1/15/2018 April 2004

April 2004 News

President’s Message

I can hardly believe it’s time to write yet another President’s Message. Where did February go? Monthly Meeting I hope everyone is carefully preparing their plants for the rest of the April 4 , 2004 show season. Remember to call Joe O’Regan if you have plants Toronto Botanical Garden available for use in the society’s display. Remember, you can’t win Sales 12:30 pm ribbons if you don’t enter your plants. Joe is looking after most of Meeting 2 pm the upcoming shows and will gladly take your plants to the show. Executive As everyone knows, the Toronto Botanic Garden is not going to be President available next year. We are looking at new venues for both our Jay Norris meetings and our show. We will let you know as soon as we have a 416­463­741 1 contract confirming the details for next year. Vice­president Stanley Luk I would like to congratulate again our "Grower of the Year" for the 416­602­2888 past season. Congratulations are owed to Erika Lorincz. Erika is a tremendous grower, who grows mostly on windowsills and under Secretary Sue Loftus lights, and always manages to impress us with her efforts. Thank you Erika for sharing your results with us. 905­839­8281 Treasurer

Happy growing! Jay Joe O’Regan

416­759­2538 Membership Program Annual Dues $20.00/Calendar Y ear April 4: Five local experts will conduct simultaneous work shops. Membership Secretary Come and learn from the local pros.Wayne Hingston will continue Hess Pommells his talk on Growing on your windowsill and greenhouses. 416­245­0369 Apt. 503, 370 Dix on Bob Floyd will do a talk on repotting and culture in general. Joe Road, Weston, Ontario , DiCiommo will conduct a workshop on Cattleya covering M9R 1T2 Website deflasking to the community pot, lighting, fertilizers and culture and hybridizing of cattleya www.soos.ca

Doug Kennedy will demonstrate deflasking a lycaste, repotting and dividing miltonias and brassias. SOCIAL Gary Schreiber’s workshop will focus on Paphs his title is ' Not all With social information call Paphs are created equal.' Wayne Eyles at 905­ 629­1799 Annual Orchid Summerfest August 7: Our speakers are getting or e­mail at ready and you should start thinking about what they might bring for [email protected] you. They sent a very limited number of catalogues; so if you want to

be sure to get one of your own, contact them as soon as you can. file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 1/10 1/15/2018 April 2004 Gene Crocker will teach us what is involved in Breeding Great Question Box Cattleyas. In addition to Cattleyas, Gene grows many other genera. Both hybrids and species fill the numerous greenhouses at Carter Remember, this is your and Holmes. Carter and Holmes Orchids www.carterandholmes.com newsletter. If you have a burning orchidaceous Leon Glicenstein will speak on those orchids that are beautiful even question, need, or opinion, when they are out of bloom. He will speak about the Variegated send it in to Box 241, Leafed Orchids. Ludisia discolor is only the beginning, there are Goodwood, ON, L0C 1A0, or many beyond the Jewel Orchid. Hoosier is known for a vast array of fax it to 905­640­0696, or unusual seed grown species. Hoosier Orchid Company e.mail it to www.hoosierorchid.com [email protected] or phone 905­640­5643. We Your program committee seeks to please the membership. If you will print it if it is suitable have ideas for useful programs or perhaps know of subjects or and if there is space. speakers that we could all benefit from, don’t hesitate to tell Marion Williams (416 489­1991) about it. Advertising

Adspace in this horizontal rule newsletter is available at $15 per business card size insertion or $100 per full Newcomers Meeting, Summer Care page insertion. All material must be submitted camera There is a Newcomers' Meeting scheduled for 7 PM on Monday May ready. 10, 2004 in the Boardroom of the Toronto Botanic Gardens. The meeting is intended to meet the needs of newcomers for growing Editor their plants over the summer.

