SOUTHERN ONTARIO ORCHID SOCIETY NEWS September 2013, Volume 48, Issue 8

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 $30 per calendar year (January 1 to December 31 ). Surcharge $15 for newsletter by postal service. Membership secretary: Marilyn Crompton, #1908-21 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P2, phone 416- 467-0018, renew or join on line at soos.ca/members Executive: President, Yvonne Schreiber, 905-473-3405; Vice-president Laura Liebgott, 905-883-5290; 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; Membership, Marilyn Crompton, ; Web Master, Max Wilson; Newsletter, Peter and Inge Poot; Annual Show, Peter Poot; Refreshments, Joe O’Regan. Conservation Committee, Susan Shaw; Show table, Iryna Bonya. Honorary Life Members: Terry Kennedy, Doug Kennedy, Inge Poot, Peter Poot, Joe O’Regan, Diane Ryley, Wayne Hingston. Annual Show: February 8 - 9, 2014

Next Meeting Sunday, September 1 Toronto Botanical Garden, Floral Hall,

Program: Jean Allen-Ikeson will speak to us on “The Story of White Cattleyas”. Jean operates Windsor greenhouse in Dundas, Ontario, near Hamilton, where she sells orchids and energy efficient greenhouses for homes and schools. She is an accredited American Orchid Society Judge and writes articles for the monthly magazine Orchids. She authored the 2011 special issue on Sarcochilus. Jean will have plants for sale on September 1. Please see her website which is at www.windsorgreenhouse.com

2014 Membership on sale now at the membership desk. Be an early bird. Jean Allen-Ikeson photoPP

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President’s Remarks Fellow orchid Talk to me at a meeting; e-mail me at aficionados Orchidfest has come and gone. To those of [email protected], or phone me at 905- you who were unable to attend, you missed two 473-3405 (I do have an answering machine –just let the amazing talks and some very delicious food. Thank you phone ring long enough). to all who brought in a dish to share. A special thank Yvonne Schreiber you to everyone who lent a pair of hands to organize all Questions or comments that tempting food. Yummy!

With our September 1 meeting we will be resuming Judy Floyd the “Social Break” portion of our monthly program. Long time member and enthusiastic hard People whose last names start with the letters N, O, P, working past show committee Q and R are asked to bring in a treat to share for this participant Judy Floyd has passed away meeting. Please remember that these treats should be afterWelcome an extended New illness. Members Judy was finger foods only i.e. something that can be picked up always full ofElaine life and Chang, full of ideas. She with your fingers and does not require a plate or fork. served us Susanwell as Harristhe publicity ????? person for many SOOS shows. She will be missed. The fall orchid show season is almost here. On September 28th and 29th the Central Ontario Orchid Society will host its annual orchid show. The Eastern Canada Orchid Society will be hosting Orchidfete in Coming Events Montreal on October 19th and 20th. S.O.O.S. is planning SEPTEMBER to enter displays at both of these shows and we will be 1, SOOS meeting Toronto Botanical Garden, sales 12 looking for flowering plants from you to use. The noon, program 1 pm Windsor Orchid Society will be hosting its first AOS 7, Toronto Judging Centre Monthly Judging, 1 pm judged show as well this fall. It will take place on Toronto Botanical Garden. th October 26 and 27 . Don Wyatt will be looking for 21, 9:00 am, Montreal Judging Centre Monthly Judging plants to take to the Central Ontario Orchid Show. The at the Jardin Botanique de Montreal + Business Eastern Canada Orchid Society show and the Windsor meeting Orchid Society show are being handled by Laura 28-29, Central Ontario Orchid society Liebgott. Show, Cambridge, Ontario

