Please note that the April MOS meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 17th. There will be no meeting on April 10th. Harry Phillips was born in San Diego, CA Andy left for four months in Costa Rica, in 1953. In 1963, Harry‘s brother Andy and placed Harry in charge of the Upcoming Events Phillips (of Andy‘s Orchids fame) was collection. When Andy returned he found born, and six years later it all started. that Harry had not killed too many plants, April 17 (Third Tuesday!) – They were both exposed to exotic plants so he began to plan a cycling trip through MOS Monthly Meeting and flowers at an early age, but when South America, which ended up lasting Speaker: Harry Phillips Andy became obsessed with orchids, two years. After that it was all over for Harry www.AndysOrchids.com Harry somehow resisted for a while. He - he was completely addicted to orchids. assisted Andy in his passion by building May 8 – His interest in miniature orchids began his first two greenhouses, and Andy MOS Monthly Meeting several years ago while constantly being would reward him with a hybrid that was Speaker: Cordelia Head exposed to Andy‘s minis. He decided he in bloom, tell him to bring it back when it Topic: Miniature Oncidiums would try some for himself, and that was went out of bloom, and exchange it for www.JLOrchids.com the way the story starts. Harry would like to one in bloom. This would only last a year (pre-orders welcome) share some of his thoughts on growing and until Harry decided that he wanted to choosing the right mini for your conditions, keep one and get it to re-bloom, the June 2 – or creating a growing area with miniatures beginning of the end. NENYOS Piping Rock Picnic in mind. Once you get to know and (see article below) In 1986 Harry, with his soon to be wife appreciate them, miniatures will be a Leslie, moved with Andy and his orchid larger part of your collection. collection to Encinitas, CA. Shortly after, nd Bus Trip to NENYOS Piping Rock Picnic – Sat. June 2 New England societies have been Tentative Schedule extended an invite to the NENYOS Piping 7:30am Depart Waltham, MA (parking lot with 24hr security) – light breakfast on bus Rock Orchids Open House and Picnic in Galway, NY. We think this is a great 11:00 Arrival in Galway / Greenhouses Open for shopping / Raffle Tickets on sale opportunity to meet orchid lovers from 12:15 Picnic Lunch outside our area, hear some great 1:30 Lunch clean up speakers and spend a summer day 1:45 Begin Raffle Table among beautiful orchids (and maybe 2:00 Short Meeting & Announcements bring a few home with you). 2:15 Speaker: Darrin Norton 3:15 Speaker: Marc Hachadourian Featuring Special Guests: 4:00 Q&A and Greenhouse Shopping Marc Hachadourian (Speaker: New York 5:00 Pick up Botanic Garden) 6:30 (approx) - Rest-stop / Dinner Darrin Norton (Speaker & Plant Sales: 8:30/9:00pm Arrival in Waltham, MA Mountain Orchids) If you have any questions, please e-mail MOS is sponsoring a bus trip to the event. [email protected] Cost for the trip is $40/person and includes bus fare to and from Galway, a We ask that you sign up by May 1st. light breakfast on the bus, and a You can sign up at the April 17th meeting or online: donation to NENYOS for lunch. www.massorchid.org/events?eventId=468431 Page 1 April 2012 ● Massachusetts Orchid Society ● [email protected] MOS Board Show table photography by President – Brigitte Fortin. Nick Pavey [email protected] Vice President – Sasha Varsanofieva [email protected] Secretary – Joan Blackett [email protected] Treasurer – Jody Maggio [email protected] Pleione sp. Directors – Adrienne Giovino [email protected] Brigitte Fortin Membership [email protected] Get a head start on your 2012-2013 Derek Scuteri membership dues (due July 1st): [email protected] MOS Welcomes Did you know you can now pay for Linda Abrams your membership online using PayPal? New Members [email protected] Simply log into your account on Susan Flier www.massorchid.org, click ―View Diane Doria [email protected] Profile‖ and click the ―Renew‖ button. North Reading, MA Or send your dues ($20) to: Elizabeth Rechner Committee Chairs Susan Flier 27 Colchester Street Medfield, MA Membership – Brookline, MA 02446 Susan Flier Or pay in cash or check at a meeting. [email protected] Newsletter – Sasha Varsanofieva [email protected] 2012 Focus on Phals Day Due to the overwhelmingly positive they're labeled as species. His presentation Annual Show – response to our 2011 back-to-back IPA is entitled ―Phal Species and Their Variants.