horizontal rule Peter Poot Welcome New Members

PLANT OF THE MONTH David Chou, Sunbo Kang, Congratulations to our winner this month, Jocelyn Bertrand of Aaron Milrad, Wayne and Beaver Valley Orchids, for his beautifully grown Laelia anceps. He Cheryl Smith grows it in a mix of equal parts of well­washed coconut husk, perlite and vermiculite. He grows the plant in high light, with good air movement and in high humidity. At night the humidity is almost 100%. He waters every 4 to 5 days in summer and once a week in

winter. He fertilizes with 30­10­10 in summer and 10­30­10 in fall and winter. His temperatures are a maximum of 30 to 33 degrees Celsius in summer and a minimum of 10 to 13 degrees in winter. Coming Events

horizontal rule Library News

I hope that you enjoyed the recent shows in Toronto and London and had the time to browse at the book vendor (Pantoute) as well as checking out all the temptations in plant form. March This month’s Library News will mention some of the "bibles" of

orchid growing. These are books that you go back to again and again for pictures and/or cultural information about that "different" orchid 20­21, RBG Orchid Society Show. file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 2/10 1/15/2018 April 2004 that is just calling to you from a sales table or display, saying "You 27­28, Genesee Orchid know you want me. We’ll be happy together." Society Show, Rochester, NY. Home Orchid Growing by Rebecca Tyson Northern, now in its fourth edition, has long been recognized as one of the greats in orchid April growing. It gives a good general introduction to the intricacies of orchid culture. Although it does concentrate on cattleyas, from the 3, Toronto Centre, care and growing of adult plants to creating and growing your own Judging, 1 pm, Toronto seedlings, this book does cover many other orchid tribes. Chapters Botanical Garden (Civic on Aerides, Cymbidium, Cypripedium, Dendrobium, and Garden Centre ). Odontoglossum tribes among others provide basic culture such as potting, temperature, watering, fertilizer, light, etc. Also included are 4, SOOS meeting, 12:30 chapters on pests and diseases, greenhouse and windowsill culture, pm, Toronto Botanical and the care and use of cut flowers. This is a good book for general Garden (Civic Garden information but it is light on pictures. Centre). One book that I find myself referring to on a regular basis for both 10­12, Toronto Artistic information and pictures is The Manual of Cultivated Orchid Species Orchid Society Show, by Helmut Bechtel, Phillip Cribb and Edmund Launert. Part I of this Chinese Cultural Centre, book introduces the morphology of orchids (what makes an orchid Toronto. and orchid), life cycle, ecology, history of orchids in cultivation, and orchid nomenclature. But it is Part II, the A to Z, to which I most 17­18, Orchidexpo, frequently refer. From Accallis to Zygopetalum, you are provided Montreal. with a detailed analysis of 217 genera including distinguishing features, native location, and requirements for cultivation. Under 24­25, Ottawa Orchid each genus a list of species most suitable for greenhouse culture is Society Show, Ottawa. given and a detailed description is provided for each. Over 1200 species are described. The third edition of this book includes 864 April 21­25, AOS colour photographs and 62 line drawings. Members Meetings, Wichita, Kansas. The third book I would recommend is The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids by Alec Pridgeon. This volume includes almost 300 genera, April 29­May 2, over 1100 species and 1000 colour photographs. The alphabetical Canadian Orchid section includes descriptions, names and synonyms, geographic Congress, Vancouver distribution, and brief notes on culture. There is also general Orchid Society, British information on hybridization, cultivation, pests and diseases, Columbia conservation, and pollination but these are very brief. The main Venue : Richm ond attraction of this book is the photographs and accompanying Curling Club, Richmond, descriptions. B.C. horizontal rule Program: Friday evening ORCHID CULTURE: LIGHTS, WINDOWSILL or GREENHOUSE preview party and plant sales. (a summary of a talk by Wayne Hingston) Saturday lectures: Global Following the very good talk by Peter Decyk "Growing Under Lights", climate Change and this talk compared lights to windowsills and greenhouses for Orchids, Kees Groot Ph.D. implications related to orchid culture. It seems to be a common belief that greenhouses are the paramount growing situation for How to Mobilize to Protect hobby orchidists. Good orchid culture results from extensive Native Species, Denise C. knowledge, keen observation and effective routines much more than Wilson, President Boulder your growing area. O. S.

