MARCH 2009

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Sandpiper Orchid SocietySandpiper Meetings

Location Galloway Branch of the Atlantic County Library

system located at 306 East Jimmie Leeds Road

Galloway, NJ Phone 609-652-2352

Map of Meeting Location

Website: http://www.SandpiperOrchidSociety.com Email: SandpiperOS@comcast.net

March 19th7:30 PM

Meeting held at Waldor OrchidsLinwood, NJ

(Meeting location & date change for March’s meeting only)

This months program will be presented by Walter Off of Waldor Orchids who will give a workshop on ‘Plant Preparation for the Longwood Gardens Show’. He will cover Staking, Grooming, Plant Placement and Display Concepts for the up coming Longwood Gardens Orchid Show.

LONGWOOD GARDENSInternational Orchid Show

and Sale Friday, March 27, 2009

9:00 AM — 5:00 PMSaturday, March 28,

2009 9:00 AM — 6:00 PMSunday, March 29,

2009 9:00 AM — 6:00 PM

Enter a world of dazzling orchids showcased by the best collectors and growers from Hawaii to South America.

Stunning exhibits fill the Conservatory and a wide array of orchids are for sale. Enjoy the American Orchid Society-judged show, guided tours, informative talks and a sales pavilion like no other.

Sponsored by the: Southeastern Pennsylvania Orchid Society

(SEPOS).

….. thanks to the LONGWOOD GARDENS website

The Orchid Help Guys

Before the Meeting

7:15 PMAsk the Orchid Help Guys before any

Sandpiper Orchid Society meetingfor advice on any culture problems you

may be having with your orchids.

Dr. Cary Stone Bergie Ellingson

Sandpiper Orchid Society will enter an Orchid Display in the SEPOS Orchid Show.

Bollenbach, G.

Bruno, P.

Cascioli, C.

Cascioli, P.

Class, B.

Ellingson, B.

Errickson, B.

Fontaine, A.

Kruckner, R.

Jankowski, L&R

McClellan, J&M

Michalenko, R.

Montgomery, A&B

Schairer, C.

Tusone, R.

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SHOW TABLE & Displays Point Standings thru

February 2009

How the Points are Earned Rosette Award ....…... 10 pts 1st Place ...................... 5 pts 2nd Place .................... 4 pts 3rd Place ..................... 3 pts Honorable Mention .. 1 pt

Joe Myers Award - Awarded to the member that accumulates the highest point total for the year as determined from Society Displays and the monthly Show Table results. Lisa O’Neal Award - This award was established in 2006 upon the untimely death of then president Lisa O’Neal. Lisa was renowned for displaying her finest orchids on the monthly Show Table. The winner of this award is acknowledged as having grown the most outstanding orchid of the year which is chosen from those plants that received the 10 point Rosette Award.

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Members Night

Gail Zona gave a brief description of a trip she and her husband Henry took to Costa Rica recently. Gail described the different guided tours that they took into the lush mountainous rainforests. She made note of the many steep terraces they climbed to observe the country’s native orchids and it’s spectacular bird population.

Andy Fontaine described how his orchid collection, housed in his greenhouse on a second story deck, is a major drawing attraction to his Bed & Breakfast, The Bayberry Inn, located in Cape May NJ. Andy’s small homemade greenhouse is able to supply his Inn with a minimum of 6-8 blooming orchids at any time of the year. The displays from his collection of various genera, are often the key to why most of his guests return.

Nancy Burke, who organized the presenters and program for the evening, gave a brief slide presentation highlighting the career of Walt Butterfield, former professor of tissue culture at Stockton Co"ege and owner of Butterfield Laboratories. Walter Off had tissue culture labs, both at Brighton Orchids and Waldor Orchids, many years ago that were used for cloning many of his current orchids.

Pam Cascioli has recently completed the construction of her greenhouse, also on a second story deck. Pam described the process she and her husband Steve went through to bring their greenhouse to completion. She detailed the intricate planning, purchasing of materials from England, and the assembly of the greenhouse kit. The greenhouse is now ready to accept their growing orchid collection.

Members night at our last meeting was an evening where Society members volunteered to spend 7-10 minutes, acquainting us with what is going on in their orchid lives, past or present.

Nancy Burke

Andy Fontaine

Gail Zona

Pam Cascioli

Using some of Walt's slides, Nancy presented a short but concise overview of basic cattleya tissue culture.

