March - Richmond Orchid Alliance

ROA Bulletin
March 2014
C. amthyleglossa by L. K. Harvie
Paphiopedilums, Past, Present and Future
Do you want to grow great paphs? The cost of plants that do not do well for whatever reason
is a problem for many of us. We wanted the plants or we would not have bought them so we
need to know what to do to be successful. When we buy plants we want them to give us years
of pleasure and not have trouble with a sick plant.
Joe Mathias, our speaker for this month, will help us identify the reasons for problems in the
culture of our paphs and help us to grow them successfully. For many years Joe has been
interested in orchids. He joined VOS and when ROA was formed he became a member here
also. He has worked with the accredited judges and learned a lot about orchid requirements. As
the fellow that provides a local source of supplies at our meetings he is well known to our
members. Joe is an excellent photographer and has given a program on photographing orchids
to ROA. While he grows many varieties of orchids he will talk about the requirements for paphs.
Joe is an experienced grower with many years of experience and will provide good info on past
history of paphs, present thoughts on breeding and culture and what is expected in the future.
See you at the March 9 meeting at 2:00 p.m. at the Hermitage.
Members may sell plants.
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Refreshments
Thanks to everyone for a wonderful refreshment table in February. Special thanks
goes out to the Mealys, Van Williams, Thuyen Trevino, June Pearson, Stan Baker, the
Tignors, the Whorles, Nancy Thompson, Sue Fulghum, Judy Craigs, and Vicky Rust
and anyone else we may have missed.
March will be a St. Patrick’s theme table, so wear your green.
Mike and John
Refreshment committee
March Birthdays
Vickie Rust 12
Programs 2014
March
9
Joe Mathias Paphiopedilums Past, Present, and Future
April
13
Keith Davis Growing Award Winning Cattlyas
May
4
Tour of Tom Voytilla’s greenhouse
June
8
Allen Black Orchid Adventures in Belize
July
13
No program
August
10
No program
Blc. Ports of Paradise 'Emerald Isle'
September 14
Members Plant swap
by L. K. Harvie
October 12
Paul Storm Schomburkias
Joint meeting with VOS
November 9
Growing under lights and Social
Blc. Ports of Paradise 'Emerald Isle'
by L. K. Harvie
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Showtable
Cattleya:
BlueBlc. Ports of Paradise 'Emerald Isle'BlueL. (Schomb) Curly HeadRedbrasavola glaucaYellow- Blc. Chyong Gule Chaffin-
L. K. Harvie (page 2)
Stan Baker
L. K. Harvie
Mike Mealy
Paphiopedilum:
BluePaph. Virgo 'Toby'- Thuyen Trevino (page 5)
Oncidium:
BlueOnc. Obryzathm-
Mike Chambliss
Phalaenopsis:
BlueDtps. Sogo Kitty 'MP0672'Stan Baker
RedPhal. NoidJune Pearson
Yellow- Phal. (Brother Sally Taylor x Brother Purple) x
(Big Cheek x Carmelas Brite Lites)- Stan Baker
Vanda:
BlueRhyn. Gigantea 'Alba'- Mike Chambliss
Other:
Blue-
Cym. Cecil Park-
Thuyen Trevino
First Bloom:
BlueEpi. Fantasy Valley-
Stan Baker
Fragrance:
BlueC. Noid-
Thuyen Trevino (page 5)
Dtps. Sogo Kitty 'MP0672' by Stan Baker
Thanks to everyone that participated in the Showtable. Special thanks to Wanda, Buddy, and
June for their help in judging and photography. We all look forward to a wonderful March
Show Table.
Thanks,
Mike Chambliss
Showtable Chairperson
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The Importance of Fresh Air to Orchids
by Sue Bottom
The importance of fresh air to orchids is possibly
the least appreciated aspect of growing orchids.
All the orchid books tell you to ensure there is air
movement around your orchids. For years I kept
adding fans to my growing area thinking I was
satisfying this basic requirement. But orchids don’t
want recirculating stale air, they want to be bathed
in fresh air particularly the wafting breezes they
get when they are outdoors.