Knowledge centres on the requirements of the plants, the behaviour Saturday evening banquet of various growing media and fertilizers, plus the factors concerning and silent auction. file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 3/10 1/15/2018 April 2004 light. Keen observation of your plants indicates the level of success Sunday COC General in growing the plants. These observations must be interpreted in meeting after noon speaker respect to your knowledge to determine actions that will improve tba. your cultural practices. Effective routines include watering habits and schedules, altering conditions as the season progresses, pest 1,Toronto Centre, Judging, control and appropriate repotting. 1 pm, Toronto Botanical Garden (Civic Garden Comparing lights to windowsills to greenhouses requires criteria. Centre ). Constancy of the conditions, control of those conditions, initial and maintenance costs, energy consumption (costs), size, expandability, 2, SOOS meeting, 12:30 appearance, ease of use and the suitability for a variety of orchids pm, Toronto Botanical were used for comparison. Lights were rated excellent or good on all Garden (Civic Garden criteria except for variety of orchids. With sophisticated light set­ups Centre). most orchids can be grown, but basic plant stands are more limited. May 21­23, 2004, Mid Windowsills, which were probably the first types of horticultural America Congress growing areas for exotic plants, were rated good on most criteria and meetings and speakers excellent on energy consumption. The variety of orchids able to be Forum, Renaissance grown on windowsills is greater than under lights. Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia. Greenhouses, which originated to allow growing exotic plants more effectively than windowsills, were rated good on many criteria but poor for cost and energy consumption. Ease of use is lower for Program: Orchid sales greenhouses than both lights and windowsills due to the extreme beginning on Friday evening range of conditions that can exist throughout the greenhouse at one with a food social, Breakfast time or in the greenhouse over a day or year. Where greenhouses on Sat. morning followed by rate excellent is in the variety of orchids that can be grown. This AOS judging. Two increased variety results directly from the greater variability of presentations to wrap up the conditions that can be found in greenhouses. morning with lunch on your own. Two presentations for the Effective orchid culture requires good watering practices and afternoon with the Mid­ temperature controls. These factors are mostly dependent on the America Auction and an caregiver/hobbyist. Light is the defining difference between culture evening dinner function to under lights, on windowsills or in a greenhouse. Estimating light conclude Saturday. Sunday levels is difficult due to the tendency of our eyes to compensate to will start with a breakfast, then "maintain the appearance of the same light levels". the Mid­America Business Mtg. followed by two Windowsill and greenhouse culture differs greatly from growing presentations concluding under lights in terms of the quantity and behaviour of light. Light around noon. set­ups are consistent for light levels but windowsills and greenhouses vary from hour to hour and day to day. Weather, Orchids from the Brazilian obstructions, direction and the transparent material have a huge Amazon & The Genus influence on the available light in windowsills and greenhouses. Laelia in Brazil Francisco Miranda Light travels in straight lines until it strikes an object. Light can be absorbed, reflected or transmitted through the object. Light is Cinderella’s Slippers absorbed by the leaves to power photosynthesis, which in turn Found! The Cypripediums permits growth. When light strikes a clear, or nearly clear, material and Selenipediums Clark like glass at a steep angle (close to 90 degrees) most of the light Riley travels through (transmission) but a small amount is reflected (never enters through the glass). However, when light approaches glass at a The Oncidium Intergenerics much lower angle most of the light is reflected and only a small Linda Wilhelm amount enters. Culture and Hybridizing of Phalaenopsis &

