SOUTHERN ONTARIO ORCHID SOCIETY NEWS June 2011, Volume 46, Issue 6

Web site: www.soos.ca ; Member of the Canadian Orchid Congress; Affiliated with the American Orchid Society, the Orchid Digest and the International Phalaenopsis Alliance. Membership: Annual Dues $25 per calendar year (January 1 to December 31 ). Membership secretary: Hesse Pommells 416-245-0369, #503-370 Dixon Road, Weston, Ontario, M9R 1T2 Executive: President, Yvonne Schreiber, 905-473-3405; Vice- president, Elizabeth McAlpine, 416-487-7832; Secretary, Sue Loftus 905-839-8281; Treasurer, John Vermeer, 905 823-2516 Other Positions of Responsibility: Program, Mario Ferrusi; Plant Doctor, Doug Kennedy; Meeting Set up, Tom Atkinson; Vendor and Sales table coordinator, Diane Ryley; Web Master, Max Wilson; Ferrusi Display at Ottawa Show Photo PP Newsletter, Peter and Inge Poot; Annual Show, Tom Atkinson; Refreshments, Joe O’Regan. Conservation Committee, Tom Atkinson; Show table, Iryna Bonya. Honorary Life Members: Terry Kennedy, Doug Kennedy, Inge Meeting Program Sunday, June Poot, Peter Poot, Joe O’Regan, Diane Ryley, Wayne Hingston. 5 , Sales at noon, program at 1 pm. Annual Show: February 11 – 12, 2012 On June 5, we will be back in the Floral Hall for our monthly meeting. At this time, we welcome Thomas Mirenda, who will speak on "Orchid Hunting in Central America".

An orchid grower since childhood, Tom is a very enthusiastic orchid grower and promoter of the Orchid Lifestyle: lots of plants, old worn-out clothes and furniture, and a diet with no protein. He studied Marine Biology in college, but always returned to horticulture, first as a hobby, and eventually as a career. He has worked at some of the East Coast's most cherished botanic gardens and private estates.

Tom's interest in orchids has influenced him to travel extensively through Latin America and he is an expert on the orchids of Costa Rica and Panama.

Tom is the Museum Specialist for the Orchid Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. The Smithsonian collection is an extremely diverse collection of species and hybrids from all over the world, collected for its educational, conservation, and ornamental values. He is also responsible for supplying blooming plants year-round for the many horticultural displays of the Smithsonian, including its annual, five months in duration Orchid Exhibition.

Next Meeting August SOOS Summerfest. August 7, Toronto Centre judging and SOOS Orchidfest, Toronto Botanical Garden, Judging 10 am, Program 1 pm, Andrea Niessen from Columbia on Maxillarias and Sam Tsui from Chicago on multifloral Paphiopedilums.

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Tour of Orchid Growers June 11 and 12, 2011

Grower Location Contact Date(s) & Time Open

 Doug & Terry Kennedy 15 Wilmac Crt. Sunday June 12 905-727-3319 Gormley 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Orchids in Our Tropics

 Wayne 7 Hillings Drive Saturday June 11 Hingston 905-686-5697 Ajax 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 Joe and 414 Upper Ottawa St. Saturday June 11 Patricia 905-389-9339 Diciommo Hamilton 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

 Calvin 53 Howard Road Sunday June 12 Wong 416-471-6939 Newmarket 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 Eric & Ellen 905-478-8398 Lee Saturday June 11 & Sunday Newmarket June 12 Crystal Star By appointment only By Orchids Appointment By Appointment Only Only

4 Leahann Dr. Sunday June 12 Joe O’Regan 416-759-2538 Scarborough 1 – 4 p.m.

416-622-4867 22 Crendon Drive or Sunday June 12 Iryna Bonya Toronto 416-725-8015 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (cell)

