Southern Ontario Orchid Society
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SOUTHERN ONTARIO ORCHID SOCIETY established in 1965 April 2006 NEWS---Volume 41, Issue 4 Executive: President, Jay Norris 416-463-7411; Vice-presidents, Wayne Eyles and Mario Ferrusi ; Secretary, Sue Loftus 905-839-8281; Treasurer, Joe O’Regan 416-759-2538 Membership: Annual Dues $25.00/Calendar Year. Membership Secretary, Hess Pommells 416-245- 0369, Apt. 503, 370 Dixon Road, Weston, Ontario, M9R 1T2 Web site: www.soos.ca Member of the Canadian Orchid Congress; Affiliated with the Orchid Digest, the American Orchid Society, and the International Phalaenopsis Alliance Honorary Life Members Walter Norman, Terry Kennedy, Doug Kennedy, Inge Poot, Peter Poot, Joe O’Regan Program: April 2, Toronto Botanical Gardens Floral Hall, Sales 12:30, program 2:00 pm: KEN MEIER on the Catasetinae. Ken is a graduate of the University of Michigan where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Protozoology and Microbiology. Ken has been growing orchids for over 20 years and uses his training in microbiology to grow orchids from seed in a laboratory he built in his home. Ken has traveled to South America over the last 10 years studying orchids in their native habitats. In the late 90's Ken traveled with Arthur Holst, author of 'World of Catasetums', as they explored the various habitats of the genera in Catasetinae. Since then, Ken has traveled to Ecuador, Peru and most recently to Thailand. Ken is Past President of the National Capital Orchid Society, the Hollin Hills Orchid Society and is currently an AOS judge at the National Capital Judging Center. Ken has recently established an orchid-internet business to help reduce the number of plants in his collection and to help defray some of the costs of this addictive hobby. His web site can be found <www.orchidenterprise.com> To support his habit, Ken is currently working for the local telephone company, providing fiber optic networks for the Federal Government and Broadcast networks like CBC, CBS, NBC etc. Ken’s talk will be an introduction to the subgroup Catasetinae which includes Catasetums, Mormodes, Cycnoches, Clowesia, Galeandra and Dressleria. After a pictorial look at some of the more common and easy to find species and hybrids, Ken will take you on a quick tour of the Catasetum habitats in Brazil. A review of some of the cultural needs of the genus will be followed by a question and answer period. Membership Renewal. We need your renewals. Our calendar year for membership runs from January 1 to December 31. So far only 1/2 of our 2005 members have renewed. If your address label carried a red 2005, we have no record of a renewal and you need to contact our membership secretary, Hesse Pommells at 416-245-0369, Apt. 503, 370 Dixon Road, Weston, Ontario, M9R 1T2. If you do not renew by April 2, you will not receive the next newsletter. 1 President’s Message. FLUORESCENT BULB HAZARD and Well Folks it's that time again; time to take DISPOSAL a deep breath between the shows. Time to Summary of Toronto Star article of 2006 03 pause and see what has bloomed since the 04 page B1 last show and what will be available for displays in the next show. With Montreal, Many orchid growers use fluorescent bulbs, London and Ottawa shows all coming soon, either long tubes or compact types. please check your collections for plants to Fluorescent bulbs are very efficient in share with Joe O'Regan and Wayne Eyles; producing light with minimal heat. But these they can't do it all by them selves, but they bulbs contain a small amount of mercury. try!!! The enclosed mercury is essential for the production of light in this design. Once a bulb The Executive is working with the is broken the mercury, as liquid droplets coordinators of the TBG to solve our problems and/or vapour is released into the with our meeting location. I would ask environment. everyone to keep their cool, as we will be Mercury is hazardous to human health and back in the Garden Auditorium for the May it accumulates in our bodies over long time meeting and probably for the Summerfest as periods. All exposures to mercury by humans well, but with Summerfest we will be outside is considered to be cumulative since the with the BBQ. Hopefully we will not have to process of eliminating it is so slow. Food change any dates to avoid conflicts, but we consumption probably accounts for most will work to make it smooth and enjoyable intake but our food absorbs the mercury from for everyone. the environment. The Show Committee will be having their Ideally, the used bulbs should be stored, post-mortem for our show soon, so if you avoiding breakage and disposed of in an