Volume 10, Issue 4 January 2020

PO Box 56022 Vancouver BC V5L 4V0

______*Culture Class, held in the Cedar Room, VanDusen Garden 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. All orchid related questions are INSIDE THIS ISSUE welcome – culture class is a member’s only benefit Message from the President Pg 2 Executive and Board of Directors Pg 2 January 14 –No Class Christmas Social - Photos Pg 3-5 February 11 - Lori Barrington: Growing Paphiopedilums VOS 2020 Show Pg 6 March 10 - Sandy Larson: Growing orchids under lights. World Orchid Conference Pg 6 June 9th - Daniel Kwok: My Orchidarium. AOS Award Photos & report Pg 7-10 CVIOS Annual Show and Sale Pg 10 *Montly General Meetings: 4th Wednesday of each month Winter growing tips Pg 11-12 (except July, August and December) at VanDusen Floral Social Media Pg 12 Hall; Doors Open 6:30 pm, meeting starts at 7 pm Jennifer Pell – Growing Cattleyas Pg 13-18 Membership renewal form Pg 19 • Next meeting is Wednesday, January 22 Editor: Wayne Riggs Speaker Series: January 22/2020 - Alexey Tretyakov, CVIOS member - Plant Nutrition Part 2 February 26/2020 - Tom Mirenda. TBA March 25/2020 – Eugene Banziger – VOS member – Travels in Ecuador April 22/2020 - Jennifer Fabre – VOS member - Travels with Jennifer – Adventures & Misadventures May 27/2020 - Terry Grosbecki – FV Gardens - TBA

June 24/2020 – AGM – TBA FUTURE SPEAKERS March 2021 Dr. Leslie Ee September 2022 Fred Clark – Sunset Valley Orchids

AOS Judging - The Western Canada Judging Center (WCJC) meets every 2nd Saturday of the month at 11:30am, except where noted. Everyone is welcome to attend and bring their orchids for consideration by the American Orchid Society judges. This is a great opportunity to learn about the judging process and see many orchids of award quality.

2020 Calendar January 11, 2020 : 11:30am at Sea Island Community Centre, 7140 Miller Road, Richmond, BC V7B 1L4

January 31, 2020 : 1:00pm (after Central Vancouver Island Orchid Society show judging) at Nanaimo North Town Centre, 4750 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9T 4K6, CANADA

President’s Message I hope you had a joyous Christmas and wish you the best this New Year can bring. The winter blooming orchids are among the delights of winter and the new year.To encourage maximum flowers, provide all possible light to make up for the short days and poor light quality. Depending upon your growing conditions, watch for slow drying of the mix to prevent stale conditions, diseases or pest build up. Water early to allow for drying. Alexis Tretykov our guest this month and is speaking on plant nutrition. A timely subject to start the new year for our orchids. One of the best ways for you to start the new year is for you to join in on our January meeting. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Warm regards, Evelyn Nash VOS President

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MINUTES – November 27, 2019 – Christmas Social – No regular meeting.

Executive and Board of Directors Contributions to the newsletter are welcome. President – Evelyn Nash 1st Vice President – Barbara Cable Send to Wayne Riggs: 2nd Vice President – Ingrid Pike [email protected] Treasurer – Maureen Burke and Erik Nilsen (Co- Treasurers) Article/Photo Submission deadline is the Secretary – Conor Preston 10th of each month. Items received after Directors: this date will appear in the next newsletter. - Eugene Banziger - Gabrielle Carson - Giulia Comin - Grant Rampton - Keith Willet - Andrew Wong

Annual Christmas/Holiday Season Potluck Social and Auction -- NOVEMBER 27, 2019 A big thank you to Gabrielle and Ingrid for collecting all the plates, cutlery and decorating supplies, and coordinating the set up of the floral hall; Giulia for recruiting the volunteers and all of you who helped with set up and tear down. The room was beautifully decorated for a great evening of fun and comradery.

The food as always was excellent – thank you everyone for your contributions to the feast.

Special thanks as well to all who brought the many items for the Auction Table. Once again, the Auction was led by master auctioneer – Stella and her able assistants Vivien, Ingrid and Daniel. The bidding was fast, furious and highly competitive!!