It is our intention to present another session of Wayne OCTOBER Hingston’s “Cultural Snapshots, commencing later this 5, Toronto Judging Centre Monthly Judging, 1 pm fall. Once Wayne has caught his breath from his Toronto Botanical Garden. incredible cross continental bicycle ride (he rode from 6, SOOS meeting Toronto Botanical Garden, sales 12 the Pacific to the Atlantic), we will discuss dates and noon, program 1 pm topics. These sessions are slated to take place starting 5-6, CNYOS Show, Baldwisville, NY(to be confirmed) at 12:15 p.m. on the stage at the front of our meeting 19-20 Eastern Canada Orchid Society room. Show, Montreal + Montreal The term of office of your executive comes to an end Judging Centre Monthly Judging . this coming December. Do you have ideas you would 26-27, Windsor Orchid Society Show, like to put forward to improve our society? Would you Windsor, Ontario. consider the role of vice president or director? Fresh ideas are always welcome. You have a couple of NOVEMBER months yet to think about it. If not yourself, is there 2, TJC BUSINESS MEETING and Toronto Judging someone else whom you think might be a good Centre Monthly Judging, 1 pm Toronto Botanical candidate, then give us a name. A slate of names for Garden. the new executive has to be compiled by the November 10, SOOS meeting Toronto Botanical Garden, Garden meeting so that we can hold the elections at the hall, sales 12 noon, program 1 pm December meeting. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we 14-16 AOS Members Meeting, Fairchild Tropical actually had to vote and not just acclaim? Gardens, Coral Gables, Florida

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16, Montreal Judging Centre Monthly Judging at the Jardin Botanique de Montreal.

DECEMBER 1, SOOS meeting Toronto Botanical Garden, sales 12 noon, program 1 pm. 7, Toronto Judging Centre Monthly Judging, 1 pm Toronto Botanical Garden. 14, Montreal Judging Centre Monthly Judging at the Jardin Botanique de Montreal.

AOS Judging Results Please note, all of these awards are provisional until published by the American Orchid Society.

Toronto Judging Centre, August 11: Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi var. alba, CCM-AOS 80 points, Encyclia alata, CCM-AOS 84 points, Wilson Ng. Potinaria Rubescence, AM-AOS 82 points, Crystal Star Orchids.

Note! The next judging will be held at the Toronto Botanical Garden, September 7, judges education at 10 am, judging at 1pm. Join us, bring your flowers and come to see how it is done. AOS Judging is a service of the American Orchid Society and is open to all! Bring us your flowering orchids. We need the practice.

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Laelias of Mexico by James Rose, transcribed by Inge Poot The genus Laelia has been chopped down severely by the DNA taxonomists, since they found that most of the species in this formerly large genus are not closely related to the type species Laelia speciosa and had to therefore be removed from this genus. All that remained were eleven species. All 11 species occur in Mexico, even though one species is also found in several other countries.

Since the temperatures in the areas in which they are found are rarely higher than 100F or lower than 25F they can be grown out of doors in Santa Barbara, California, the home town of our speaker. However, the Mexicans treasure their native orchids and as a result so does their government and they are now very hard to get out of Mexico. As a result Laelia anceps is the only laelia readily available in the trade at present.

Laelia speciosa (Photo: OW 10.0, Library) The type species of the genus Laelia speciosa was first described as Bletia speciosa in 1825, then in 1831 Lindley changed the name to Laelia majalis, but since he did not follow the rule of using the first published specific epiphet, this name was changed to the present day name of Laelia speciosa in 1914 by Schlechter.

Distribution: Southern part of Sierra Occidental of the Central Mexican Plateau. Elevation: 1900 to 2500 meters withstanding temperatures down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Habitat: Growing almost always on oaks and withstands very dramatic periods of drought. November and December keep cool and dry. If you water them at all during that time there will be no flowers, even if the new growth emerges at that time. Conservation: Under special protection. Heavily collected in some areas. Flowering time: April to May. This coincides with a religious holiday and the flowers are picked with the two front bulbs as substitute aqua-picks, to be used in decorations of homes and churches.

