April 2014 Newsletter - Orchid Society of the Palm Beaches

ORCHID SOCIETY OF THE PALM BEACHES
P.O. Box 211463
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421
www.orchidsocietyofthepalmbeaches.org
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April 2014
Hello OSPB,
I was always interested in the green things this world had an abundance of but it wasn’t until I moved
to south Florida in 2006 that I was exposed to orchids. I grew up in Michigan where most flowering
plant went dormant during the winter season. In our house though, my mother had some tropical’s
such as plumeria that we would bring inside as the cold lingered. I never paid much attention to her
consistency, but I did her results. Every year I would be summoned upon to relocate her plants;
either inside or outside and the pressure not to break any branches was high. I can see now why her
plants were kept alive all those years… because of the joy they brought.
It was the Christmas season 2009 and my dad was down for a visit. While he was here, we stumbled upon a green market
in Ft. Pierce with a lot of vendors. We shopped around and ate, of course. until some good-looking Phalaenopsis orchids
caught my dad’s eye. He talked about them as if he wished he could grow them in Michigan. To please him I said, “I can
grow them”, thinking of all those years I helped my mom up north and since she had passed away a few months earlier, it
was more of a memorial/remembrance possibly. He bought 2 for $20 and I was stoked. I quickly thought of my aunt and
gave her the prettier one before we went back to my condo in West Palm Beach. I thought she could grow it, since her
house in Michigan was filled with cactuses!
I didn’t do much to this orchid except what the grower suggested; very basic instructions, but I knew in the back of my
mind that I had a head start acquiring the “green thumb’ gene from my mom, I was very surprised how long the flowers
lasted, almost three months. The next several months were the growing season where my plant put out 3 more leaves
and as I learned later, these leaves were crucial to storing energy for next year’s bloom spike.
About a year and a half later, after I enjoyed my orchid blooming again; I met a guy named Ron who was really into
growing orchids. He was a member of the Orchid Society of the Palm Beaches and he had a shade house with a large
variety of orchids he had collected. There were many in bloom and it was fascinating to listen to him talk of all the
different characteristics each plant had displayed. It was January 2012 when I attended my first society meeting with him.
It was at Mounts Botanical Garden and what an experience I had. So much was going on I had trouble absorbing it all….
from show and tell plants, to member secrets such as using “birth control pills” as fertilizer. It was intense and the feeling
I had from the passion of the members there was stirring my soul! Since I was not successful winning anything in the raffle
I chose to buy my second orchid, an Angreacum sesquipedale, the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ after a very interesting program
from Nancy Priess at Laurel Orchids, on the species.
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The next several months were spent bugging my friend to take me to another meeting. Not being able to persuade him to
go, I convinced another friend of mine and we went to the July meeting where Tony Romani of R&R Orchids was the guest
speaker. This is when I was “swarmed and bitten by the orchid bug”. His knowledge, ambition and treasured joy for
Vanda’s, another species of orchids, was what I wanted! I hit the jackpot that night, winning an awesome cream- colored
Vanda, and I started to glow. When the raffle was done, Tony came back with a stunning, double-spiked, purple, Vanda
and said something to the effect that; he was led to share one more with an unexpecting recipient! I was amped up and
when the raffle ticket matched mine, I wanted to scream like a girl, but he met me halfway, grinning from ear to ear with
excitement. This was an “Ah-Ha” moment in my life of growing orchid. The sacrifices I made waking up extra early, buying
the essential supplies, reading and investigating to give my plants the culture they needed; it was crazy, but I wanted the
results.
I became a member the next month and started soaking up all the information of the different varieties, incredible color
combinations, and alluring fragrances from the largest plant family in the world. Orchids were my new pastime and I
loved it. The new people I met in the society were awesome. The atmosphere there was different than any other place
I’ve been. Everyone there was welcoming, extremely generous, and interested in my passion of orchids. It didn’t take
long for me to join our ‘sister society’, Tropical Orchid Society, they also meet at Mounts later in the month. A majority of
really cool people were members of both societies.
This rewarding pastime also allowed me to earn a new title for my resume’. I was approached from a few angles to
become President of OSPB. After bouncing the idea off several mentors and friends in my community, I accepted . Little
did I know the workload I was sliding under unexpectedly. 2013 was my year to reign and the support I received from the
members and officers during that time was integral to my success. Looking back at that decision I am very happy with my
choice. We are growing rapidly with our members, variety of programs, selection of available plants and most
important…knowledge of our orchids. I am also proud to say my collection has very rapidly increased also. Even though
I’m only collecting about 20 different species, my total number is up over 300, and even better news; my plants are
multiplying, thus I will be able to divide and share.