The first time Dr. Ruben Sauleda of Ruben in
Orchids visited our greenhouse, we talked about
how I could improve my orchid growing. At that
time, we had the traditional greenhouse with a
water wall at one end, exhaust fans at the opposite
end and polypropylene covering all the other
surfaces. Ruben took one look at the greenhouse
and said rip out the water wall and replace the side
wall with stucco metal lath, keep the vents open at
either end of the greenhouse and open the top
vent. This allowed free movement of air
throughout the greenhouse during the growing
season. A retractable curtain closes off the stucco
metal lath during cold weather, but otherwise the
plants are always bathed in fresh air. That was the
year the greenhouse exploded with new growth
and an incredible display of blooms.
I struggled trying to grow vandas in the hoophouse
that was covered with greenhouse film with doors
at either end. When Rafael Romero of Plantio La
Orquidea looked at our growing set up, he told us
to rip out the film on the side wall and replace it
with stucco metal lath and a retractable curtain.
Voila, the vandas bloomed freely and the
incidence of leaf spotting and rots was greatly
diminished.
During the summer growing season, the vandas
are now all moved out into summer shade
structures that allow free air movement on all four
sides. The vandas grow like weeds in the fresh
breezes.
The demand for fresh air makes sense if you think
about how many orchids evolved from understory
terrestrials to epiphytes. The orchids left the forest
floor to grow high in the canopy on the trunks or
branches of tall forest trees where more light was
available and where winds were stronger than on
the ground.
The wafting breezes offer many benefits to your
orchids:
 Fresh moving air improves gas exchange
through leaf pores and around the
rhizomes and roots, a process which is
required for the plant metabolic processes
to proceed.
 Fresh moving air cools the leaves during
warm weather when high light and high
temperatures could otherwise cause the
plant to overheat and restrict its metabolic
processes, and possibly result in leaf
sunburn.
 Fresh moving air help distribute warm and
cold air so harmful air pockets will not form.
 Fresh moving air helps dry excess
moisture from the leaves so bacteria and
fungi will not proliferate.
Of course, air movement and humidity must be in
balance. In a low humidity environment, excess air
movement will cause more evaporation and
possibly result in dehydration of the orchid. In a
high humidity environment, air movement is a
must to prevent orchid disease problems.
During the cooler months, your orchids are
probably in their winter homes inside. You can
group your plants on humidity trays with filled with
pebbles to hold the extra water after watering and
provide some humidity around the plants. A fan
blowing a gentle breeze around your plants is
good. When the temperature is right, you can
open a window by your plants and let them get a
taste of the fresh air they crave.
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When the warm weather returns, try to find a
location outdoors where the orchids can get loads
of fresh air. A screened porch is great, particularly
for your phalaenopsis that want shadier conditions
and a covered roof where water won’t accumulate
in the crown of the plant causing rot. Hanging your
orchids under an oak tree where they’ll receive
dappled light and fresh breezes 24 hours a day will
result in an incredible summer growth surge,
particularly if you ramp up your watering and
fertilizing schedule to match the increased plant
vigor.
Proper air movement is just as important to your
orchid as providing the proper amount of water
and light to your plant. It is also the least
appreciated aspect of orchid growing. If you find
fungal and bacterial problems on your orchids, you
can apply chemicals to treat the symptoms.
However, in many instances, proper air movement
would have prevented the problem from arising in
the first place.
Virgo ''Toby'' by Thuyen Trevino
C. Noid by Thuyen
Trevino
5
Orchid Viruses
By Mike Mealy
This information is offered primarily for
the new collector who is beginning to
build a sizable collection. Learning about
sanitation, pest control and the isolation
of plants is critical for long term success.
Knowledge about viruses also helps to
prevent their spread.
Sanitation tips:
 A strong bleach solution is effective
to sterilize. Keep solution in a
sealed container. Some use bleach
solution of 25-50%.
Change
regularly as bleach loses its
strength. Others use a saturated
solution of sodium hydroxide.
 Wear disposable
or
rubber
gloves. Disinfect before handling
each plant.
 Sterilize all cutting tools, and
change gloves before working on
another plant.
 Wash and sterilize pots, stakes and
tags before reusing. Do not reuse
wood or bamboo stakes.
 When repotting dispose of the old
medium. Use a stack of newspapers, one sheet for each plant,
so the medium from one plant does
not contaminate another.
 Do not allow water to drain from
one plant to another.
 Have an isolation ward for new
plants to observe or until they are
tested.
Many viruses can effect orchids but the
main ones that we need to be concerned
with are cymbidium mosaic (CymMV) or
odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV).