Laelia autumnalis Photo: W. Bussey OW 10.0 First described as Bletilla autumnalis in 1825 from plants collected near Morelia and moved to Laelia autumnalis in 1831 by Lindley. The plants have one meter (3-foot) sprays with up to 12 terminally bunched flowers. Reichenbach’s picture represented artistic license by shortening the flower stem! Many colour variants have been found such as albas and the deep red-magenta variety atrorubens Distribution: Central mountains of Mexico in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Mexico, Morelos. Pueblo and Guerrero. Elevation: 1400 to 2700 meters Habitat: Grows in mixed pine and evergreen oak forest under dry to humid condition. Conservation: Large populations found throughout range. Flowering time: September to December. They grow in almost full sun. The seedpod goes through the dry season intact and splits at the beginning of the rainy season. Plants growing on steep cliffs are only ones safe from depredations from subsistence farming. Laelia crawshayana (Photo W. Bussey) (may be a hybrid of L albida Photo: OW library and L. anceps)Photo G. Bromley, OW 10.0

First described in 1883 by Reichenbach from a plant collected for Sander and flowered by Mr. De B. Crawshay. 4

Distribution: Only known from a small area of the Sierra Madre del Sur in the western mountains of Jalisco Thought to be almost extinct in the wild, but in the last two years two more small areas have been found that this species grows in. Elevation: 1100 to 1500 meters with relatively cool winters. Habitat: Grows on oaks in rather humid forests bordering large barranca areas. Grows on the Pacific side of the mountains where it is warmer and more humid. They experience no frost in their habitat. Grow at intermediate temperatures. Conservation: Because of limited geographic distribution, this plant is, though protected, somewhat threatened. Flowering time: February to March.

Laelia albida First described by Bateman and Lindley in 1839 from a plant from Oaxaca. Albida means white as most laelias were known to be pink or purple. Distribution: Grows over a very large area. Found as far north as Sinaloa and is found abundantly South to the state of Oaxaca. Elevation: 1400 to 2300 meters. Often considered to be the hardiest Laelia Habitat: Often seen on oaks and junipers, but occasionally found growing on rocks. Conservation: Not threatened. Abundant is some areas. Flowering time: September to December. Most are white, deep pink and yellow forms are rare. Also most have rather poor form. As you go from the most northern part of its distribution to the most southern part, the average shape changes from inferior in the north to best in the south. The most commonly found form is the one with average quality shape.

Laelia anceps First described by Lindley in 1835. Soon after many different colour varieties were noted. Distribution: In the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Central Plateau of Oaxaca along the watershed of the Gulf of Mexico. Subspecies dawsonii is found in the Sierra Madre del Sur. Elevation: 900 to 1500 meters. Habitat: Grows abundantly in warm humid oak forests. In cultivation grows best mounted on cork bark. Dry out in winter. Conservation: Not threatened except for limited populations of subspecies dawsonii, a small-flowered, poorly growing white flowered form, whose distal portion of the lip has a large purple blotch. Flowering time: October to December for the purple clones. The white ones flower in January. On the eastern side of the Andean mountain ranges(Atlantic) the flowers of the variety found there are purple and flower earlier than the white ones found on the western side(Pacific) of the mountain range. Our speaker grows this species in his yard out of doors in Santa Barbara. His maximum temperatures are 100F and the winter minimum is 25F. The plant was planted on the north side of a tree trunk and gradually grew around to the south side where it now blooms much more prolifically. Noteworthy varieties are alba, schroederae and dawsonii var chilapensis. L. anceps schroederae is somewhat peloric in that the petals are darker pink than the sepals, darkest near the apex, much wider and pointy like a lip, while the distal portion of the lip is very dark magenta. The dawsonii variety chilapensis is similar to the previous variety, except that the colour of the petals is more evenly medium pink and does not intensify towards the apex as in schroederae. The variety chilapensis is extinct in the wild. It is grown in backyards to supply flowers (with two bulbs as aqua-pics) for the Day Of The Dead. It will only do well in very hot regions.