7 Mooreland Crt. Saturday June 11 Rosanne Li 905-294-8549 Markham 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 Plants for Sale 2

 plants brought to Summerfest will cost 10% to 15% more Summerfest 2011 -  there will be approximately 100 different species Sunday, August 7  please contact Andrea via e-mail and let her The Southern Ontario Orchid Society (SOOS) is know the order pleased to announce that Andrea Niessen and . payment: Sam Tsui will be guest speakers at this year's  for credit cards, it must be in US$ Summerfest. This annual event is open to all for cash, either Canadian or US currency is SOOS members, as well as to bona fide  acceptable. members of other orchid societies. As this event is held on the August long weekend - Sunday, August 7, 2011 - it is not too early to plan your This is the meeting where we all bring our own calendar around this event. favourite potluck dishes for our attendees to share. There will be 2 presentations: SOOS President’s Remarks – Sam Tsui: News in multifloral Fellow orchid aficionados: Thank you Paphiopedilums & their culture goes out to those of you who brought in treats – Andrea Niessen: the Maxillarias and their st diversity to share for our May 1 meeting. The letter of – they will be bringing orchids for sale. Here the month for June will be the letter “M”. We are the details thereof: are asking anyone whose last name starts with o Sam Tsui: the letter “M” to bring in a treat to share. These . Orchid Inn Ltd. at treats should be finger foods only i.e. http://www.orchidinnusa.com/ . Sam is at [email protected] something that can be picked up with your . people may order from Sam’s website fingers and does not require a plate or fork. or from an updated list which will be sent out The Tour of Orchid Growers will take in early June: place on June 11th and 12th. This will give  regarding the website, please note that it will not be accurate till June 1 members of our society a chance to visit and . cut-off date for pre-orders is June 19 - for see how others are looking after their orchids. the CITES permit There will be eight different growers to visit. . there will be a 10% discount for all pre- Please respect the dates and times posted in orders except NET price items or packages! the chart. Contact information is shown for . payment: each of the members who have generously  for credit cards, it must be in US$  for cash, either Canadian or US currency is allowed us to visit them. acceptable. Our May 1st meeting was held in the o Andrea Niessen: Garden Hall and served as an introduction to . Orquideas del Valle at http://www.orquivalle.com/ this room. As was apparent to those in . Andrea is at [email protected] attendance, we will have to make some . available orchids are found as follows: accommodations that are necessitated by the  at the website smaller space. Your executive, to make the  there is a pricelist via an Excel spreadsheet most effective use of the space, will reconsider – send an email to [email protected] to receive the arrangement of the various tables. We will a copy not be using the Garden Hall again until April . cut-off date for pre-orders is June 10 . pre-orders and a discount: 2012. Due to the acoustics in this room, I found  there is no discount for pre-orders that sound traveled very well. This means that  pre-orders have the listed price (of the web conversations that might not be heard in the site or spreadsheet) and no extra cost Floral Hall are disruptive to meetings in the Garden Hall. Please be considerate and keep

3 your private conversations until the social Fall New Comers’ Meetings break. Wayne Hingston (905-686-5697) will once A number of changes will be made to again present his excellent series on the culture the membership fees. Beginning in September of the most popular types of hobby orchids. 2011, the cost for a membership will increase to These sessions are for members who have just started in orchids and will be presented at the $30.00. Effective immediately, for all new Toronto Botanical Garden Board Room on the members opting to receive the newsletter via following Tuesday evenings at 7 pm: regular post, an additional charge of $15.00 will be added to their membership fee. A current Sept. 27, Oct. 18, Nov. 22, Dec. 13, and Jan. 17 member wishing to change from e-mail to (2012). regular post for receipt of the newsletter will also be assessed this additional charge. Our AOS REP. REPORT FROM SHREVEPORT monthly newsletter is currently available via e- MEETINGS APRIL 27 to MAY 1, 2011 mail or regular post. Almost half of our members have chosen not to receive the e-mail version, and the cost of mailing the newsletter to these people uses up most of all of the membership fees collected. If at possible, we are urging all current members, who have not provided us with an e-mail address to receive the newsletter, to do so. Orchidfest is fast approaching. Please remember that this event will now, with exception of beverages, be totally potluck. All the food, main courses, salads and desserts, will After a three hour delay leaving Buffalo Airport be brought in and shared by our members. and then flying over the tornados that caused the severe damage in the lower states Conni What we bring to share, we will all eat. and I arrived at our hotel in Shreveport at This is your orchid society. What are midnight not 7 pm as scheduled. The weather your hopes, ideas, problems or complaints the rest of the time was nice, actually got into some humidity a lot sooner than I would like. about the society? What are we doing well? What could we be doing? We can always use Some of the things that might interest SOOS fresh ideas. Are you willing to contribute? We and AOS members are that the AOS Building need someone to step forward to act as show does have an offer on it and there some hurdles to jump, but it seems that the sale will be chairperson for our 2012 show. Could that complete some time this fall. person be you? Too big a job for you? Get your feet wet by joining the executive – there are With that going on the Board is actively looking jobs looking for people. The election for the for a new home, most likely a Botanical Garden. 2012-2013 executive will take place at the Here the AOS would remain the AOS, produce th Orchids magazine, keep the AOS Judging December 4 meeting. Talk to me at a System the best in the World and keep as many meeting; e-mail me at features as possible on going, but save greatly [email protected], or phone me at on many shared needs. 905-473-3405. Yvonne Schreiber The new web site is in Beta testing and could be Welcome New Member on line by June 1. Along with this there will be a new format for AQ Plus called Orchids Plus, this Hideh Tabatabaie. Hideh grows her orchids on a will be mainly on line and will be updated windowsill and learned about us from a friend. everytime you access it. All subscribers will