These can be identified by an inexpensive test which can be bought from Agdia
1-800-622-4342. The chances of orchids
being infected with some other virus is
very unlikely. Both of the two common
viruses are transmitted by mechanical
means.
Chewing pests may transmit them from a
plant that is virused to one that is not.
According to the pathologists, there are
only 30-35 viruses that are now known to
infect orchids. Most are considered
minor as they rarely infect our plants.
A. The two that are of most concern to
the Orchid community are the
CymMV and the ORSV viruses.
They infect most of the species
commonly grown by collectors and
are the most damaging in terms of
severity of symptoms in many
species.
B. The BYMV bean yellow mosaic
virus
is
found
mainly
in
masdevallias. BYMV can be transmitted by aphids.
Mechanical:
Use of unsterilized hands, tools, pots,
tags, plants touching, old medium,
dripping water, etc.
Viruses weaken our plant by disturbing
their normal growth. How do you
recognize effects of viruses?
 CymMV can produce mosaic,
mottling, distortion, curling, rigidity,
spotting, necrosis (tissue death),
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flower necrosis and chlorotic flecks
symptoms.
 ORSV can produce ringspots,
flower color breaking, chlorotic
streaking, mosaic and necrosis
symptoms.
 The plants can also show no
evidence of disease (asymptomatic) until triggered, usually when
under stress. Sometimes you will
not see any symptoms until the
plant is infected with a second
virus.
Pests:
Scale, aphids, mites, mealy bugs etc.
harm plants and need to be eliminated.
Following these recommendations will
help you to maintain healthy plants. We
pay a lot for our plants and want to bloom
them regularly and have them healthy.
Blc. Chyong Gule Chaffin by Mike Mealy
Phal. noid by June Pierson
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ROA4U
@RichmondOrchidAlliance.org
Wanda Andrako, Editor
Renee Smith, Layout Editor
Honorary Members
John Andrako
Wanda Andrako
Buddy Harvie
Bayne Hawkins (deceased)
Patrons
Several years ago ROA started a
new category of Patron for
funding our speakers and
activities. This has become the
major source of income and has
helped greatly. Anyone that is able
to afford to donate $100 for the
year is designated a patron. We
appreciate the support of our
Patrons. Thank you. Patrons for
the 2014 are as follows:
Stan Baker & Baulo Rodrigues
Susan & Roger Horman
Mike Chambliss
& John Hutcheson
Bob & Karen Woehrle
Van Williams
John& Wanda Andrako
Library
The Board has decided that
since we have a library and
no one uses it that the
individual items, books,
magazines, etc. will be sold at
the meetings. The volume
takes up too much space at
the home of the Librarian and
the apparent lack of interest
has led us to sell these
items. Some very expensive
books will be sold so if you are
interested please come and
buy the ones that interest you.
ROA Information
The Richmond Orchid Alliance
meets at Hermitage, 1600
Westwood Avenue, Richmond, at
2:00 P.M. of the second Sunday of
each month from January through
November. Yearly dues are $30.00
per individual, or $35.00 for a joint
membership. Dues should be paid
to the ROA Finance Director,
Forrest Tignor, 322 Willway Dr.,
Manakin Sabot, VA 23103
Donations
ROA is a tax-exempt
organization so that all
donations can be counted on
your income tax. At this time
of the year many of us try to
catch up on the annual
donations to charitable
organizations. We start now so
that we don’t have such a large
number in December. We have
the Patron list for gifts of $100
but there is no real limit to the
amount you may donate. We
have been in a depression or
recession for five years and
times are tough for many. If
you are able and wish to
donate feel free to donate any
amount and it will be greatly
appreciated.
The money is used to pay the
costs of our organization such
as programs, speakers, rent and
other expenses. Thank you.
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Board of Directors
Karen Woehrle
President
Mike Chambliss
Vice President
Nancy Thompson
Secretary
Forrest Tignor
Treasurer
Ronda Tignor/Van Williams
Membership
Bob Woehrle
Programs
Wanda Andrako
Publication
Committee Chairmen
Buddy Harvie
Affiliated Societies
Mike Chambliss/
Wanda Andrako
Auction
Karen Woehrle
Library
John Hutcheson
Refreshments
Michael Chambliss/
Wanda Andrako
Showcase Judging
June Pierson/Van Williams
Photographer
Nancy Thompson
Shows
Past Presidents
Van Williams
Susan Horman
Valli Laneve
Wanda Andrako
Bill Akin