis water if possible. Flush the plant regularly, especially if using municipal or well water. Never use artificially softened water. Let the plants dry out between watering. Use ample water in spring and summer while the plants are in active growth and in flower, reducing quantities during cooler winter days. Use a balanced fertilizer year-round, preferably urea-free. If using rain, distilled, or reverse osmosis water, add some municipal or well water to supply the necessary calcium and magnesium. Fertilize very lightly every other watering during the growing season, once a month during the winter rest period should do.

FLOWERING
Neofinetias bloom mostly from spring through fall. The inflorescence may have from three to fifteen flowers. Most forms have white flowers with a long nectary-spur. They will last from one to two months, and are extremely fragrant both day and night. There are also pink, green, cherry-red and yellow-colored forms, as well as those with variegated leaves and different growth habits.

REPOTTING
Repotting of this plant is preferably done in the spring and early summer, every two to three years. Either clay, plastic, or net pots, or wood baskets will work.

Sphagnum
Using a good-quality, long-fibered sphagnum moss, place the root ball over a small amount of moss. Wrap the root ball securely in sphagnum moss, so that the plant does not wobble. Keep the base of the plant higher than the rim of the pot. Plants can be similarly planted using osmunda fiber. Neofinetia potting illustrated.

Possible Potting Mixes
A: 3 parts sphagnum, 1 part perlite or #3 sponge rok, 1 part medium tree fern fiber
B: 3 parts fine fir bark, 1 part perlite or #3 sponge rok, 1 part fine tree fern fiber
C: 3 parts fine fir bark, 1 part perlite or #3 sponge rok, 1 part chopped sphagnum

Any of the above mixes can be used - or something similar - these plants are not very particular. You want to have an open mix that will drain freely. Pot as you would most other orchids, keeping the base of the plant above the top of the media. When growing in a basket, line the basket with a thin layer of sphagnum or coconut fiber to keep the mix from falling through the slats.

Plants may also be mounted on cork or tree fern plaques, or on wood branches like oak, sassafras, etc. You can mount the plants with a little sphagnum or osmunda to help keep them moist.

If kept humid, some growers plant Neofinetias on rocks with live moss.

Information and photo courtesy of New World Orchids.

Here’s the plan. Anyone who wants to go in search of blooming orchids in the Port Angeles area of the Olympics will need to meet me at the ranger station in Port Angeles at the bottom at the Hurricane Ridge Road on Saturday the 23rd of July at 12 noon. You will have to purchase a Olympics National Park Pass as we will be going into the park. If you would like to camp its on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bring your camera and a picnic lunch and I hope to see many of you orchid adventurers there!

Okay, I have been on vacation and haven’t had the time to find out all the details for the visit to Clackamas Orchids by the deadline of this summer newsletter. At the July meeting I will have all the details and a sign-up list for the trip.

The Northwest Orchid Society will be making a donation to the Orchid Digest to set up a fund in memory of Rebecca Tyson Nothern, a highly-respected orchid expert who passed away last year. Ms. Nothern was a member of the NWOS and a regular at meetings in recent years. If you would like to contribute to this fund or for more information, contact Jamie Notman. Donations must be received by August 20.

The next meeting to plan our big Fall Show is July 25 at 7 p.m. in the Northgate Mall Food Court. For more information about the show committee, contact Kathy Murray.

Brian Anderson, a member since 2000, was honored at the June meeting with the Gary Baker Service Award. Mr. Anderson is starting his second year as secretary of the Society, has been producing the NWOS newsletter for nearly four years and is a frequent volunteer at meetings and events. Also honored for their outstanding service this year were award nominees Kathy Murray, Mike and Donna Foster and Mary Nichol.

Please note that the NWOS no longer publishes a newsletter in August. Information on the July meeting and the August picnic are included in this issue. We will return with a fresh newsletter in September and while we are away, we'll also be working on getting all of the back issues of the newsletter available on our web site.
Have something you would like to see in the newsletter? Let us know by e-mail at nwos_news@nwos.org or by regular mail to the NWOS address!

We know everyone can’t make it to every meeting, so in an effort to keep members better informed about what is happening in the Society, the secretary will provide a synopsis of the last general meeting and board meeting.

JUNE GENERAL MEETING
(Held June 13, 2005) Helen Hersh of Mount Prospect Orchids impressed us with tales of her massive windowsill collection of a wide variety of orchids. Prime tip: If you are growing on windowsill, never use a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Stick with “blossom boosters” or even mixes or you'll get plenty of growth but no flowers.

JULY BOARD MEETING
(To be held July 21, 2005) The July board was schedule for after publication of this issue. It will be covered in the September issue.

The NWOS would like to thank the following members for bringing in plants for the display table last month:

Mike and Donna Foster
George Grantham
George Krasle
Au Minh
Jamie Notman
Wally Orchard
Mike Pearson and Abby Chang
Andy Wright