Congratulations New TrusteesCongratulations to George Bollenbach and Dr. Cary Stone

for being elected to Sandpiper’s Board of Trustees. George will serve thru the end of 2009 and Dr. Stone thru 2011.

Both were elected to fill open, at-large seats.

-2009 Society Dues- Please remember to see

George Bollenbach about your

Sandpiper Orchid Society Dues at the

March 19th meeting.

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This distinct and lovely Cattleya has a very exquisite perfume. On every occasion we have met with the plants in flower, the perfume has attracted our immediate attention. The shape of schroderae has an extraordinary crispation of both petals and lip. The unique orange (mango) coloration of the lip also makes this a distinct species. Named in honor of Baroness Schroder the wife of one of the most distinguished orchidophiles of the Victorian age. This plant is easy to grow and flower.Light Medium to high from 2,500 t 3,500 footcandles being ideal for sunlight exposure. This plant will also perform well under fluorescent light or high pressure sodium lighting. Temperature Intermediate to warm. Winter day temps should be 70 or above and night temps should be below 65 degrees Fahrenheit and closer to 58 to 62. Summer temps can be several degrees warmer.Humidity This plant likes a relative humidity of 50 percent or higher during the growing season and will tolerate less during winter. The use of humidity trays or room humidifiers is beneficial. Water This plant prefers rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water. Water as the potting mix just dries out. When in bud or flower keep slightly more moist at the roots. Overwatering can cause several problems such as root rot and infectious bacteria/fungus in the potting mediumFertilizer Use Green Jungle Orchid Food, especially formulated to

work with rain, distilled, reverse osmosis water or water low in alkalinity. Fertilize with Green Jungle every time you water if plants are planted in bark. Be sure to flush the mix with clear water only once per month to prevent fertilizer salt build up. For plants in moss or mounted on slabs feed every third or 4th watering as the moss holds a lot of nutrients. Fertilize every other watering in the summer and every third watering in the winter. Flowering This plant can flower from Late February through April. The flower colors can vary from white to pale pink to rose, pure white

as in the alba forms and there is even a coerulea form, The scent is really exquisite and the flower color is unusual with a mango colored lip. The flowers last about 3 weeks in perfection.Repotting Repot after flowering when new growth begins to emerge at the base of the plant. This is when new root activity begins. Keep the plant dry at the roots for the first 10 days after repotting to allow any damaged roots to heal and seal off. This plant can also be divided once there are at least 3-4 bulbs or growths per division. Use a medium grade bark mix and either clay or plastic pots. Keep the oldest growths towards the edge of the pot allowing space for at least one to 2 years growth between the newest growth and the outer edge of the pot.

Cattleya schroderae

...thanks to the Orchid Web website.

David’s Monthly Orchid Tips

David Off is a 3rd generation member of the highly respected

WALDOR ORCHIDS family.

Roots, Roots, Roots After being at the Flower Show in Philadelphia for the past 4 days, I've had the question posed to me on many occasions, "My plant’s leaves are soft and/or leathery." Each time I reply that it is a root problem, and usually has to do with watering. The leaves will show the same symptoms in both instances. The way to tell the difference is to look at the roots. Soft mushy roots are the result of a plant being over watered. Dry shriveled roots are dehydrated, and the plant has been under watered. For soft mushy roots I would suggest that a late Spring early Summer repotting is in order and to get the plant into a smaller pot (whatever accommodates the roots) and some fresh potting medium. In the case of under watering I would say put the plant in the sink and water it heavily every time you pass the sink that day. From that point on it should be able to get back on track.

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American Orchid Society

The Benefits Of Membership

Whether a beginner or an expert orchid grower, you will find membership in the American Orchid Society a truly rewarding experience. You’ll join 18,000 others worldwide who share a passion for orchids, as well as furthering conservation and research efforts for these wondrous plants. And you’ll enjoy a wealth of membership benefits.

...membership to the American Orchid Society

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EXTENDED CALENDAR DETAILS

Calendar of Events

15 Mid-Atlantic Judging Center Philadelphia Horticultural Center Phila, Pa. website: http://www.orchidjudging.com/

23 Sandpiper Orchid Society Meeting 7:30 PM Galloway Branch of the Atlantic County Library system 306 East Jimmie Leeds Road Galloway, N.J.