4 receive a disc to start off and then will be Cymbidium Sweetheart ‘Sensation’, ? updated on line. Phalaenopsis King’s Landing West, Don Wyatt There is also to be a new blog for training and Epicatanthe Volcano Trick ‘Fireball’, John Vermeer. other orchid info. Rhyncholaeliacattleya Kat E-Sun, John Vermeer. Those of you that are members have I'm sure seen the great improvement in Orchids Rhyncholaeliacattleya Duh’s Wisdom ‘Green Star’, magazine and from the list of articles they have John Vermeer. lined up it will continue to be great. Cattleya loddigesii, Aina Balodis. I would like to also congratulate Jean Allen- Cymbidium ensifoium #2 ‘Gin Chi’ Jay Norris. Ikeson for her elevation to Accredited and Calvin Wong also for elevation to Probationary. Great Cymbidium ensifoium #1 ‘Continuing Luck’ Fuk Lun, work! Jay Norris.

Probationary judges are required to do a major Cymbidium Phoenix #3, Jay Norris. paper on an orchid judging related topic before Thank you all. they are advanced to Accredited status. Jean Ikeson did an extensive paper on Sarchochilus and its hybrids which will be published in a Coming Events 2011 special issue of Orchids magazine by the June American Orchid Society (AOS). Quite an 4, Toronto Centre judging, Toronto Botanical honour that is well worth supporting. AOS is Garden, Judges training 10 am, Judging 1 pm. asking for small contributions to a fund that 5, SOOS meeting Toronto Botanical Garden, allows it to publish these special extra editions. sales 12 noon, program 1 pm. Mario Ferrusi 18, Montréal Centre – Jardin Botanique de Montréal

18-19, Great Lakes Judging Center, Annual Training Ottawa Show. This show is held in the Seminar, Ann Arbor, MI arena of a recreation centre, which makes for a July very spacious layout. Inge and Peter Poot put in 2, Toronto Centre, Toronto Botanical Garden, the SOOS display. The SOOS ribbon winners were: Judges training 10 am, Judging 1 pm. 1st Place Ribbons 16, Montréal Centre – Jardin botanique de Paphiopedilum delenatii, Yvonne Schreiber Montréal Macradenia multiflora, ? August 2nd Place Ribbons 7, Toronto Centre judging and SOOS Orchidfest, Toronto Botanical Garden, Promenea Ben Berliner, Don Wyatt Judging 10 am, Program 1 pm, Paphiopedilum Jogjae, ? Andrea Niessen from Columbia on Dendrobium Roy Tokunaga, Jay Norris Maxillarias and Sam Tsui from Chicago on Paphs. Paphiopedilum rothschildianum, Inge and Peter Poot rd 20, Montréal Centre – Jardin botanique de 3 Place Ribbons Montréal Brassia Rex ‘Sakata’, ? SEPTEMBER Paphiopedilum esquirolei ‘Yvonne’, Yvonne Schreiber 3, Toronto Centre, Toronto Botanical Garden, Paphiopedilum Salvador Dali ‘Yvonne’ Yvonne Judges training 10 am, Judging 1 pm. Schreiber. 4, SOOS meeting Toronto Botanical Garden, Dendrobium fimbriatum, Inge and Peter Poot. sales 12 noon, program 1 pm

