Michiana Orchid
Society
February
2008 Newsletter
Editor
Shirley Keim sak12000@aol.com
February Meeting: Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 1:30 pm at
the River Park Library Branch*
Program: World Orchid Conference Slide Presentation
Refreshments: Shirley
WOC- World Orchid Conference in
Review
The World Orchid Conference that you have heard mentioned time after time in our monthly meetings has come and gone. Eleven members of our society were able to make it to this event. For those of you were not able to attend, this month’s meeting and program will focus on sharing, through slides (see above pictures) and stories, what those of us who could attend experienced. The presentation promises to be a visual delight, especially at this time of year so filled with gray days.
Bruce to Tell Story at February
Meeting
Bruce has had an interesting learning experience regarding how not to grow orchids. Don Garling did an excellent job last month covering all the bases of basic orchid care but did not mention what Bruce learned. He may not have known. You will be surprised to find out how a little thing that most of us assume to be safe to use in caring for our orchids can actually harm them.
Busy Time of Year for Shows
The orchid show season for 2008 in this part of the country began in earnest with the Grand Valley Show at Meijer’s Garden in Grand Rapids, MI the weekend of February 1-3. As I write this, those of us who volunteered to set up and take down for the show are busily trying to pull it all together. Some of us are still recovering from “jet lag” and the exhaustion of trying to take in all the beauty of the WOC displays, information from world renowned lecturers, and all those temptations and decisions about what to buy and not to buy. Some of us are under the weather. All of us are hoping the weather will become more favorable as the weekend approaches. We’ve tried to reach as many people as possible as to where and when to bring plants and other items for the show. If we missed you it was not on purpose.
Please take a look at the following
show dates. In the past we have
participated as a society in the
Next on our agenda will be the Lansing show.
Dates: Show/Location: Volunteers
Needed:___________________________
Feb 2-3 Grand Valley/Meijers Gardens-Grand
Rapids, MI Registration (Fri/Feb 1): Katie
Set-up
(Fri/Feb 1): Lynda, Vicki, Sue
Take-
down (Sun/Feb 3): Bruce
|
Feb23-24 Greater Lansing/Lansing MI: Registration (Fri/Feb
1): Deb Set-up(Fri/Feb 22): Sylvia Take- down (Sun/Feb 24): ?Bruce
Where to bring plants, arts & crafts,etc.____________TBA____________________ Where
to pick up plants,arts & crafts, etc.___________TBA___________________ FORMS SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH PLANTS!!!!
Will be available for downloading. |
Feb 22-24
& Feb 29-Mar 2 - Hausermann’s Open House 9am to 5:30 pm For directions google Hausermann’s Open
House. Several members are interested in
car pooling to this event. We will
discuss the possibilities at the February meeting
Mar 1-2 Mid
America will be held this weekend somewhere in the Ann Arbor area. Details will follow as they become available.
April 5-6 Illinois Orchid Society show at the Botanical Gardens in
April 12-13 Ann Arbor
April 12-13
Garfield Conservatory, Indianapolis, Indiana
May 17-18 Great Lakes Judging Center May Seminar
(Phalaenopsis) ????Road Trip????
Free seminars. Possible road trip?????
May ???? Three Rivers/Fort Wayne
Invite
to have your orchids AOS judged and awarded
If you are the proud owner of
an orchid in bloom that you think may be worthy of an AOS award contact Sandy
or the Payeurs. Sandy, as a certified
judge, and Ron, Katie, and Brittany, as student judges -- are required to
attend a certain number of AOS judging sessions at the Great Lakes Judging
Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. These sessions are held the third Saturday of
each month. If any of the above is going
to a session at the time your orchid is in bloom, they are willing to take your
plant with them to be judged according to AOS standards.
NEEM
OIL WIPES
While
taking in all of the pleasures of the World Orchid Conference, Deb came across
a brand new product just coming onto the market. It will soon be carried by
some well-know mail-order garden retailers, but who knows what the cost will
be? The product's name is "Botani Wipe, the Original Wipe for
Plants". They are packaged in plastic tubs like uh, bathroom wipes, are
biodegradable with a touch of cold pressed neem oil. With insecticidal and
anti-fungal properties, they would be ideal for cleaning and shining plants before
transport to shows. If weput together a group order, we can get them for
$5.90/box. 12 boxes make up a case for a cost of $70.80. If there is enough
interest, Deb would like to place an order. For more information, go to www.botaniwipe.com.
One retailer listed a price of $10.25 for a box--this might be a good
fundraiser for our show.
TIPS
FOR GROWING BULBOPHYLLUMS
From
the Bill Thoms lecture at the WOC, here are some tips:
1.
pronounced "bulb o fill um", the double l in "phyllum"
makes the "y" into a short "i"
2. more
water longer--he grows almost all types in shallow trays of water so the roots
have time to absorb water. Bulbos do well in plastic bulb pans (something
shallow) with a porous mix. He uses NZ sphagnum.
3. Good
airflow, fresh air--not just good air movement, but air that is not stale.
4.
Fertilize weakly weekly--the general rule that we follow for most orchids.
Water with clear water first to wet the roots, so the fertilizer is more
readily taken up into the plant. He uses the MSU formulation of fertilizer.
5.
Bright shade--Plants growing under a canopy in a tropical forest come into
bloom when there is a fallen tree that lets more light into the understory.
6. When
blooming medusae, keep
developing flowers dry so the tails can elongate. This species takes in water
at night and likes dry daytimes.
Minutes
for January
The meeting was called to order
at 1:35 by President Katie. Dr. Garling was speaking on pests and diseases ,
and he spoke first with business meeting to follow. Minutes and Treasurers
Report were approved as printed. Program
for February will be slides from the Show in
Respectfully submitted,
Shirley Keim
Co- secretary
TREASURER'S
REPORT
February
1, 2008
Beginning
Balance $778.01
Income
Dues $90.00
Expenses
GLJC
honorarium for January speaker $75.00
January
speaker's meals $73.48
Total
Expenses $148.48
Ending
Balance $719.53
Amount
in Savings $2,957. 69
Respectfully
submitted,
Deb
Longworth, treasurer
Deb
will not be at the February meeting, so send dues to her or pay in March.
Thanks!
2008 Refreshments
Program 2008 Refreshments
Program
Jan
Sherry Don Garling-Orchid Pests & Diseases July In Home Member’s
Greenhouse,etc.
Feb Shirley
WOC Slides Aug BYO Road Trip
Mar Lisa TBA Sept
? TBA
Apr Barbara TBA Oct ? TBA
May Bessie Rob Halgren-Speaker & Vendor Nov ? TBA
Jun In
Home Member’s Greenhouse, etc. Dec In Home Christmas Party/Exchange
* Be sure to read each month’s
newsletter. We will let you know at
meetings and in the newsletter if there will be any change in where we meet.