have any suggestions on how the show could appropriate manner. They should be run more smoothly, please send them along. considered as hazardous waste material. A Peter Poot and Doug Kennedy will be process is starting to encourage stores that assuming the roles of Co-Chairs (Well not sell the bulbs to collect them for recycling. quite, Doug will chair and I will attempt to The used bulbs can have the mercury assist, Editor ) for our 2007 show, and we extracted for re-use and to avoid welcome input from everyone. Better still environmental damage. get involved, we always need more volunteers. In the meantime, the bulbs can be disposed of to scheduled hazardous waste days into the I hope everyone enjoyed the show at the garbage collection system in your Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington last neighbourhood. Check with your local weekend, and I look forward to seeing many municipal services. The bulbs can also be of you in Montreal. delivered to collection depots that ahndle other toxic wastes such as paints, oils and Happy Growing solvents. IF a bulb breaks in your house, the mercury Jay Norris will scatter as little droplets. Wet cloths and mops are more desireable than using a vacuum as it vapourizes the mercury. The 2 mercury laden cloth should be disposed of Please contact Wayne Hingston at 905-649- with the other broken parts of the bulb as 2467 or hazardous waste. Open windows and air out The 5th Annual Native Orchid the area extensively to reduce your Conference will take place June 9-12, exposure. 2006 in Ashland, Oregon. This is a great Life involves risks but you always focus on chance to learn about the terrestrial orchids reducing that risk to yourself and the of South-western Oregon. Ashland is situated environment. Anything dumped into the in the convergence of three mountain environment will eventually come back to ranges. This unusual geological convergence us. gives rise to a unique and diverse flora NEWCOMERS’ MEETING which supports 25 native orchid species, 14 of which bloom in June. Presentations as Monday April 24, 2006 at 7 PM. Boardroom of well as field trips with knowledgeable people the TBG The focus of this meeting is to make the conference a great learning review effective culture of orchids over the opportunity. summer period. We will discuss watering, Registration is limited to the first 100. $100 fertilizing, repotting, light levels and inside US per person or $175 US per couple. versus outdoor culture strategies. This meeting is open to all members but should For more information contact Carol be ideal for those that are learning the basic Ferguson, Conference Co-Chair (541) 552- aspects of growing orchids. Come knowing 6748 or [email protected] or check out the the types you grow or be prepared to find out Native Orchid Conference web site. your orchid's types through examples, bring pictures or the actual plants. Any Show Table Results for March 2006 clarification needed call Wayne Hingston at Class 1: Cattleya Alliance 905-649-2467. 1st Pot. Kate Suns'y #1 Seed Sowing/flasking Workshop I Class 2: Paphs and Phrags have been asked by some members to repeat 1st Phrag. caudatum grown by Jean a seminar on the details of sowing your own Chang orchid seeds. Since this is a technical skill and involves specialized equipment and Class 3: Phalaenopsis and Vanda Alliance dedication over a lengthy period of time, only 1st Phalaenopsis (wrong name) grown by those that are seriously interested in John Allison starting soon should apply. The seminar works best at my home, near Uxbridge, as 3rd Dtps. Taida Salu grown by John Alison everything I need is here. The ideal group Class 4: Oncidium, Brassia, Odontoglossum size is 5 or 6 since this will be Alliance demonstration based, not theory. The 1st Odcdm. Hansueli Isler grown by Eric seminar will take approximately 2 hours Tai plus travel time (1 hour from most of 2nd Tolumnia Mem. Ralph Yagi 'John' Toronto). I would like to schedule it this grown by Henry Glowka spring on a Saturday. A nominal charge of 3rd Oncidium ampliatum grown by Anita $10.00 per person will be expected. If you Kho have seed ready to sow between April and Class 5: Cymbidium June it may be possible for me to use it in No entries this month the demo and you will keep the results. Class 6: Dendrobiums 3 1st Dendrobium schuetzei grown by Kin 15-16, TAOA Show, Toronto. Lam Mok 29-30, Ottawa Orchid Society Show. 2nd Dend. kingianum (?) grown by Mei 3rd Dendrobium Sweet Song 'Memory' May grown by Anita Kho 6, Toronto Centre Judging, 1 pm, Toronto Class 7: All Others Botanical Garden 1st Catasetum saccatum grown by Calvin 7, SOOS meeting, Toronto Botanical Wong Garden 12:30 pm.