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17, Montréal Centre – Jardin botanique de end of April, 2011, we attended an interesting Montréal talk by : Roy Takunaga of H&R Orchids on 24-25, Central Ontario Orchid Society How To Grow Specimen Plants Show, Toronto Centre, October judging Not only did we learn lots of insightful tips, but AOS Judging Results Mr Takunaga also Please note, all of these awards are drew out attention provisional until published by the to the fact that most American Orchid Society of the tips he gave us can be gleaned Ottawa Show April 23: from articles in the Coelogyne ? CHM-AOS 86 points, Doug and AOS publication Terry Kennedy “Orchids”. Promenea Conni AM-AOS 80 points, Mario and He started the show Conni Ferrusi with a mouth- Sedirea japonica ‘Crystal Star’ HCC-AOS 79 Dendrochilum filiforme Orchids+ photo watering clone of points, Crystal Star Orchids Dendrochilum filiforme. In its native habitat it gets 100-150 inches Bulbophyllum lobbii ‘J B de Montreal’ CCM-AOS (250- 375cm) of rain per year. But if you try to 83 points simulate this in cultivation by watering every day, the Lycaste Garfield ‘ J B de Montreal’ CCE-AOS 91 centre will rot. points The solution of the grower was to grow the plant in a Toronto Centre May 7, 2011: 6 inch(15cm) clay pot filled with sphagnum. Odontocidium Dark Chocolate ‘Daina’s Feast’ The plant was summered out of doors mounted on a AM-AOS 82 points, Doug and Terry Kennedy swivel in a breezy part of the garden so that every bit Masdevallia Violet Gems ‘Starry’ AM-AOS 80 of wind rotated the plant and PRESTO: flowers set all points, Mario and Conni Ferrusi around the plant. Dracula benedictii CCE-AOS 90 points, Mario It was fertilized very little. and Conni Ferrusi This led to a more general discussion on how to deal Coelogyne bilamellata, CBR-AOS, Calvin Wong with the climate to get specimen plants. Aerides fieldingii, CCM-AOS, Dwayne Levy Watering: Paphiopedilum Fumi’s Delight ‘Synea’ AM-AOS 80 points, Synea Tan As long as the rainfall is less than 80 inches (200cm) per year, a good way to reduce the heat is to place Dendrobium Ueng Fueng ‘Crystal Star’ AM-AOS the plant under shade cloth. The heat escapes 82 points, Eric and Ellen Lee. through it, but the rain flushes the plants under the Siderea japonica AM-AOS 81 points, Eric and cloth. You can then do continuous feeding at a low Ellen Lee. rate, but if there is no rain you must flush thoroughly Montreal Centre May 21, 2011: at least once per year –once per month is better. See Muscarella kennedyi CBR-AOS, Marie Odile an article on leaching on page 372-377 by Fred Bergman in the May 2004 issue of Orchids.

Fertilizing: Orchid Ramblings by Inge Poot With rain water use the MSU-RO-water special While Peter and I attended the AOS semi- formulation fertilizer, but if your water is basic an annual meeting in Shreveport, Louisiana at the acidified 15-5-15 formula is better.

