Upcoming Events: Sutherland Shire Orchid Society January 2018 SSOS January Meeting 8th Jan Camden Haven Orchid Show 13th-14th Jan SSOS February Meeting 12th Feb Articles This Month: You Grew It In My Greenhouse The wonderful Green Rock Orchid: Rimacola elliptica President: Frank Daniel Vice President: George Birss Editor: Richard Dimon [email protected] SSOS GENERAL MEETING thanked for his efforts with the Growers group, Diane Philips for organising our suppers at our meetings; Pam MINUTES - 11 December 2017 Davies for tallying the monthly show bench results from which the annual point scores are calculated, the taking the photographs at our meetings, and collating the number of plants benched in each class at each meeting. Frank Daniel welcomed our members and guests to the Diane and Pam were given a Westfield voucher in meeting. He asked appreciation. for a member to motion that the November minutes were accurate. Robert Nicol motioned they were correct. Carried. After general business, Frank awarded the Annual Point Score trophy to Sandra Crosby and Tony Costa who achieved 779 points. This was the tenth year they have Correspondence received won this award. Vic Petrovski was second with 285 points. The top point scorer in Intermediate was Peter • OSNSW November 2017 Orchid News. Ng with 186 points, and in Novice it was Howard Chen • Newsletters from Batemans Bay, Eastern Suburbs, with 124 points. Gavin Curtis was awarded the Rona Bankstown and North Shore Orchid Societies Goudie Trophy as he gained the most first places in our 3 • Flyer from Eurobodalla Orchid Society advertising their March Workshop to be held on 17 &18 March 2018 in Tuross Heads. Speakers include Kevin Hipkins, Clive Halls, Wally Rhodes & Jeanne Dunn New members this month are Jessica Sutton (Junior class) and John Ng (Novice class) Tonight Frank said it had been a great year with three successful shows. He thanked the committee who worked very hard in managing the business of the Society throughout the year and our judges, raffle ticket sellers, sales table assistants, those people who put out and put away the tables at our meetings, and the volunteers at our shows and BBQs. George Birss was 2 shows (Winter, Spring & Spectacular) but failed to win a display the size of which will depend upon the number of Champion Prize. plants provided by members. The appearance money for the displays and champion awards are very generous. To Frank presented certificates and gifts to the first and attend the show and vendor area, it costs $10 per day. To second place getters in each class of the annual point attend the full program on Friday and Saturday the cost scores. Members then adjourned to the hall for the is $100 per day. If you volunteer for half a day, you are Christmas party and the giant raffle. Everyone had a entitled to entry to the show for the rest of the day for great time. free. The distance to the venue is about 2km further than Orchids Out West. Members are asked to seriously consider either attending or exhibiting their plants in the Upcoming speakers are: conference. JANUARY: Joyce Stone will present a talk and a potting demonstration on Pterostylis orchids FEBRUARY: ECO products & judging of growing competition MARCH: AGM & Seedling Competition judging ITEMS OF INTEREST Our Society’s membership renewals are due. All members who pay their membership by the close of the January 2018 meeting will go in the draw for a 12 month Shoalhaven Orchid Society are selling their tables. The subscription to Orchids Australia. For those of you who Society will be buying some to replace to faulty ones in wish to receive the bulletin in the mail there will be an the hall if we can get them for $20-25 a table. If anyone additional charge of $15 per annum to assist with the is interested in buying any, please let George know. photocopying and postage costs. This does not apply to life members. The Annual Points Scores recommence from tonight's Jan Robinson spoke to members on attending the AOC meeting. The committee reviewed the number of plants Conference in July 2018 at Windsor. She explained it will benched in each class over the year and have made some be a international conference being held in Sydney which changes to the Schedule. In Open class, Class 11 and 14 our Society should support. The Society will put on a have been combined and will be called Phalaenopsis; in 3 Novice there was no change and in Intermediate Class 37 think that the flower is a spider and sting it at the column Seedling has been eliminated. (the part of the orchid that holds the flowers sexual organs) attempting to pull it away to consume it, consequently stinging away at the