Laelia gouldiana (Photo: J. Varigos, OW 10.0)

First described by Reichenbach in 1888 from unknown origin and was suggested to be a natural hybrid, now known to be untrue. The plant has an unusual number of chromosomes (ploidy). Distribution: Only known as a cultivated plant from Hidalgo. Elevation: 1200 to 1900 meters. Habitat: Unknown. Conservation: Probably extinct in nature. Flowering time: October to November. This species is similar to L. anceps, but the flowers are darker pink, there may be up to 10-12 flowers per stem and the flowering stems are shorter than in L anceps. An altogether desirable species.

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Laelia furfuracea (possibly a L albida hybrid) Photo:P. Harding, OW 10.0 First collected near Oaxaca in 1832 by Karwinsky. Later described by Lindley in 1839. Distribution: Widespread along the Sierra Madre del Sur only in the state of Oaxaca. Elevation: Grows quite high at elevations from 2100 to 3000 meters. Habitat: Not so dry mixed forests of oak, pine and juniper. Conservation: Some pressure from local collection and charcoal production, since it prefers to grow on trees used for charcoal production.. Flowering time: October to December Best grown mounted, like most true laelias. Alba forms are available, but they are poor growers and are expensive.

Laelia rubescens (Photo M. Rosim OW 10.0) First described by Lindley in 1840 and later confused by its numerous color variations due to the plants wide area of distribution. Distribution: Along the Pacific Coastal Plain throughout the State of Chiapas to the Yucatan. Also occurring in Central America. Elevation: 100 to 1700 meters in rather tropical forests. Habitat: Warm oak forests and occasionally seen growing on rocks in tropical conditions. Conservation: Not threatened. Flowering time: August to November. The typical form has light pink flowers with a deep red-magenta throat. Unfortunately, the flowers last at most for a week. It ia a warm grower. There is a really rare yellow form, described by the synonym Laelia aurea. This form was collected at 100-300m elevation hot forest by Hagsater in 1974 and described by him in 1990. The way to the typical form of the species habitat taken by our speaker took him along a trail from Masatlan to Durango, crossing a tropical forest to a savannah, then an oak forest (where one may see this species) and then to an alpine area sporting a wscenic wooden hut complete with thatched roof and fireplace!

Laelia superbiens (Photo A. Maximiano, OW 10.0) First descibed by Linldley from a plant from Guatemala collected by Geo. Ure-skinner who wrote “ Have you ever seen anything like this”. Occasionally considered a Schomburgkia. Distribution: Southern part of Mexico in the Sierra Madre in Oaxaca and the Central Plateau in Chiapas. Also found in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Elevation: 1000 to 1500 meters. Mostly frost free. Habitat: Open oak forests with pronounced dry seasons. Conservation: Somewhat vulnerable. Only one large and one small population exists in Mexico. Deforestation for pastureland threatens it. Flowering time: November to March. Needs to be mounted on a huge piece of cork! It has a ten foot spike……However in our latitudes under glass the inflorescence is shorter! It can flower with a dense head of magnificent frilly flowers at the end of this long stem- probably to lift the flowers above the tree canopy. The white form of the species needs full sun. In Mexico the species has lips that look as if a bit of Laelia anceps is mixed into it. It grows in an unbelievably dry area! So not surprisingly it likes to get a three-month dry spell in the greenhouse.

Laelia eyermaniana (photo: M. Bussey, OW 10.0) First considered a variety of L. furfuracea, it was described by Reichenbach in 1888 from a plant owned by Sander. Later considered, incorrectly, to be a natural hybrid. Distribution: Huge. Occuring as far north as the State of Sonora and Chihuahua through Sinaloa, Durango, Jalisco and Michoacan. Elevation: 1250 to 2200 meters with severe frost. Habitat: Grows on mainly oaks in open deciduous forests with severe dry seasons. Conservation: Not threatened, though not abundant. Flowering time: August to November. The northernmost colony of this plant is on the edge of the Sonora desert. Consider that Wilmington is the most northern town where epiphytic orchids may be found.