‖ Joanna Eckstrom meetings, we are pleased to announce Carri will bring us all up to speed on the [email protected] that the IPA Northeast Team will once newest and most unique directions in Phal again be co-hosting, on Saturday, Program – breeding as seen at the Taiwan September 8th, 2012, in cooperation Brigitte Fortin, International Orchid Show in March 2012. with the New Hampshire Orchid Society Adrienne Giovino, A nominal registration fee will provide a our annual ―Focus on Phals Day.‖ Sasha Varsanofieva continental breakfast and lunch. The day [email protected] Dr. Ron McHatton will be our keynote will also include a roundtable discussion speaker, giving his amazingly and regional fundraising mini-auction to informative presentation on ―New enable us to continue to bring in great Approaches to Pest and Disease speakers. Control,‖ a presentation that applies to Visit the IPA website (www.phal.org), every orchid grower. beginning in April, where the registration Barring any potential hurricanes aiming forms will be posted. The meetings are for Puerto Rico, Carlos Fighetti will be open to all, IPA members and non- speaking on the newest advances in the members alike. improvement of Phal species, covering - IPA Regions 17 & 18 Directors Marilyn some that might actually qualify as primary hybrids, despite the fact that Shapiro and Carri Raven-Riemann Page 2 April 2012 ● Massachusetts Orchid Society ● [email protected] Ask Joan Q: It‘s spring and I see definite signs of growth larger pot is needed. Consider whether the on some of my orchids and roots are popping plant should be divided instead. up and out or the pots. What should I be What kind of media to use? Conservatively, thinking about now? use the same kind of media the plant has been growing in. Remember that it is easier to have most of your plants in similar media for an easier watering schedule. Ideally, you want a medium that is fast draining yet water retentive, to help develop a good root system. Potting in an almost dry medium seems to stimulate the roots to grow, but you‘ll hear lots of people swear by pre-soaked media. Watch any one of a number of video guides online to An occasional column answering questions and providing orchid A: It‘s Repotting Time! We have had a warm help you with good repotting techniques. growing information. Some of this and early spring, and now is the perfect time Some great sources are: information is derived from the to repot, divide and prepare our orchids for AOS member site and some from the extended summer growth period. One http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsqB- fellow MOS members. I‘ve been signal to repot is when new growths and new 872hk8 growing orchids for about eight roots begin to emerge at the base of the http://www.rv- years, still a beginner, and this is a plant. Another signal may be that the media good way to learn and share. To orchidworks.com/orchidtalk/content/section/1 has broken down, is soft and squishy, or simply keep the column lively and 17-repotting-orchids.html timely, please contribute your smelly. You will need bleach-cleaned tools http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO52KBXv questions and comments to: and pots. First you should clean up the root qVI [email protected] system, trimming away old, dead roots. Soak the plant long enough to make the roots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlHzP1LB6 pliable. Then, as to a larger pot, use the size of mM&feature=related the bottom of the plant to determine if a Orchid Trivia: A Butterfly Orchid This hybrid was first created through the Water: hybridization efforts of Carter and Holmes Water this plant as the moss or bark mix just dries Orchids and was registered in 1988. The clone out. When in spike or flower water as the mix ‗Monarch‘ was given an Award of Merit by the approaches dryness but do not allow the mix to American Orchid Society. This particular clone is become completely dry between watering. vigorous, with wide thick leaves that have a slight purple mottling on the edges and tips. The wide Fertilizer: leaves give evidence that this clone may be a Fertilize every other watering in the summer and tetraploid. The butterfly-like flowers are large and every third watering in the winter. can be 5 to 6 inches in size. The spikes are from 2 to 3 feet in height and can produce flowers for Flowering: several years. This plant is easy to grow and Flowering season can be almost any time of flower if you follow the guidelines below. year. When the new growth is large enough, it will send out a spike from a small furrow in the Light: pseudobulb just under a small leafy-like sheath. This plant requires light similar to Phalaenopsis but The flowers come out singularly, one at a time, can be grown in somewhat shadier conditions.