As my second year of Presidency has begun, I look forward to the endless possibilities of growing and sharing orchids to as
many who are in need for something different in their lives. This incredibly rewarding hobby has come into my life when I
was desperately searching for something; looking to fill empty areas from conquering some hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I
thank our Creator for filling this earth with such breathtaking plants; the explorer’s who brought the 30,000+ species into
our homes; and the scientists who developed propagation methods to create over 100,000+ varieties. And also Facebook,
who has brought people from all over the world to join groups to share their strengths, hopes and experiences, to achieve
their ultimate growing results.
I hope to see you soon,
Your President,
Jacob Galeski
C. gaskelliana
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Hello to All My Orchid Growing Friends,
I know you were all surprised when you arrived at the meeting to see Brian Monk’s program and
found Gene Joyner there instead. We are very fortunate to have Gene so close and with so much
knowledge about all things growing. He didn’t hesitate for a moment when Charline explained to
him about our speaker being ill and unable to attend. And believe me, after being sick myself for a
month with the flu, we didn’t want Brian Monk and his germs anywhere near any of us. This is an
awful strain of the flu that is going around this year; and yes I had a flu shot.
We want to say a very special “thank you” to long- time member Bob Aymond for his very generous
donation of a large Onc. sphacelatum. Jacob auctioned it at the beginning of the meeting and the
high bidder was Chris Schwartz. Thank you, Chris.
Gene has been a member of OSPB since 1972 and many years ago he was granted Honorary
Membership for all the good works he provided to our society. He is also a charter member of Tropical Orchid Society,
joining that group while he was still in high school. His mother was into growing orchids and a member of TOS, so it just
sort of came naturally for him to grow orchids too. These days all his orchids are happily growing on the trees in his
beautiful, 2.5 acre, botanical garden appropriately named Unbelievable Acres. The back to back hurricanes we had
several years ago destroyed his greenhouse so after that happened he just placed them all in the trees and 95% of them
survived. They are very happy there. They think they are back in the rainforest. Gene says, “Try putting your orchids on
trees. Start with one or two you can afford to lose and don’t be afraid to mix different genera on the same tree”.
When you are mounting orchids on trees, remember that duciducious trees lose their leaves for about
8 weeks in the winter to spring time. Gene says to mount plants on the southern side of the tree, down
low. Vanda’s will climb the tree and if it’s started too high on the trunk, when it blooms the flowers will
be so high up it will be hard to see them. Use string or something else that will break down and not girdle
and kill the tree. Orchids will grow on just about any kind of tree. Gene has them mounted on trees with
smooth bark and even on pine trees. He does not fertilize any of the orchids growing in his rainforest and
they bloom regularly.
There are over 1200 different plants in Unbelievable Acres. Many of them are from seeds Gene collected
on one his many trips to Central and South America over the years. If you would like to visit Unbelievable Acres, it is open
the 2nd Saturday of every month from 1:00 to 5:00. He will also give tours any day of the week for parties of 10 or more.
Call the reservation line at 561-242-1686 and someone will promptly get back to you. Gene’s garden is truly unbelievable.
If you have never been there; plan a visit. You’ll be so glad you did.
Gene also does 2 radio shows. Every Sunday on WZAB, 8.80AM from 7:00a.m. to 9:00a.m.. Gene will answer questions
from 7:20a.m. until 8:50a.m.. You can call in with any of your plant problem questions and speak to Gene on the air. Then
on the 3rd Tuesday you can catch him on WRMB from 7:45a.m. until 8:15a.m. You can ask him questions on this show as
well.
We had a very nice turnout for our April meeting. We gained 3 new members. Please help me “Welcome” Jim and Julie
Norquest and Linda Greco, to our orchid family. Linda is the daughter of our long-time member Dot Reip. We hope you
all will enjoy spending your time with us as you learn about caring for your orchids.
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The Mount’s Spring Plant Sale was a huge success. We had a very nice selection of plants from H&R Orchids and
Newman’s Orchids, both located in Hawaii. Thank you to all the members who volunteered their time to set-up, man the
sales booth and then help to tear it all down. We also want to thank everyone who stopped by to say hello and who
purchased something new to add to your collections. We know you won’t be disappointed.
This is a very busy time of the year for orchid growers. So much is going on. Of course we are all very busy repotting all
those orchids that have overgrown their pots. Then there are so many things happening too that we don’t want to miss
out on.
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May 4th, Tropical Orchid Society’s annual picnic at John Prince Park; the Island Pavilion. TOS has invited us to join
them again this year. The price of admission is $3. a covered dish and a plant (not necessarily an orchid) to donate
for the auction. The guys will be manning the grill this year cooking hot dogs and hamburgers. This is always a fun
event; don’t miss it. Call Cheryl 329-4390, to let her know you are planning to attend.
May 8, OSPB monthly meeting at 7:30 Craig Morrell, speaker.
May 10 & 11, The Mount’s Connoisseurs Garden Tour. This yearly Mother’s Day event is always an exciting way to
spend the weekend touring some of the most beautiful, private gardens in Palm Beach County. Travel at your own
pace; spend as much time enjoying each garden as you want. You will come away with so many new ideas and an
excitement to start redoing your garden. Tickets are available at the gift shop at Mounts, Uncle Bim’s and the
Green Barn. $20. for Mounts members and $25. for non-members.