file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 4/10 1/15/2018 April 2004 The implications are that early morning light enters an east (facing) Paphiopedilums Mark Rose window. However, it should be noted that this light is richer in orange/red wavelengths and lower in violet/ultraviolet. As the ALL inclusive morning progresses more of the light is reflected from the east registration US $ 125 window until eventually the window moves into the shadow of the prior to May 3, US house. For the remainder of the day the east window gives soft $150 late. For diffuse light. This means that an east window is most suited to less registration form see light­demanding plants. Conversely, a west window receives no Peter Poot phone 905­ direct light until afternoon and has more reflection in the early 640­5643 afternoon and most transmitted light later in the day. A west window is considered "brighter" than an east window of same design June since the growing conditions are tougher (higher temperatures, 5,Toronto Centre, lower humidity and the plants have used some of their reserves). Judging, 1 pm, Toronto A south window is the brightest, with a north window being Botanical Garden (Civic ineffective for orchids without additional light being added. A south Garden Centre ). window has its greatest light penetration from late morning (10 AM) 6, SOOS meeting, 12:30 to early afternoon (2 PM), when the light is richest in pm, Toronto Botanical violet/ultraviolet. This window is much more effective at growing Garden (Civic Garden orchids that demand medium to higher light levels. Through the use Centre). of blinds (narrow venetians work well) and strategic placement of the plants according to their light demands all light levels can be July effectively achieved. Light demanding plants should be nearest to the glass while lower light plants should be behind them (further 3,Toronto Centre, from the glass) or located to the sides of the window area. (Note: Judging, 1 pm, Toronto under lights as the distance increases the effective light level drops Botanical Garden (Civic quickly, this is NOT true in a window or greenhouse since the Garden Centre ). distance from the sun has not been effectively changed.) August Light set­ups produce very effective growing conditions with minimal cost and effort. Greenhouses, on the other hand, involve the greatest 7,Toronto Centre amount of effort, expertise and cost to produce effective results. Judging and SOOS Allowing more plants and more variety is the advantage of the Summerfest, 10 am­5 greenhouse. But with these increases comes a greater time and pm, Toronto Botanical money commitment. Garden (Civic Garden Centre ). Windowsills offer many of the advantages of the greenhouse but the effectiveness of light set­ups. Improvements to windowsills can 18th World Orchid increase their value to your orchids. A Bay window has three Conference in Dijon, surfaces and projects out of the house’’s wall. Changing a straight March 2005. window to a Bay window (of the same width) increases effective light, allows for cross ventilation and increases your growing area without sacrificing room space. A south Bay window admits effective light AOS Judging Results from early morning to late afternoon, 8 hours. If the side windows Toronto Centre are casement style they can be opened for ventilation. Installing a March 6: shelf (ledge) that encloses the entire area will give you two to three No awards times as much area with greater depth for arrangements. Inclusion London Or chid Society of a "pebble" tray is useful to catch water and increase humidity Show March13: locally around the plants. Scaphosepalum grande ‘Lincoln Green’ CCM­AOS If you wish to increase the light level in an east, west or north 86 points, Mario and Conni window, lights can be added. These lights should be on timers but Ferrusi. you can also add a device that only allows them to operate on cloudy or low light days. This modification eliminates some of the variation Paphiopedilum ? (General x in light level experienced in windowsill culture. These lights are Holdenii x Emerald) HCC­ file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 5/10 1/15/2018 April 2004 supplemental and can be fluorescent or spotlights of the AOS 78 points, Wayne incandescent type. An added bonus may be that the lights will Eyles. slightly raise the daytime temperature in the window. Delayed SOOS Show Improvements to windows may involve installing new windows. Art Results Windows should be thermally effective, thermopane glass units of two panes are very good and available. Many newer windows come Thanks to our dedicated with argon between the glass and coatings to reduce heat loss. convenors we had a However, manufacturers also promote glass that has been significant show of constructed to reduce UV (ultraviolet). All glass reduces UV, which is orchid art on the walls at needed for good plant culture. Avoid glass that is promoted as our Valentine Orchid reducing/excluding UV from entry. Ensure that the window is Show. The art was constructed of material that resists rot and decay. Your growing area judged by art judges and has high humidity and water spillage. Whoever installs your window here are the results. should use extensive measures to reduce these problems. Congratulations to all.Botanical Illustration Remember that good culture depends on you, more than what your Class# 115A, 1st went to growing area is like. John Eedy Wayne would appreciate feedback on this talk to assist him in Botanical Paintings improving it. Call at 905­649­2467 or email at . Class#115, 1st went to horizontal rule Donna McDonnell The genus Oncidium, Dr. Eric Christenson Other arts and crafts (transcribed by Inge Poot, continued from the March issue.) Onc. Class#117, 1st went to bifolium group is combined by Mark Chase with the varicosum Laurel Carley group in the Bicolor Group. Onc. bifolium occurs in southern South America in countries such as in Argentina. It is a tough disease There was no Best Art in resistant plant. Show awarded.