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In Alamos, an American retirement community this plant may be seen atop an orange tree grown in the local orchid nursery! The habitat of the plant is in the mountains behind the town, but of course you need a local guide to find them. As a young man of about 25 years of age our guest speaker decided he had to see where the plant grew naturally to be able to grow it better at home. He had a hard time getting a guide, because there was always a reason why the best guide, then his son could not help him within the time available to him. Finally a retired guide was produced, a greybeard with a mass of wrinkles whom our young Jim Rose was not sure could make it up that mountain! However, Jim ran out of water and steam quite a while before that wiry little man did and the latter and went on ahead to find the orchids himself and only call Jim to come if he was successful. The long-awaited call finally came and Jim dragged himself to the indicated tree and saw – a bromeliad on top..... this guide had no idea what an orchid looked like!!! A cautionary tale!

In Search of Lycaste skinneri, by James Rose of Cal-Orchid Inc, transcribed by Inge Poot

On August 11, 2013, SOOS was afforded a real treat during our annual Orchidfest. Jim Rose gave us two entertaining and informative talks with the first telling all we would ever need to know about the most important species responsible for those fabulous Lycaste hybrids “oohed and aahed” over at orchid shows.

Cal-Orchid is located in Santa Barbara, California and the climate there is so ideally suited to the culture of this genus that Jim expressed the view (with a mischievous smile) that lycastes are easy to grow.....He dropped hints about keys to success throughout the lecture, but we Lycaste murderers decided to tackle him in the question period to get all the tips necessary to be sure we can mend our ways in the Toronto area. (See at the end). Jim felt that much of the credit for his Lycaste growing skills was due to his time spent working for the now disbanded Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, then owned by Paul Gripp.

His interest in the genus was aroused by a beautiful little book of about 100 Lycaste paintings by Cogniaux (our French speaking members of the audience supplied the proper pronunciation as “kon-knee-oh”). The most beautiful species depicted was Lycaste skinneri. The white clones of this species are most treasured by the native population and as a result the local collection pressure on them is tremendous. (It is found on the sides of a quiescent volcano and is thought to be white due to the genetic intermingling with one of the deciduous yellow lycastes, who act as anthocyanin suppressors). The book showed many colour varieties with various shadings of pink, the pink colour usually deeper on the small petals and lip. One plant depicted in the above mentioned book was Lycaste skinneri ‘Hamilton Smith’. It showed a beautifully full, flat, white clone of the species with pale pink petals, outlined by a narrow deep pink picotee and a black-red frilly lip. This print was offered to Paul Gripp for $5000 when he expressed his admiration for it....After the thanks but no thanks, a rumour surfaced that someone in England still had this clone. Paul Gripp was so taken by this clone, that he broke his usual “fiscal conservatism” and sent Jim Rose to England to try to find the plant. To no avail!

Another source of Lycaste skinneri used to be the late Otto Mittelstadt of Guatemala. His sloping backyard had a thin canopy of trees and the ground under them was covered with about 2000 pots of Lycaste skinneri plants that he was hoping to use as propagation material for an export business. But because he was unwilling to use bribes to get CITES export permits for this Appendix one species, he never did any selling except to locals and judges coming to judge the Guatemalan orchid shows. To lure the judges to come, they were promised CITES certificates for any plants they wished to export- and the appropriate measures were taken by the local orchid society to get the certificates. So slowly but surely, the best clones were leaving the country. What was left to disperse after Mr Mittelstadt’s death was quite mediocre. Your transcriber was also offered her pick about 20 years ago and Mr Mittelstadt was quite amazed that I refused to take the whole of the two plants I picked out, because I wanted this genetic material to remain in Guatemala.