A few photos from the Social

Gabrielle and Ingrid – welcoming all

Some of the amazing food items

Friendly conversations

Sharing time with friends

Auctioneer Stella with her assistants Vivien, Ingrid and Daniel

2020 Annual VOS Show and Sale It is time once again to start preparing your orchids for display in our Annual Show being held in the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens – Floral Hall: • March 20 - Friday – Setup and Preview • March 21 - Saturday – open to the public • March 22 - Sunday - open to the public

Check out the VOS Website for a list of vendors and pre-order opportunities – some pre-order deadlines are fast approaching so order soon! http://www.vancouverorchidsociety.ca/?page_id=522

***there are several new vendors this year giving us the opportunity to order something new and different.

***watch your email for further show updates and additional information on pre- ordering plants. ______World Orchid Conference – Taichung City, Taiwan • Conference: March 9 – 12, 2020 • Exhibition: March 9 – 18, 2020 If you are considering attending the WOC please see the following links to register and learn more about the 23rd World Orchid Conference. http://woc23.aoetek.com/en/ https://www.woc23.com/2020-the-world-orchid-conference-pr

AOS - Western Canada Judging Center Photos AOS Western Canada Judging Center Awards – November 19, 2019.

Lycaste Chita Carnival ‘TG’s Strawberry Pixie’ HCC/AOS 75pts (Lyc. John Ezzy x Lyc. virginalis) Exhibitor: Calvin Wong | Tropical Gardens Orchids

Phalaenopsis gigantea ‘Christmas’ HCC/AOS 79pts Exhibitor: Pat Van Adrichem | Kingfisher Orchids

Photographer: Judith Higham

Phalaenopsis LD’s Bear Queen ‘Highlighter’ HCC/AOS 79pts (Phal. bellina x Phal. Dragon Tree Eagle) Exhibitor: Pat Van Adrichem | Kingfisher Orchids

Judges in attendance: Monica De Wit, David Edgley Poul Hansen, Margaret Prat Ben Rostron, Abu Salleh Deborah Ward, Calvin Wong Ryan Young, Ingrid Ostrander Stanley Luk (Associate) Stelis mystax ‘Kittiwake’ CCM/AOS 84pts Exhibitor: Leda Bower John Taylor (Associate) Sasha Kubicek (Student

AOS - Western Canada Judging Center Awards – December 14, 2019

Paphiopedilum Hawaiian Moon ‘Blonde Ambition’ AM/AOS 82pts (Paph. Silver Moon ‘Green Ghost’ x Paph. Egret’s Jewel ‘Blond Gem’)

Exhibitor: Stanley Luk

Judges in attendance: David Edgley Jennifer Ritchie Abu Salleh Deborah Ward Calvin Wong Ryan Young Stanley Luk (Associate) Paphiopedilum Hawaiian Moon ‘Blonde Ambition’ Lloyd Gilmore (Student) AD/AOS (Paph. Silver Moon ‘Green Ghost’ x Paph. Egret’s Sasha Kubicek (Student Jewel ‘Blond Gem’)

Exhibitor: Stanley Luk

Photographer: Judith Higham

AOS - Western Canada Judging Center – Annual Report “We had an exciting 2019 of orchid judging activities. A big thank you to all the judges, photographers and judging personnel, and most of all, exhibitors for coming to our monthly judgings and exhibiting in society show displays. Because of your contribution, we get to see and experience a great variety of plant material! The splitting up of our monthly judging venue between Sea Island (Richmond) and Swan Lake (Victoria) continues to allow exhibitors from both the lower Mainland and Vancouver Island more convenient access to monthly judgings and we will continue in 2020. Here are some numbers for 2019: 205 plants submitted at monthly judgings 62 plants nominated with 17 AOS awards granted 1666 plants submitted at show judgings 89 plants nominated with 22 AOS awards granted

We are definitely looking forward to an exciting 2020 with a continuation of your support! Abu Salleh, Chair”

Central Vancouver Island Orchid Society Annual AOS Show and Plant Sale – January 31 – February 2, 2020 • THE SHOW THEME IS: Orchids from Afar • Nanaimo North Town Centre, 4750 Rutherford Road, Nanaimo BC

Thursday, January 30, 2020: • 1:30 PM to 9 PM - Plant Registration & Display Set Up Friday January 31, 2020: • 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM – Plant Registration • 9:30 AM - Ribbon and Trophy Judging • 9:30 AM to 9 PM – Sales area open • 11 AM – AOS Nominations; 1 PM - AOS Judging Saturday February 1, 2020 • 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM - Sales area and displays open Sunday February 3, 2019 • 11 AM to 4 PM – Sales area and displays open

See the CVIOS website for further details: https://www.cvios.org/annual-show-and-sale

**We will need your plants for the VOS display in the CVIOS show – take time to stake spikes and tidy your plants to get them ready!

