Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society Page 1 June 2018 …

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BOGO – Two Speakers for the Price of One!

Sandi Jones, Is it a Climber or a Crawler?

& Bill Hodnett, Mounting in Coconuts

By Sandi Block-Brezner, 1st VP Programming

Sandy Jones of Broward Orchid Supply — Is it a Climber or a Crawler??

Sandi Jones, owner of Broward Orchid Supply, will be our speaker on Monday night, June 11th. Sandi is giving a new talk on growth patterns of orchids. We’ve all experienced orchids that continue to grow outside their pot…some go down the pot and others go up!

She will show us how you determine if your orchid plant is a climber or a crawler and if it should be mounted or re-potted! And if you should be mounting it, do you put it on a vertical mount, or a horizontal mount? Or maybe it belongs in a basket or on a tree? And

if you have to divide your plant, which part do you use... and is the remaining part viable to be used in another pot or on another mount? These and many more questions will be

covered in her presentation!

At one time, Sandi had worked as a paralegal and was also an orchid hobbyist grower. She was (and still is) a member of Ft. Lauderdale Orchid Society (FLOS). In June of 2006,

Sandi started Broward Orchid Supply (BOS) because she found that there was no place in Broward County for the home hobbyist like herself to buy orchid supplies! By December 2006, she organized the first Bonnet House Orchid Show with 12 vendors and herself.

Gradually Sandi grew her business by giving lectures at local orchid societies and doing demonstrations and classes at various venues. Most of her lectures are about the basics

of orchid growing and deal with potting, fertilizing, pests, and diseases. At her home in Hollywood (2411 Garfield Street), she has set up a storefront and a lovely covered patio area where she continues to give orchid classes. You can also find her at many of the

orchid shows from Palm Beach County down to Miami-Dade. She is a big supporter of FGOS and always donates orchid supplies so we can make the raffle baskets for our show!

She has also begun to donate many of her orchid plants or divisions to the Flamingo Gardens Orchidteers!

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AFFILIATED WITH

AMERICAN ORCHID

SOCIETY AND

FLAMINGO GARDENS

June 2018

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Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society

Continued from page 1 BOGO

Besides her presentation, Sandi will be providing items for our raffle table and have lots of supplies for sale. She will not be bringing everything she has, however; if there

is something special that you want, be sure to call her at 954-925-2021 or email her at [email protected] and order it. If you pre-order, she will bring it

to the meeting and you can pay for it then.. No delivery charge! You can also go on her website, http://www.browardorchidsupply.com/ to see her price list. Sandi’s storefront hours do vary, so be sure to check the website and call ahead if you ever

plan to visit!

Bill Hodnett, an Orchid Master, Mounting in Coconuts

Bill Hodnett, one of our very own favorite people, will also be presenting at our meeting. I know you have seen Bill’s beautiful Vandas, large Dendrobiums, and gorgeous Cattleyas that he grows in coconut husks! Whenever a Cattleya outgrows its

coconut husk, Bill just adds another husk and it keeps on going! I have asked Bill to show us how he first attaches an orchid to the husk, and what he does to prepare the orchid and the husk and keep it growing!

Bill said he got the orchid bug and started growing orchids after attending the 1998 South Florida Orchid Society Show at the University of Miami. His favorite orchid is

the large flower Cattleya. Bill has been known to make the ladies in his church lovely Cattleya corsages for their birthday and he has even cut the blooms off of some of the plants he brings in to Member’s Choice and gives them out to our ladies! Bill has also

become one of the Flamingo Garden’s Orchidteers! Besides donating his time, he has also donated a battery operated fertilizing & watering tank and orchid plants to the gardens that he willingly gets up on a ladder to mount!! Bill other big love is

Photography. He is a gifted photographer and has won 1st place in the Photo Challenge both years since we’ve held it!!

Bill has about 1,000 orchids in his collection, though he’s starting to reduce it! He said he started using coconuts because they are cheap and he is lazy! Coconuts are free, no pots, no potting mix, and repotting is easy! Come to the meeting and see

how!!