lip and in it’s struggle The committee has considered who should be promoted picks up the pollina on it’s head. They then fly to another from the Novice and Intermediate classes based on the flower where it is stripped from it’s head. annual point scores and general ability in growing orchids. The committee has approved the elevation of Peter Ng (186 pts), Peng Sanaphay (64 pts) to Open class and Herbert Chen (124 pts), John Chan (96 pts) and Robert Cawley (49 pts) will escalate to Intermediate class. Frank mentioned in March the AGM will be held. The position of President and Secretary need to be filled in particular. Members were asked to consider nominating for these positions. NAME BADGE DRAW – Frank Daniel Found from Mexico to Venezuala in cloud forests at elevations of 900 to 2400m an epiphyte orchid that LUCKY PLANTS - Herbert Chen, Owen Sutton and Heath grows on tree trunks and large branches. The Myers. pseudobulbs bare two strappy leaves that arise from the Next meeting: 8 January 2018 base. From here one or two long erect to arching inflorescences arise from the mature pseudobulbs each carrying up to 20 peppery scented flowers (particularly in the evening). The 15 to 20 cm flowers are a light apple YOU GREW IT green marked with darker green markings. The largish white lip is covered in green “warts”. Brassia verrucosa – exhibited by John Costa A relatively easy orchid to grow in a pot or basket using large bark so the roots can grow through. Give bright light Commonly called “spider orchids”, or “the Warty and plenty of water. Many of the Brassia’s like to be out Brassia”. Brassia orchids are pollinated by female spider in almost full sun and need these conditions to flower. stinging wasps that because of the shape of the flower 4 Many growers tie Brassia to a backyard tree and enjoy the emerge. The flowers are an “oxblood” red up to 5cm floral display as it drifts in the breeze. across with a white cream lip with red spotting. Yellow colour forms are also available. Maxillaria tenuifolia – exhibited by Lee Buividis This is one orchid every grower should have. Easy to grow and propagation is easy. Grow in a squat pot or mount on a piece of tree fern. Give good light and plenty of water during summer. As your plant grows “UP” simply cut back to a desired height and plant all the cut off pseudobulbs into a pot and soon you will have another pot full. As it flowers around Christmas it makes a great table decoration, probably around an outdoor setting as the smell of a large plant may be overpowering inside. Bulbophyllum carunculatum – Commonly referred to as “the Coconut orchid”, due to the Exhibited by George Birss distinctive aroma given off by the flowers. Often a grower will smell the orchid long before they realise it is in bloom. Usually flowers around Christmas. An epiphytic and occasionally terrestrial species orchid found from Mexico to Costa Rica at low elevations up to 1500m so can be grown cold to warm. The pseudobulbs tend to “climb” and grow on top of each other and produce a grass like foliage that in itself is attractive as a house plant. The rhizome (a prostrate or underground stem which the pseudobulb arises from) is completely enveloped by scarious bracts (thin dry membrane, brownish in colour, that overlaps small Found only on the island of Salawesi, Indonesia at roots) making each pseudobulb a potential new plant. elevations of 800 – 900m as a warm growing epiphyte. From each mature pseudobulb a single flower will 5 The Ovoid (egg shaped) pseudobulb carries only one leaf plants were short stemmed and all flowered on the from which a 45cm long inflorescence grows. This leafless or near leafless canes. Two plants had flowers of produces successive opening flowers, as many as 12 the same size (one of these is the pictured plant) the other fragrant, but not nice, 7 – 10cm flowers that are yellow or was a smaller plant than the other two in size and stem yellow green often with red stripping towards the centre length but the flower although very similar in shape and with a very dark purple maroon longish lip that wobbles. colour was probably 1/3 smaller. It will be interesting to A very attractive and striking flower that looks great in see these plants next year to compare again. any collection. Dendrobium catenatum is found in China, Korea and A medium to large growing plant that likes to spread out, Japan growing at elevations of 1200 – 1600m in deep likes a shallow pot or tray or mounted with many short mountainous forests as a cool to warm epiphyte. roots so like a fast draining medium, to be kept moist with They have long clustered terete (cylindrical or slightly bright shady conditions.