Onc. macropetalum has two distinct populations. One half have very Show Table large petals ­hence the name, and the other half have tiny ones. Both types comes from the same seed capsule. Show Table Results for March 2004 Onc. viperinum has a finger­like callus and striking colours of deep brown, golden yellow and a red blotch on the lip. In situ and ex situ Class 1: Cattleya conservation is being tried with this plant. Very few individuals of Alliance this plant are in cultivation. Clones are self­sterile and can only be multiplied rapidly by tissue culture. The first 500 plants grown from 1stLaelia anceps grown the resulting callus tissue are OK, but any further proliferation by Beaver Valley Orchids builds up so many mutations that the resulting plantlets are half sized. There are undoubtedly more plants in Paraguay and their 2ndRhyncolaelia habitat should be protected and only enough plants should be digbyana ‘Mrs. Chase’ collected to allow seed propagation by sibbing. AM/AOS grown by Beaver Valley Orchids Onc. spilopterum from Brazil is hard to grow and we don’t know why. It tends to stay alive 3 to 5 years in cultivation and then dies. It 3rdCattleya hybrid grown is a beautiful species with brown sepals and petals, a flat yellow lip by Linh Linh Tang with a large red­brown or purple callus. A case for in situ conservation if we can figure out how to keep it alive. Class 2: Paphs and Phrags Onc. orthostates grows at the base of shrubs in the savanna. It gets morning and evening sun and gets seasonally flooded. It will grow on 1stPaph. Lebaudyanum a sunny bench and produce a 2 to 3 foot inflorescence with glossy grown by Clair Brown

file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 6/10 1/15/2018 April 2004 4cm flowers crowded on the end. In shadier conditions the 2ndPaph. micranthum inflorescence will get 8 to 9 feet long! grown by Beaver Valley Orchids Onc. barbatum group contains 20 to 30 species. It is characterized by a three lobed lip, where the lobes are often of equal size and there 3rdPaph. Pacific Ocean x is often a fringe on the base of the mid­lobe. Some species in this Junior World grown by group are micropogon, longipes and the rather mis­named croesus. Jean Chang Onc. croesus forms mats and produces modest inflorescences of brown and yellow flowers with a yellow lip that has a red centre. Class 3: Phalaenopsis and Vanda Alliance Onc. abortivum group (Part of Chase’s Heteranthum Group) covers about 30 species ­ all with the same name! There is an untrue 1stAngraecum viguieri rumour about that the flowers are pollinated by territorial bees, but grown by Chee Chong this was found not to be true. 2ndPhal. Carmela 1897 The species have fertile and sterile flowers and if both are present on grown by Lana Soosar the same branch the fertile flower will be at the end. The column is S­shaped, similar to Sigmatostalix. The function of the sterile 3rdPhal. seedling flowers is unknown. (misnamed) grown by Roland Schwahn Onc. ornithorhynchum (name means "bird nose") group contains 4 to 5 species. Class 4: Oncidium, Brassia, Odontoglossum Onc. cheirophorum with dense inflorescences of little yellow flowers Alliance is a well­known example. Its hybrid with Onc ornithorhynchum, Onc Twinkle, is so floriferous and easy to grow, that it is being sold by 1stOncidium Midas Home Depot in Florida. grown by Erika Lorincz

Sigmatostalix also has an S­shaped column, but also has a large 2ndPsychopsis (Papillio x oil­bearing callus. Molecularly it fits right in the middle of Oncidium Mendenhall) grown by ­ and causing all sorts of problems with that. Ingrid Wauro

The Onc. cucullatum complex contains some brown and rose Class 5: Cymbidium flowers which all have a hood over the anther (cucullate). Most people find them hard to grow. They have recently been moved to no entries the genus Caucaea although the type species of that genus, C. radiata, has a diminutive flower that doesn’t at first show any Class 6: Dendrobiums similarity. 1stDendrobium pierardii Zelenkoa onusta won’t breed with any other species. It grows on grown by Wayne cacti and is watered only by fog and mist. Hingston