April 12 Easter Sunday

Officers President Ron Ference Vice Pres. Andy Fontaine Secretary Alice Montgomery Treasurer Henry Zona AOS Rep. Walter Off Past Pres. John McClellan

Trustees at Large Trustee 2009 George Bollenbach Trustee 2010 Bergie Ellingson Trustee 2011 Dr. Cary Stone Trustee 2012 Pam Cascioli

Committee Chairs Membership George Bollenbach Publicity Gail Zona Newsletter Ron Ference Show Table Cary Stone Hospitality Alice Montgomery Website Ron Ference Show Exhibits Andy Fontaine Historian Chrissy Schairer Photography Ron Ference Refreshments Pam Cascioli Raffle Bruce Montgomery Auction Ron Ference DVOC Rep. Bruce Montgomery

Sandpiper Orchid Society

The Orchids of Southeast Asia

April 18, 2009 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM You are invited to join us for a day long seminar on the Orchids of Southeast Asia. Registration is limited to 50 people. Fee: $30.00 per person. We will have special guest speakers and you can enjoy breakfast and lunch featuring the food of Southeast Asia. Our Guests will include Jerry Fisher of Orchids Limited and Carri Raven-Riemann of Orchidphile.

9:00 to 9:45 Sign In and Breakfast

9:45 to 10:45 The Paphiopedilums of Southeast Asia by Jerry Fisher

10:45 to 11:15 Break

11:15 to 12:15 Phalaenopsis species of Southeast Asia and the latest hybrids by Carri Raven-Rienmann

12:30 to 1:30 Lunch

1:30 to 2:30 Other orchid genera from Southeast Asia. Selections from Amesiella, Ascocentrum, Dendrobium Aerides, Bulbophyllum, Coelogyne & Renanthera by Tom Purviance & John Salventi

2:30 to 3:30 A little wine and dessert to finish the day.

Saturday Seminars

Parkside Orchid Nursery Special Events

April 4, 2009 10:00 am Introduction To Orchids This class that will cover the critical elements for growing orchids in the home. 1:00-3:00 pm Paphiopedilums: Two Lectures An afternoon with Paphiopedilums led by John Salventi of Parkside.

1:00 pm The increasing sophistication of Paphiopedilum Pot Plant Hybridization. 2:00 pm Break - Enjoy an informal tour of the Paphiopedilum Greenhouse. 3:00 pm Paphiopedilum Culture Review: By type (Maudiae, Complex, Parvi-Brachy and Multifloral)

To REGISTER click here

Parkside Orchid Nursery, Inc.2503 Mountainview Drive, Ottsville, PA 18942  

Telephone: 610-847-8039      FAX: 610-847-1211

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72 ORCHIDS FEBRUARY 2009 WWW.AOS.ORG

PRESIDENT’S COMMUNICATION

Carlos FighettiAOS Presidentcf3@columbia.edu

Back to Basics

MORE ON LINE

Go to www.aos.org, click onto March2009 Preview (left side of screen)and read about Paris Merriam’sexperiences with Anna’shummingbirds and reed-stemepidendrums in his Californiagarden.

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ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY ISforcing us to look into our operationsand determine which are the mostimportant services to our membershipand hence come up with a new strategyto weather the storm. For this tohappen, we need to set priorities.

To the majority of our members,Orchids magazine is the mostimportant reward of being members ofthis organization. So, our top priorityis to publish a quality magazine, andwe intend to continue to do this. As Iexplained in last month’s column, inorder to reduce the cost of production,we made some changes. The width hasbeen slightly reduced to get better useof the paper at the printer, and thenumber of pages has decreased. Also,the cover finish has been changed andthe binding replaced by the originalsaddle-sti tch type that the AOSBulletin had. All of this provides uswith enough savings to allow us tocontinue with a monthly publication.

Our second priority is AOS judging.Again, this is an aspect of highimportance to a great number of ourmembers as they exhibit orchid plantseverywhere. Many of you may not beaware that orchid flower and plantjudging occurs every month at 35different sites in the Unites States andCanada and routinely more than 700AOS judges and student judgesparticipate. In addition, AOS judgingoccurs at orchid shows throughout theUnited States as well as all over theworld. We are committed to support all

of these activities as usual by quarterlyupgrading our AQ Plus computerprogram that contains all awardsstatistics and images since judging wasstarted in 1932, and by providing thenecessary paperwork support andprocessing of all awards on a timelybasis.