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Did you have a good time at the Redlands International Orchid Show? Not the best weather

for an outdoor show but I think everyone still had a great time. This was the last show of the

season. You have to wait for Fall when they begin all over again.

The rainy Season has arrived! That means the dreaded Black Rot makes an appearance. Be

sure to check on your orchids every day. Take action immediately! Sandi Block-Brezner has

shared an article from the AOS website about caring for your orchids in the rainy season.

You may want to save the article for future reference.

Have you thought about being on the Board of Directors? If you think you would like to join

the board or work on a committee let us know. The board meetings are open to anyone.

Our By Laws are posted on the website and there are job descriptions for you to review. We

will be working on the Slate of Officers for next year in June and July.

The Photography Challenge will be coming up in November. Time to be taking photos of

your orchids or orchids anywhere you see them. The best way for a chance to win is to enter.

Give it a shot!

The next three months we will be meeting in the Education Room due to the Borworski Glass

Exhibit. Come check out these amazing pieces made of glass and metal. The Gardens will

be open several evenings so you can see the exhibit glowing in the moon light, well,

hopefully. This is the first time this exhibit has been in the United States.

The Board formed a committee to evaluate the guidelines for showing your orchids. They are

working on ideas so members who do not have large collections or who are just getting

started will bring in their plants to show. This is because we want you all to participate and

feel good about your blooming plants. More on that soon….

See you at the June meeting!

Jan

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Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society

Is There a Fungus Among Us?

(reprinted from the American Orchid Society Website)

Black rot has decimated this tray of Cattleya seedlings overnight.

We grow our orchids in an open shade house, (or yard) which means that they get

whatever Mother Nature gives them. A wet summer is following what was a wetter-

than-usual winter. That in itself was enough to deal with because as you know,

orchids generally follow a seasonal growth cycle. Even though most of the ones we

all grow are from the tropics, they still prefer a cool, dry winter. They also do best

with ample water during the growing season. As you might expect, our wet

summer has made plant growth explode. Though the plants are growing

tremendously, every morning I go out to check to see if any fungal infections have

begun. Our prolonged rain prevents plants from drying out, sometimes for a full

week or more. Wet foliage provides a perfect environment for fungus dispersal

through splashing water. Based on past experience we have come to expect an

outbreak of black rot under these types of wet, humid conditions. Pythium ultimum

(and/or Phytophthora cactorum) is ruthless and can destroy a collection of

cattleyas in short order and those plants you do manage to save will be set back

for years. Although cattleyas are its favorite host in our collection, it does not

discriminate and will infect other genera, especially soft-leaved types such as

Grammatophyllum, Stanhopea, Oncidium, etc., Black rot is our biggest nemesis but

wet conditions can bring out other nasty fungi too.

Black rot on Guarianthe bowringiana.

It should be obvious that healthy plants are less susceptible to fungal infection just as

healthy people are less likely to get sick. We have come full circle back to the topic

of balance in orchid culture. While we want to grow our orchids as vigorously as Continue on page 5 Fungus

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possible during the summer, we want to avoid vulnerable soft growth and do

whatever we can to prevent rot problems. Soft growth can result from low light

levels, too much nitrogen fertilizer without increasing other culture variables and

other stress-related causes and is more susceptible to disease. Here are some

suggestions for summertime orchid culture.

1. Strive to maintain a balanced culture regime. If you find you are watering plants

more often in summer try to gradually provide more light and make sure you fertilize

regularly.

2. Provide adequate air movement. The importance of ventilation in orchid

culture cannot be overstated. Moving air promotes rapid drying of watered plants.

Roots that stay constantly wet will deteriorate more quickly than those that are

allowed to dry between waterings. Water standing on leaves provides a place for

fungus spores to incubate, especially Pythium species. Moving air also helps keep

leaf temperatures down. This is especially important in summer.

3. Make sure your growing area is clean and free from debris. Decomposing

leaves and other plant material under benches make a perfect breeding ground for

fungus and bacteria.