Onc. ampliatum also won’t breed with any other species and it is 2ndDend. falcorostrum proposed to put it in its own genus Chelyorchis (the name means grown by Wayne turtle orchid, due to the shape and coloring of the pseudobulb). Hingston

Onc. globuliferum group has a most unique growth pattern. A Class 7: All Others seedling will make three growths, then produce a 4 foot inflorescence with no flowers. Then the inflorescence produces 1st:Prosthechea nothing but keikis from that flower stem from then on. The keikis cochleata grown by Linh then bloom with 1­2 flowers each on very short racemes. These Linh Tang keikis repeat the process in their turn, and a matted plant is produced. There are 3 to 4 species in this group. 2ndLycaste Hamana Cherry grown by Anita Kho file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 7/10 1/15/2018 April 2004 By the molecular test results the Otoglossum chiriquense group 3rdLepanthes should be merged into the globuliferum group yet they are not at all calodyction grown by alike. Otoglossum produces an ascending stout rhizome with fairly Anita Kho widely spaced pseudobulbs and an upright inflorescence of up to 30 flowers­which never keikis!

Another stand alone plant is Miltonia warscewiczii or Oncidium fuscatum.The species has different names in the different genera because of an earlier, unrelated plant called Oncidium warscewiczii. It has been placed in the genus Miltoniodes or made the basis for a monotypic genus, Chamaelorchis (monotypic means having only a single member). No placement of the species has been fully satisfactory to date.

Molecular studies place Onc. phymatochilum right in the middle of the genus Miltonia . It is completely different in virtually all aspects of its vegetative and floral morphology. The only reasonable solution is to place it into a monotypic genus.

Onc. confusum group

Onc. schroederianum and its related species have been bounced from genus to genus. It is suggested that they be put into the genus Miltonioides. This may not be the ultimate answer but it is a very convenient temporary solution.

Dr. Christenson was surprised to find a Mexican hybrid of Onc. unguiculatum, (a species related to Onc. tigrinum), with Onc karwinskii in a Colombian show! Thus goes the world of horticultural taxonomy.

Update on Phragmipedium kovachii

Michael Kovach faces up to 6 years in prison and a fine of up to $350,000 for his illegal exporting of the CITES appendix­1 plant, Phragmipedium kovachii. Since this spectacular plant flowers in the middle of the rainy season and grows on quite inaccessible cliffs it was not discovered until 2003.

If possible the name for the orchid will be rescinded and if this is possible the next available name would be Phrag. peruvianum. Peru would be delighted at such an outcome.

Plants that are seized by the authorities are first offered to the country of origin. Peru is the first country that accepted such an offer and wants every cell of that species repatriated.

Peru has chosen Alfredo Manrique to receive five plants from the wild for propagation purposes. Mr Manrique was chosen because he was deemed to be scrupulously honest. His plants carry capsules at present and about a year from now massive numbers of seedlings will hopefully be ready for export sales. Peru is trying to patent the species or collect a per plant royalty as a tax. horizontal rule

file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 8/10 1/15/2018 April 2004 Executive Committee News

2005 Membership Fee to go to $25. The SOOS Board of directors has decided that in view of rising costs for membership services such as postage, printing, transportation and accommodation of speakers, meeting space and library services it is necessary to raise the annual membership fee by $5 to $25 per membership per year starting in 2005. The current meeting space will be undergoing renovation in 2005 and we are having to look at other space at higher rates. The current membership fees have been in place for a considerable time.

file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 9/10 1/15/2018 April 2004

horizontal rule © 2004 Southern Ontario Orchid Society horizontal rule

HOME | Calendar of Events | Contact Us | AOS Juding | Newsletters | Search

page last updated: 10/23/2007 © 2007 Southern Ontario Orchid Societ y Webmaster: [email protected]

file:///Users/ericymtai/Desktop/Clean%20Screen/SOOS_site/Newsletters/2004/april_2004.htm 10/10