So Cal-Orchid decided to line breed the species to get their own lovely clones. The slides showing some of their triumphs were impressive. But a ‘Hamilton Smith’ look-alike was not among them. The white-sepaled clones with white lips and pink petals were especially striking. They are also selecting for larger petals and lips and prefer clones whose petals bend outward from the column instead of staying parallel to the column. Lycaste skinneri ‘York’s Pride’ FCC-AOS was just lovely with full flowers, with just a hint of pink in the sepals whose tips gently bent back. The petals were slightly darker pink, with outward bent tips. The lip was white with a narrow pink picotee and a red central portion.

Conservation of the species in its native habitat is not really possible, because of human needs for food. Subsistence farming is the norm resulting in the inexorable march of the short-lived fields hacked out of the forest, the wood used as fire-wood (70% of the farmers’ time is spent in collecting fire wood – a substitute fuel is urgently needed!) and the soil is planted in potatoes, cardamon and lately, acres upon acres of leather leaf fern for export. The latest fern farm –about 10 square miles- is perilously close to the preserve set aside for the almost extinct Guatemalan bird of paradise, the Quetzal. Potatoes are heavy feeders, fertilizers are too 7 expensive to be an option, so after a couple of years the soil is exhausted and a new field is hacked out of the forest that is home to Lycaste skinneri. The only place where the species is reasonably safe is in steep rocky terrain. But as it turns out, even there the species is “farmed”. The land owner leaves two mature plants on one tree and collects all the rest to sell at the local market. The two remaining plants make seedlings that will be collected in three to five years. The other partial conservation is in plants planted by the locals in their backyards. The whiter the flowers are the more prized they are for floral offerings on graves of loved ones on the Day Of The Dead. The flowering period in late fall coincides with this day. Since aqua-picks are unaffordable, the flowers of preferably the Lycaste skinneri alba are picked with the two front bulbs, where the bulbs act as living aqua-picks. Naturally the remaining parts of the plants don’t have a chance to grow bigger, nor to make seed.

Quetzal Bing Image Lycaste skinneri 'Duncan York' FCC-AOS AQ+image

James Roses own efforts at conservation by growing the plants in their homeland were a bust as well. He established a nursery in Prurula, near Coban and hired someone local to look after it when he went home to California. It turned out that that numbskull?/rogue? waited for the plants to flower and then took them to the local market to sell. Jim came back to an empty nursery! Across the street from Jim’s nursery was a Garden Centre run by a native Indian gentleman who had a real green thumb with Lycaste skinneri. Jim used to bring him little bags of fertilizer as a gift when he came back from California, to help him grow his plants a little faster. Unfortunately the man passed away recently. There is a National Park set up for this species, with prominent signs at all entries and exits, that no plants may be collected and sold from there. But just outside the park is a thriving market some of whose vendors offer to sell you any orchid native to that park that you may want –delivered the next day.....Thank goodness that at least at the airport the luggage is checked to prevent contraband plants from leaving the country.

Now for a few tips for travelling to and in Guatemala. If you go to the Coban show try to stay at the Coban Hotel “La Posada” It is reputable. The mountains north of Coban contain the few farmed plants that still remain in the wild. Jim had many false starts until he could find out that bit about their native range. Never go to the back country without a locally known guide! You might get shot by stumbling across drug growers and their fields or hide-outs. James had good luck with Freddie Archilla and recommends him. If you plan to go orchid viewing, come prepared with rubber boots, sturdy rain coat, a hat and a machete or at least a guide with a machete. Never eat in a restaurant that appears to be empty! There is a reason locals avoid it! Once in a restaurant, don’t ask what “it” is –it may spoil your appetite for a perfectly delicious meal! Bring gifts to offer as thank-yous to anyone giving you a meal or a roof over your head for free!

Nowadays, the best lycaste hybrids come from Japan. They all originated from several hundred flasks bought by an enterprising Japanese grower from the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate. The buyer at the time bought every lycaste flask the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate had in stock! The station wagon taking the packed flasks to the airport had a definite downward list! Now, many years later severe selection has resulted in offerings that are far better than our FCC’s up to now! Lycaste Shoalhaven figures prominently in their family tree. One thing to remember is that this company offer a new un-named clone of Lycaste Sunray every year.