AOS - Monthly Checklist for January and February See the following link for general growing and orchid care information for our winter months: http://www.aos.org/orchids/seasonal-orchid-care/january-february- checklist.aspx

A few additional comments/tips – summarized from a variety of sources (Wayne Riggs) Our wet coastal January and February weather typically keep us inside more. This gives many of us additional time to spend admiring and looking through our orchid collections and focusing on their care and well being. • In general fertilizer and water needs are reduced, but the latter depends on your individual environment – drier conditions due to artificial heating sources need to be considered. Except for plants needing a dry rest period, watch for leaves/pseudobulbs that are shrivelling – this may be a sign that you are not watering often enough • With our shorter days it is not usually a good idea, for most genera, to repot at this time of year. If you do have a plant that is particularly unhappy then repotting may be necessary • Examine your collection closely for any signs of a bug infestation – check under leaves – scales, mealybugs, or spider mites like to hide and often go unnoticed. The sooner these are spotted and dealt with the more success you will have at eliminating or better controlling them • Shorter day lengths and cooler temperatures will trigger phalaenopsis, cymbidiums, lycastes, paphiopedilums as well as others to come into spike. Carefully stake the developing inflorescences so they will be nicely displayed for upcoming shows. Also take care not to reposition your plants during flower development as this may cause them to open

upside down or in awkward orientations as the direction of the light source has changed • Also remove leaves that are dead or unsightly with sterilized cutting tools • Resist the temptation to water genera that require a dry winter rest period – for example catasetinae, some lycastes, nobile dendrobiums, some coelogynes among others The AOS website has many valuable sources of information on the cultural requirements for common genera.

Social Media: Instagram VOS member Conor Preston has established an Instagram account to generate public interest in growing orchids. Please visit: https://www.instagram.com/vancouverorchidsociety/ If you would like to post photos of your flowering orchids, please get in touch with Conor at: [email protected]

WhatsApp – VOS chatroom Daniel Kwok has established Chatrooms for VOS members to post photos of their orchids, ask questions about plant health or growing tips. It is a great forum to learn from others and to share your plant photos and growing conditions.

We would like to encourage new VOS members, and current members who have not joined the VOS chatroom, to get in touch with Daniel at: [email protected] (Tel: 604 805-3866) to be added.

Facebook You can also follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VancouverOrchidSociety/

Facebook/Instagram - Photos of your orchids needed Photos of your flowering orchids (and very basic information on growing conditions) are needed for the VOS Facebook Page and Instagram. This is a great way to promote our love of orchids not only to other growers, but to the public. • Please send your photos to Jennifer Pell/Conor Preston at: [email protected]

***It’s Time to Renew Your Membership A membership form is attached to the last page of this newsletter. Print fill out and bring to the January 22nd meeting or mail along with your cheque payable to ‘The Vancouver Orchid Society’ to the address provided on the form. ** Annual membership fee is $30.00 per household (one or two adults); $20 for Students – from January to December

A special thank you to Jennifer Pell for sharing her article on “The Cattleya Alliance, and why I love these orchids!”

 Contributions like this are welcomed!!

May your 2020 be filled with good health, happiness and great orchid growing

The Cattleya Alliance, and why I love these orchids!

The Cattleya Alliance is a large group of orchids that are found from Florida, south through to Argentina that includes many familiar genera: Brassavola, Guarianthe, Laelia, Rhyncholaelia, Sophronitis, and of course, Cattleya. Encyclia and Epidendrum are also part of the Cattleya Alliance, as are some of the less familiar species such as Barkeria Broughtonia, Caularthron, Leptototes, Myrmecophila and Schomburgkia. And then there are the multiple crosses such as Brassocattleya (Bc), Brassolaeliocattleya (Blc), Cattlianthe (Ctt, Cattleya x Guarianthe), Laeliocattleya (Lc), Potianara (Pot, Brassavola x Cattleya x Laelia x Sophronitis), Rhyncattlianthe (Rth, Rhyncholaelia x Cattlianathe), Rhyncholaeliocattleya (Rlc), Sophrolaeliocattleya (Slc)….. I am sure I have missed some. What I love about the Cattleya Alliance is that they are fairly hardy plants that are relatively easy to grow indoors (albeit they generally like fairly high light levels), they have beautiful blooms and many are scented. When I started growing cattleyas I read somewhere that you can find ones that bloom in any month of the year, and so can have them in bloom all year round. I haven’t quite managed that, but I am getting close. Here are some examples and the month they bloom for me:

January clockwise from top left: Lc Wanda’s Fire; Bc Maikai Mayumi (HCC/AOS), Slc Hazel Boyd "Red Sunset", Rth Young‐Min Orange “Golden Satisfaction”

February clockwise from left: Cattleya coccinea “Nona” 4N, Ctt Ann Komine “Breathless” AM/AOC, Slc Lc Cluster Fire x Sl Psyche

March, April, May clockwise from left: Bc Yellow Bird, Pot Little Circle, Rlc Hynsing Dream “Violet, Queen”, Cattleya Yellow Doll

September, October clockwise from left: Rlc Liu’s Joyance; Bc Yellow Bird (different plant), Rth Love Tapestry “Popular Song”, Cattleya Siam Jade

November clockwise from left: (Prosthechea (A.K.A. Encyclia) vitelline; Cattleya Irene Teo Lai Kheng, Lc Tropical Pointer

December clockwise from the left: Blc Chia Lin “New City”, Sophronitis ceruna, Cattleya tiranae var coerulea

I have to make a disclaimer here, I don’t like pink; there are a plethora of beautiful Cattleya alliance orchids that are pink, but not in my collection! To see some great photos of many, many more of these lovely orchids, you can visit: https://staugorchidsociety.org/gallery0.htm A good series of articles on Cattleya culture can be found on the AOS website: http:/www.aos.org/orchids/additional‐resources/cattleya‐culture‐part‐1.aspx http://www.aos.org/orchids/additional‐resources/cattleya‐culture‐part‐2.aspx

http://www.aos.org/orchids/additional‐resources/cattleya‐culture‐part‐3.aspx

http://www.aos.org/orchids/additional‐resources/cattleya‐culture‐part‐4.aspx

http://www.aos.org/orchids/additional‐resources/cattleya‐culture‐part‐5.aspx

Here is wishing a happy and successful 2020 to everyone. Oh and if anyone knows of Cattleya alliance orchids that regularly bloom in the summer months, please let me know so I can fill in my calendar! Jennifer Pell

PO Box 56022 Vancouver, Vancouver Orchid Society BC, V5L 4V0 M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I O N / R E N E W A L F O R M Annual membership fee is $30.00 per household (one or two adults); $20 for Students – from January to December

 NEW MEMBER  MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL Membership Number:______(Primary Member) Last Name: ______First Name:______(Co-member) Last Name: ______First Name:______Address: ______City: ______Province/State: ______Postal/Zip Code:______Telephone: ( ) ______E-mail Address:______Payment Method  Cash  Cheque :ot elbayap euqehc ekam esaelp ekam euqehc elbayap :ot The Vancouver Orchid Society Permission to publish the following in Membership Directory?  E-mail  Phone #  Address: ______The membership directory will be provided to current members for society business only as per the Personal Information Privacy Act. Newsletter Our monthly newsletters in full colour will be e-mailed monthly and are also available through our website at www.vancouverorchidsociety.ca. Newsletters will only be postal mailed upon request.

Volunteering We are a volunteer organization. All members are encouraged and expected to volunteer at least once a year. Please indicate the areas which you will be able to assist:

 Plant Sales  Show Planning How much time can you volunteer (approximate)?  Raffle  Show Setup  2 hours a year  Membership  Show Security  2 hours a month  Library  Show Admissions  2 hours a week  Kitchen  Show Displays  anytime, just ask me!

Please tell us a little bit about what kind of orchids you grow and how you grow them.

What types of orchids do you grow (or want to grow)?  Cattleya Alliance  Dendrobiums  Cymbidiums  Oncidium Alliance  Paphiopedilums  Miltoniopsis  Phalaenopsis Alliance  Phragmipedium  Temperate (outdoor) orchids  Vanda Alliance  Cypripedium  Others

Where do you grow them?  Windowsill  Greenhouse  Other: ______ Under Lights  Indoor (climate control)

How many orchids do you have?  under 20  20-50  51-100  101-200  over 200

What kind of programs or speakers are you interested in seeing? ______How did you hear about the VOS?: ______

Signature ______Date ______

08/2013