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If you have orchids with different water Light: requirements (and who has not!) use different The maximum light tolerance of each species has to media so that you can water them all the same. be established and when giving plants light it is better Specimen plants do better when they are disturbed as to err on the side of a bit too much light. The most little as possible and as a result weeds can become a common reason for no flowers is insufficient light! severe problem. At H&R Oxalis corniculata is their Consult “The Principles of Light” by Erik Runkle, bane! (I wish it were the only bane in my plants!) Orchids May 2008, pages350-353 for information on Orchids has two articles on how to combat them , one light quality for different light sources and maximum by Susan Jones in the May 2004 issue on pages 340 suggested light intensities for different genera. -342 and the other in the “Orchid Pests and Diseases” 2002 booklet in Thomas Sheehan‟s section on The speaker brought up the point that light intensity “Physiological Disorders of Orchids”. recommendations have to be adjusted to the latitude the plant is grown at. A Dendrobium aggregatum Susan Jones also wrote a good article on slug and grown all year round in Hawaii can take 6000-7000 snail control in the April 2002 issue of Orchids. On the foot-candles of light. When you try to give this amount same topic, Bev Tall wrote in the January-March 2004 of light to a plant grown further north it will burn. It issue of the ORCHID Digest that spreading won‟t put up as hard a growth. diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of the orchid growing area/greenhouse will cut down on the Also remember that at 115 - 120F (46-49C) is the pests. temperature at which orchids “cook”. Too much light without good ventilation can be toxic! This May 2004 issue is full of cultural information on how to get specimen plants of Dendrobium Repotting: cuthbertsonii, Sophronites (Cattleya) species, how This section is based on an article in the May 2006 they are grown in Japan, and how to grow Podangis “Orchids“ by Mary Jo Gilsdorf: “Adaptive Repotting dactyloceras, Stanhopeas (Yea!), how to water Approach”. It means matching the plant to the Vandas and how to grow Brassia intergenerics. medium. With a minimum temperature of 48F(9C) and a Cattleya aclandiae is potted in a net pot with huge maximum of 94F(31C) the charming little Dykia chunks of bark, because its roots like to be exposed hendersoniana with little grape-like clusters of white and will photosynthesize. flowers with rose-pink lips) was grown with ease by the late Fred Fuchs either mounted, in a basket or When you get a plant with thick roots and the plant even in an empty plastic tray! For hints on specimen looks like a succulent, chances are pretty good that culture consult Robert Fuchs‟ (Fred‟s son‟s) article in the plant wants to have exposed roots with which to the September 2004 issue of Orchids, pages 672- photosynthesize. (Note: Any plant whose roots turn 679. It discusses how to get specimen plants in the green when watered thoroughly will photosynthesize Vanda, Dendrobium and Cattleya alliance. with the roots eg Vandas according to Martin Motes) Roots: Another example is Broughtonia sanguinea. It likes bright light and needs a very coarse potting medium The best plants always have good roots. 50% of plant with Styrofoam on the bottom to get good air and mass should be roots and in some plants it should be drainage. A good way to pot it is to jam it with coarse 60-70%. (Reference: Joseph Arditti‟s book “The bark into the top third of the pot and leave the roots Fundamentals of Orchid Biology”, 1992): dangling free in the bottom two thirds. A clear pot is Velamen makes orchid roots different. It is a spongy helpful. absorbent covering for the roots and it leads anything A more extreme example is Grammatophyllum it mops up to the root tip where it is absorbed. Some scriptum and the even bigger G. elegans. It needs species can photosynthesize in their roots. For lots of air if it is not to rot. The best way is to jam the example: Vanda roots are self-sustaining and need plant into the pot with big chunks of styrofoam. When no sugar from the rest of the plant. treated this way, they had these supposedly warm growers survive to near freezing dips in temperature.