4. Excessive algae growth can keep surrounding areas overly damp and provide

a fertile environment for fungi. We spray benches and the wooden structural parts of

the shade house with an algaecide such as Physan or RD-20 in late spring and at

least once again midway through the summer. As long as you don't subscribe to the

"more is better" theory and mix strictly to label recommendations, plants can be

sprayed as well. Too strong solutions can burn soft-leaved

orchids. Be advised that if you rely on live moss culture for Pleurothallids and other

pure-water orchids, these chemicals can kill moss.

5. If you are not afraid to use agricultural chemicals*, prophylactic spraying of

plants with a broad-spectrum fungicide (such as Captan 50WP, Dithane M-45,

Cleary's 3336, etc.) once or twice a season can provide protection against many

fungal problems

Should you be unfortunate enough to experience Black Rot or other fungal problems

there are accepted treatment protocols. If a leaf is compromised to the point where it

will be lost anyway, it is best to remove it. This is especially true with Pythium. Cut the

infected part off with sterile shears or a new single-edge razor blade. Cut at least a

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half-inch into good, unaffected tissue. If you can still see a dark discoloration of tissue

such as in the photo at left, cut deeper until you reach healthy, green plant tissue.

Using a small amount of one of the fungicides mentioned above, mix with water to

make a paste the consistency of heavy cream. Using a disposable cotton swab coat

the cut edge of the healthy tissue. This would also be a good time to consider spraying

the affected plant as well as nearby plants with a targeted fungicide to prevent further

infection (Aliette WP, Subdue 2E, Truban 30WP). Keep the plant isolated and dry until

the infection has abated. If a leaf has only minor fungal spotting it can be left on the

plant but should be sprayed top and bottom with an appropriate fungicide. Some

hobbyists also like to dust with cinnamon.

Note: When using any agricultural chemical always make sure the product is listed for

the plants you intend to use it on. Follow label directions exactly. Wear

protective clothing. Do not spray around children or pets. Wash thoroughly after

spraying.

Greg Allikas

June 2012

S i l en t A u ct i o n

Want to sell some of your orchids or other plant related items?

Bring them to the meeting and sell them on the Silent Auction table. Ten percent of your profit is donated to the society and the rest you keep!

Complete the Silent Auction Form and bring it with your plant. Blank forms will be available on the table.

Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society

Affiliated with

The American Orchid Society

&

Flamingo Gardens

Meeting 2nd Monday of the Month

At 7:30pm

at Flamingo Gardens

3750 South Flamingo Road, Davie, FL

Email us at:

[email protected]

Find us on: Facebook

Visit our Web site at:

FlamingoGardensOrchidSociety.com

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Board of Directors Meeting

The next Board Meeting will be

June 25 –– 7:30 p.m.

It will be held at Mike Vaupel’s house

5410 NW 18 St Cooper City, FL 954 662-5544

Members are welcome to come & observe &

get a feel of what it’s like to be a Board Member.

Come join us!

Our 2017 - 2018 Board of Directors President Jan Amador

[email protected]

954-347-2738

1st VP Programs Sandi Block-Brezner

2nd

VP Membership Mary Lathrop

Treasurer Mike Vaupel

Recording Secretary Lucy Matos-Lodato

Corresponding Secretary Theresa Del Rocco

Trustee Marcy Schwartz

Trustee Antonio Torres

Trustee Carole Schwimmer

Trustee Marissa Gittelman

Trustee Judy Goos

Editor/Webmaster Debbie Brown

Email us at:

[email protected]

Find us on: Facebook

Visit our Web site at:

FlamingoGardensOrchidSociety.com

Want to win a couple of raffle tickets?

All you have to do is: Bring a Show & Tell plant

Bring a dish to share

Wear your name badge

Buy $5 worth of tickets

Welcome

Let’s all Welcome the following new members

who joined our society. Introduce yourself,

show them around.

We’re happy you’re with us!

Don Fields

Maria Lunsford

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Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society

Tolumnia Program Recap

by Sandi Block-Brezner

Last month our speaker was Daryl Venables, of Telezulaplants.com.

Though we had a nice turn out, it was a pretty wet and rainy night so I thought I’d give a brief recap of his

program in case anyone is interested in giving these small, interesting orchids a try! I learned a few new

things too!