Third, our Web site will continueto receive our attention as many of ourmembers and orchid growers in generalworldwide use electronic media toaccess information on all aspects oforchidology. Through the Web site wewill be able to disseminate informationon how to grow plants, provide articlesof interest in all orchid aspects andprovide news about the organization.Also, articles that we cannot place inour magazine for lack of available spacewill appear on www.aos.org.

This does not mean that we aregoing to forget about education,conservation and research. On thecontrary, this is our mission, and weare committed to continuing to fosterthe passion for orchids. It means onlythat for the time being we will not beable to provide additional grant fundingfor these activities.

What we are facing today isextraordinary economic times with noclear end in sight. After a year ofholding a steady membership level, weare starting to see a decline again.Also, contributions to our general fundfor operations have substantiallydecreased. All of this has forced us nowto do what we are doing. It is ourBoard’s responsibility as leaders ofthis organization to preserve ourresources so that the organizationcontinues to exist as it has done for 88years. Consequently, we have decidedto concentrate on the activities listedabove. We have significantly reducedour staff at the Delray Beach facilitiesand have put on hold or cancelled someof the activities at the headquarters.

However, I must reiterate what I saidin last month’s column. The AOS isdebt free, and we will continue that way.We have more than $1.7 million dollarsin restricted funds for programs suchas the construction of a library, forresearch, for annual awards and otherprojects and we will continue tosafeguard these funds as required bylaw. It is also our intention to remain in

our headquarters facil i ty and tomaintain our gardens — so much ofwhich have been donated by ourmembership — so that when we comeout of this recession, we can continueto grow as our predecessors originallyintended.

The volunteer leadership and staffcannot do this alone. We need yourhelp. We need you to help us reduceour expenses by, for example, renewingyour membership immediately when itis due. Do you know that it costs us $9for every renewal that is not done whenthe first renewal notice is sent? We alsoneed your help in securing newmembers. This can be done bypromoting our organization at yourlocal and regional meetings or at showsand judging. Sometimes, all you haveto do is bring a copy of Orchidsmagazine and show it to your friends.And, most certainly you can help usby making a fully tax deductible,unrestricted contribution to the AOS.Dues alone are not enough to provideall of the services listed above.

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February 2009Show Table

1st Place WinnersSHOW TABLE DETAILS

Phrag. Fox Valley FireballGrown by B. Class

Paph. delanatii ‘Pink Ballon’x delanatii ‘Dark’

Grown by R. Michalenko

Phal. Yu Pin PearlGrown by P. Bruno

Phal. HybridGrown by L&R Jankowski

Onc. Twinkle ‘Pee Wee’Grown by P. Cascioli

Rhy. gigantea ‘Red’Grown by A. Fontaine

Epi. ButterballGrown by G. Bollenbach

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SHOW TABLE DETAILS

Phal. Paifang’s Queen x Georges SeuratGrown by A. Fontaine

Ludisia discolorGrown by G. Bollenbach

Dracula felixGrown by C. Cascioli

Phal. Super Stupid x Zuma PixieGrown by R. Michalenko

Den. Burana PinkGrown by A&B MontgomeryPaph. Dolce Vita

Grown by B. Class

C. Nancy OffGrown by L&R Jankowski

Bl. Richard Mueller HybridGrown by A&B Montgomery

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Waldor Orchids The largest supplier of orchid plants and supplies

in the Delaware Valley.

10 E. Poplar Ave. Linwood, N.J. 08221-2526

Phone: 609-927-4126 Fax: 609-926-0615

Fridays and Saturdays 9AM - 5:30 PM

Sandpiper Orchid SocietySecretary23 Alexander Dr.Hammonton, NJ 08037

Mailing Label

Orchids April Preview

Hamiltonara Golden Harry ‘Liv’ HCC/AOS (Bnfd. Gold Star × Oda. Harry Baldwin - 77points) Photographer: Marni Turkel.

...thanks to the American Orchid SocietyWebsite: http://waldor.com

Pedilonum Dendrobiums Cryptochilus sanguinea Growing Orchids Under Lights Samarorchis: A Vandaceous Miniature