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Pests: Orchids”. It gives the conditions that trigger flowering for many orchids, but states that the triggers for many The worst enemy with good culture are slugs and genera such as Miltonia, Oncidium, Vanda and bush snails. They love the same conditions as orchids Zygopetalum are not known. and must be fought with several applications of methaldehyde. To cut down on hiding and breeding Flower Boosting Summary: spaces for these pests, covering the soil under the Roots and Environmental conditions should be benches with something like landscape cloth will help. perfect. Nutrition and extra steps for specimen plants: Apply a high Calcium fertilizer one month before spike At H&R the pH is adjusted once a year with dolomite. initiation at the rate of one teaspoon per gallon of water. One month before spike initiation the plants are treated with Calcium nitrate. Extra phosphorus does not help. 3% is enough, 30% gives fewer flowers. Then once a week the plants get a calcium fortified fertilizer until the flowers open, then stop. You will get Low nitrogen fertilizers should be used since more flowers that way. ammonia and urea will favour vegetative growth at the expense of flowers. Nitrates are OK to use since They use 1 tsp/gallon in the summer, ¼ tsp/gallon in they are not used by the plant. the winter and ½ tsp/gallon in Hawaii! Calcium feeding is more complicated and Roy Watering is done every day for plants in loose mix in Takenaga plans to write an article on it for “Orchids”- Hawaii, but here put the plants into clay pots for more so watch for it. A summary of it is that Calcium is not humidity and faster drying. mobile. It means that when it is deposited or used by The plants are rotated periodically. the plant, it cannot be re-used by the plant anywhere else. It is absorbed by the root tips and moved via the Some tips about nutrition, based on an article in the June 2003“ issue of Orchids” by Jan Szyren ”Without Xylem to the growing areas of the plant. So it always High Phosphorus” pages 454-459, or all about the has to be available in fertilizer when needed. The plant cannot decide to sacrifice an old leaf, say, to get MSU fertilizer development and results. You may remember that it used to be the belief that high calcium for the developing flowers. It has to come from the root tips. phosphorus (middle # in fertilizer labels) resulted in flowering. Michigan State University did experiments To finish with a concrete example: To get a that proved that 3% phosphorus was good for spectacularly flowered Encyclia bractescens mount orchids, 5% was not necessary and a high of 20% the plant on a swivel and give it blossom booster just such as in 20-20-20 gave fewer flowers. The MSU before it flowers developed fertilizer also has an added 8% Calcium and 2% magnesium. If you grow with hard water, such as well water, you will do better to use Peter‟s 15-5-15 fertilizer (it acidifies) and use MSU just before flowering. The August 2004 “Orchids”pages 602-605 had an article by Dr. Yin-Tung Wang about experiments testing the effect of Magnesium and Phosphorus applied in the Autumn to promote Flowering of Phalaenopsis. It found that neither promoted it, but phosphorus reduced the number of flowers per inflorescence when applied at a high rate. The March 2004 issue of “Orchids” pages 196-203 carried an article by Roberto Lopez and Dr Erik Runkle titled “A Reality Check :The Flowering of Encyclia bractescens in H&R display photoPP

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PLANT OF THE MONTH

Cattleya luteola 'Best Ever' HCC-AOS 78 points AOS Orchids+ picture The plant of the month went to Michael Hwang for the charming Cattleya luteola. Not easy to get even one or two flowers and known for its awkward habit of growth, this little orchid looked compact and was covered with flowers. Excellent job! Michael grows his cattleyas under lights in warm to intermediate temperatures and waters once a week. This one was a resistant bloomer in the past, but more light made her change her disposition. He recently started misting in the morning and this one really enjoys it. Congratulations, Michael!

A Star is born.

Crystal Star Orchids offers broker service with over 15 top orchid nurseries from Taiwan and the U.S.A, including:

Ching Hua Orchids, In Charm, Krull Smith, and Sunset Valley.

Our website is up and running. If you have any questions please feel free to email us at: [email protected] or call Eric Lee at (905) 478-8398.

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May 2011 Show Table

Class First Second Third

Class 1 Cattleya luteola Cattleya jenmanii Sophrolaeliocattleya Cattleya Alliance Michael Hwang Michael Hwang Midnight Doll Don Wyatt

Class 2 Paphiopedilum Paphiopedilum Ho Chi Minh Paphiopedilum hangianum Paphiopedilum Fumi‟s Delight Henry Glowka Erika Lorincz Synea Tan

Class 3 Aerangis stylosa Phalaenopsis Fajen‟s Neofinetia falcata Fireworks x Alfonso Morew Seionishiki Phalaenopsis and Erika Lorincz Vanda Alliance Henry Glowka Michael Hwang

Class 5 Cymbidium aloifolium Cymbidium Lauren Nurse

Class 6 Dendrobium Christmas Dendrobium aggregatum Chime x Oriental Smile Dendrobium Synea Tan Sue Loftus

Dendrobium hancockii Tenny Chan

Class 7 Coelogyne „Rainbow Trout‟ All Others Alex Antenaitis Specklinia [Spe.](Pleurothallis) grobyi „Andrew‟s First Communion‟ Erika Lorincz

Class 8 Dendrobium Gatton Sunray Specimen Plants Tenny Chan

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