May 16 – 18, REDLAND INTERNATIONAL ORCHID FESTIVAL, 9:00 to 5:00 at the Fruit & Spice Park. This is the show
we have all been looking forward to. It is the largest show in the world. There are over 60 vendors and thousands
of orchids. You won’t be disappointed. Admission is $10. children under 12, free.
May 17, TOS has a bus leaving the Mounts parking lot at 7:45. There are a few seats remaining if you want to join many of us making that trip. The cost is $25. and that includes the
price of admission to the show, the gratuity for the driver and more fun in one day than you
can possibly imagine. Call Cheryl now, 329-4390 to reserve your seat.
The speaker for our May 8th meeting will be Craig Morrell, the chief horticulturist for Pinecrest Gardens in Dade County
since 2004. Pinecrest Gardens is the former Parrot Jungle. When Craig took over, it was an overgrown jungle. He calls it a
work in progress. I have been there 3 times over the last several years. Each time it is so much more improved from the
prior visit. It is worth the trip to Miami to go visit it.
Craig received his B.S. in horticulture from the University of Florida, Gainesville. He is a life-long
plant collector who enjoys traveling, scuba diving, nature photography and visiting other gardens.
He resides in South Miami where he enjoys taking care of his many orchids. He has a blog on the
internet, Ask the Plant Guy, where he posts pictures and gives the description of some very unique
plants and you can post your questions to him. Craig used to live in Palm Beach County and was a
member of our local orchid societies. I copied this picture of Craig from the internet. Craig always
gives a great program. He is very humorous as well as knowledgeable and he keeps it lively and
interesting. Bring a friend; they will really enjoy this meeting.
Shannon Skoulikas has volunteered to hold the building open for us. Thank you Shannon!
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Happy Birthday to Janet Baker, Linda Fay, Tipr Kennedy, Linda Greco and Eleanor Bevins. We look forward to the
refreshments you will be supplying for the next meeting. Thank you!
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On April 22, former long-time member Arlene Hesse passed away at home, with her loved ones by
her side. She was 93. Arlene worked for former states attorney David Bloodworth for many years
and he has remained a part of her life all these years later. She has been missing from OSPB for
the last few years because of poor health, but for many years she was very active serving on the
Board and in other capacities. The services are for the family only at Arlene’s request. If you
remember Arlene and would like to send a card to her family, the address is:
2388 Edgewater Dr., W. Palm Beach, FL 33406
Rest in Peace Arlene…
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Barbara Andicott and Anita O’Connor are both recovering from falls and broken bones. Keep them in your thoughts and
prayers. Get well ladies and come back here with us real soon; we miss you.
I look forward to seeing you all at one of the up-coming events.
Remember to bring a friend… ! They will thank you for it…….!
Patt Lindsey
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Fertilizing Orchids
by Doris Happel
On the first two weekends of April, I hosted orchid workshops for TOS and OSPB, respectively. Both groups had
questions about fertilizing orchids. I have learned a lot about fertilizing, equipment, and many other things from
Florida Orchid Growing on Facebook , and I highly recommend everyone with an interest in orchids to join that
group.
As to fertilizing, I use a balanced liquid fertilizer, the turquoise stuff, similar to Peter’s or MiracleGro. I bought a bulk bag from Winfield Solutions which will last me a couple of years. I dissolve
1Tbsp. of crystals in 1 gallon of water. I supplement the fertilizer with soluble kelp, which is not
fertilizer but provides nutrients that promote root growth. Good roots make for good leaves and
good flowers. About once a month I add some magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt), 1 Tbsp. per gal.,
to the fertilizer and kelp solution. I try to fertilize once every 10 days (weekly would be better).
My orchids are mounted on trees and get washed by the rain and the irrigation system, so I don’t
have to worry about fertilizer salts building up and damaging roots. If your orchids are in pots,
you should water “weakly, weekly.”
I mention soluble kelp above. I started out using liquid Maxi-Crop, which is liquid kelp. I saw a big improvement
in my orchids. I noticed that I could buy dehydrated Maxi-Crop. I asked the experts at Florida Orchid Growing
about dehydrated kelp. Some said that the dehydrated Maxi-Crop is a little hard to dissolve. Another person
recommended dehydrated kelp from www.Kelp4Less.com . I have been using that ever since with great results.
I have a very big orchid collection spread over an acre of garden and I also fertilize begonias in pots all over the
garden. I started out using a 4 gallon back-pack sprayer. I am both too small and too old for that method. Once
again, with the advice from Florida Orchid Growers, the consensus was that a 4-gallon Hudson Never Pump
Sprayer is the answer. It has a rechargeable battery. I wheel it around the garden on a handtruck. I bought it
through Amazon. The current price is $117. There are smaller power sprayers available too.
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