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Lycaste Shoalhaven ‘Krull-Smith’ AM-AOS(Greg Allikas, AQ+photo)

There appear to be two lines of breeding, one with the AOS standards of flat flowers and another for the Japanese market with cupped tulip-shaped flowers. One clone used to illustrate this line of breeding had a cup-shaped red flower with the sepals completely overlapping and the edge of the cup with a pale pink picotee. The small lip was white with a yellow crest. The flower looked like an Angulocaste. The cross L. Chita Melody X Wyld Court (made by Mr Ngai) resulted in some gorgeous reds. The red colour comes from the Wyld Court. James showed us three clones, each one rounder than the last. The third clone had circular deep red sepals, white petals with deep red picotee on the exterior and a solid red flush on the interior. The bright colour was visible because the petals were hooding the column. The lip was bright red with a yellow crest. Mouth-watering even if a bit cupped!!! Doug Kennedy is not the only Canadian who likes these “almost tulips”! There is another red line available that does not come from Wyld Court and it results in crosses such as the lovely red Lycaste Alan Salzman. The Tokyo Dome Show is the place to buy such plants! But cheap is different! The plant shown as one bulb divisions with one flower (protected by a paper collar) will cost you anywhere from $100-$250, then you pay $300 for documentation to get them into Canada, $1000 to fly there, $1000 for hotel costs(gulp! Jim suggested we buy his plants instead!!!)

Cal-Orchid gets their plants from a Japanese supplier, Mr Abu now and some of these back-bulb propagations were amongst the goodies for sale on Jim’s sales table. Mr Abu started out breeding for the non-hobbyist market, that is for lots of flowers that last longer and the plants cannot be huge. The flowers used to be quite soso quality, but at present they are improving as he tries to get market share of the orchid hobbyist market. Jim showed us slides of some Abou First Spring clones and these had me rushing to the sales table to get a couple. Very full, light pinks with contrasting petals and lips. Naturally, being the good speaker he is, Jim finished off with a stunning photo of a plant with the most flowers produced by one bulb that he had ever heard of. There were 27 flowers, all from one lead bulb!

Now for a summary of culture so that our new purchases do not go to orchid heaven!

Since Lycaste skinneri makes up the bulk of the genetic material in modern day lycaste hybrids, they need to be treated like that species. The habitat of the species is very humid, never really dry, even in the so-called dry season. You might do better by setting the pots in a shallow saucer and leaving about 1.5 cm of water in it. Anita Kho suggested if you use the tray-of-water method that you drill a couple of holes into the sides of the pot to make sure the roots get enough fresh air. If at all possible use rain water or an equivalent. In nature, Lycaste skinneri grows on tree trunks in quite low light, on the north side of tree trunks as seedlings, but they grow towards more light at maturity. The trees are constantly dripping with moisture and a fair amount of nutrients are produced by decaying leaves and bark. The days in summer get to about 80-85F, while the winter nights get as low as 60F. When the plants are lucky enough to end up in a humus rich hole in the tree trunk, they produce big bulbs. Jim recommends potting them hard in redwood fiber, also called Palco wool. Repot yearly when new roots are about to start, this occurs when the new growths are about a foot tall. Redwood fiber is hard to re-wet if it really dries out and is then best plunged into a bucket of water and left for a while.- Just like rock-wool. They can be potted in sphagnum too, but the root damage during the yearly required repotting is extensive. Jim recommends using clay pots, Mario Ferrusi prefers plastic pots for this area, especially if you do not grow them in a humid greenhouse- we are not near the humid ocean, even though we complain of the humidity in the summer. The pseudo-bulbs must never shrivel, except if you are growing the deciduous Mexican yellow-flowered species. The latter need a decided dry rest. These plants are heavy feeders while in growth. Use 20-10-20 most of the year and 20-20-20 during the summer.

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