There are two types of Tolumnias—those with long rhizomes (he calls them ramblers!) and those with

short rhizomes. The ramblers, or those with long rhizomes, Daryl says you should mount—on anything

from twigs to a little bit bigger size mount. He likes cedar though warns not to use treated cedar.

Tolumnias like rough surfaces. He suggests getting scraps from lumber mills or wherever lumber is cut.

You can also use cork or wire one to an S-hook. They must be fastened securely. He uses

pantyhose…cheap ones! He cuts off the toes & tops, rolls each leg separately, like a donut, cuts all

around, unwraps, and has long thin strips to use. It’s a great idea that can be used with any orchid you

mount!

A Tolumnia with a short rhizome, he prefers to pot in net pots so they get air at the roots.

The media he prefers:

Charcoal (small pieces)-he boils for 30 minutes, and then lets it dry for 24 hrs.

Coir or coconut husks, though he warns to be careful; it can have sea water in it. He soaks it for a

week changing the water daily!

Tolumnias need morning sun only, not midday full sun!

Most Important!! Keep Dry in Winter!

They only get morning dew in the Caribbean in the wintertime. In winter, he waters in his greenhouse only

one minute (Like dew in the Caribbean!) There is one greenhouse he does very early in the morning for 10

minutes but it is bone dry by midday or within 2 hrs. (I assume these are on mounts!) Pots must be

watered very, very early and be dry by midday.

Very important—Tolumnias need air at their roots!! In nature Tolumnias grow where there is wind! He

uses fans 24/7.

They also need high humidity.

Once they finish blooming—Don’t cut the flower spike until it’s completely dry! It can still produce side

branches and flowers!

Fertilizer—Daryl uses 13-3-15 MSU formula (Michigan State Formula) for Tap water which is low in

phosphorus because our water has enough phosphorus all ready. (The three numbers represent the

content of primary nutrients in the fertilizer formulation: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.) He is

experimenting with MSU K-lite version (12-1-1).

Pests and Problems—watch for brown rot—aka Erwinia! Actually it’s a bacteria and won’t respond to a

fungicide; you will need a bactericide… (let’s hope you don’t need it!)

Daryl uses Physan. (½ tsp/gal for normal root plants; ¼ tsp/gal for thin root plants… of any kind!)

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Tolumnia Program Recap continued from page 7

BTW…Although Federal regulations say you should not, many growers substitute the cheap and

readily available pool algaecide which contain the same active ingredient. Per Martin Motes in his

book ‘Florida Orchid Growing’, Home Depot sells a brand called ''Pool Time'' which could be

purchased legally to disinfect walks and pathways at the rate of 1 to 2 tsps. per gallon and would

certainly do no harm at that rate, if it came into contact with the orchids no more frequently than

every 7-10 days." Physan/Pool Time are products that you can spray on wet orchids during rainy

season at the above rate to help prevent fungus. Some also say there is some effectiveness on scale

crawlers and other delicate insects too. Physan/Pool Time also seems to mix well with most

insecticides and fertilizers, functioning as a surfactant. I am careful however, about using them on

Dendrobiums, though others say you can. Perhaps not on species, (or test one first!)

Happy Growing!

June Beach Babies

Yeni Logan June 1

Jan Amador June 11

Pilar Schreidell June 14

Christine Viscovich June 20

Christine Oliver June 20

Andree Siracusa June 21

Stephanie DiBella June 29

If we missed your birthday, we wish you a very Happy Birthday! Please let us know so we can update our

information.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear FGOS member

Happy Birthday to YOU!

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Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society

Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society Sponsors

The FGOS Sponsors have shown their support by making donations to help us achieve our goals for the next year. These donations will make it possible for us to expand our programming with more orchid related educational activities for the society and the orchid community.

Currently, there are Diamond ($1000) and Gold ($500) Sponsors. If you or someone you know are interested in a sponsorship, please let us know. There are two other levels, Platinum ($750) and Supporting ($200).

The icons below are linked to the websites of the sponsors. It’s important to note, if you are looking at similar businesses, be sure to support our sponsors.

Diamond Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

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FGOS Advertisers & Partners

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Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society

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