Something old, something new, something …

The Board of Directors of the Carmel Orchid Society has announced the officers elected by the membership at its November meeting, to serve for the 2005 term. Some of the offices have changed hands, some have remained in the capable stewardship of last year’s holders.

Next year’s President of the Society will be Ken Ashton, already a member of the Board, who, along with his wife Sharon, also a Board member, has taken an interested and active role in the Society.

Susan Segal retains the important post of Vice President, with the difficult but rewarding responsibility for organizing the speakers who come to our monthly meetings.

Shirley West will continue her excellent job as Treasurer, and Kathy Apodaca will stay on as Secretary, faithfully recording the actions taking place at COS Board meetings.

Our MayFaire Chairman, Ida Hale, who does such a wonderful job of making MayFaire a success will serve again, as will our AOS Representative, Carolyn Salmon.

Jud Grubbs will take over the position of Editor of the Backbulb from your current Editor, who is moving on to other pursuits. Ellie Mamon will continue to do her superlative job as Hospitality Chairman.

Other members of the Board are: Sharon Ashton, Carol Easton, Pat Landee, Carolyn Salmon and outgoing President Jim Nybakken.

Please join us in welcoming and thanking our hard-working new Board of Directors!

COS Members: $25/ea, Non-members: $30/ea

Click Here to open and print a signup form that you can mail to Ida Hale.

Visit the COS website for a slide show of last years party.

Vanda Alliance Culture

Many orchid culture sheets are available on the COS Web Site.

The Vanda Alliance, as this varied group of plants is called, is made up mostly of warmth- and sun-loving orchids with very colorful flowers. Originating from tropical Asia, they are easily grown in warm climates, where plants are grown outside in light shade, such as in a lath house. In climates where winters are cold, they are often summered outside, and grown inside during the winter in a sunny window, or year-round in a greenhouse.

LIGHT   is a crucial factor in blooming some vandaceous plants. There are three types of vandas: strap-leaf, semiterete and terete. The first type has broader, flat leaves, while terete types have round, pencil-shaped leaves. The semi-teretes are hybrids between the two, with an intermediate shape. Terete types need full sun, and are best grown in high light climates. In warm, bright climates, you can grow any type of vanda, outside (if warm) with partial shade for strap-leaf types and semiteretes (especially in midday in summer) or inside (when cold) in a bright, south window. In climates where winters are dull, try strap-leaf types (or ascocendas); grow them outside in summer and in full sun inside during the winter. In a greenhouse, give the plants about 25% to 35% shade, less in winter if dull. Leaves should be a medium green, not dark green.

TEMPERATURE   for most vandas should be warm; a minimum winter night temperature of 55 degrees F is recommended. Colder spells can be tolerated for a short time if it is not windy. Optimum temperatures are 60 degrees F at night, and a maximum of 95 degrees F during the day. Warmer temperatures mean faster growth, which must be balanced with higher humidity, air movement, and increased water and fertilizer. Days should be warm and humid for optimum plant growth.

WATER   Vandas generally like lots of water when growing, but must dry quickly. Because of this, and their extensive root system, they are mostly grown in slatted wood baskets, or in pots with a coarse potting medium. If warm and sunny, they may need daily watering, with misting several times a day in dry or hot climates. Water sparingly in the winter or during cloudy weather, but do not allow plants to shrivel.

HUMIDITY   of 80% is ideal. In tropical climates this may be easy to obtain. Yet in most climates, misting may be necessary during sunny weather. In a greenhouse, this is easier to provide by wetting down the floor, or using an evaporative cooler. In the home, place the plants on trays of gravel, partially filled with water. Do not mist the plants if the leaves will not dry by nighttime. Air movement must be strong.

FERTILIZING   A well-balanced (20-20-20) fertilizer applied full strength once a week is recommended when warm, or use 1/4 strength every watering. During cool or cloudy weather, apply fertilizer once every two to four weeks. Use a high-phosphorus fertilizer (such as 10-30-20) ever third application to promote blooming. A vitamin B1 compound may be beneficial; use it once a month.

POTTING   should be done in the spring. Plants in baskets do not need to be repotted often; leave them unless the potting medium breaks down. Just set the plant, with the old basket, into a container of water to make the aerial roots more pliable, and then set plant and basket into a larger basket. For plants in pots, repot in a slightly larger pot, positioning the plant in the center. Use a coarse medium, whether fir bark, treefern, charcoal, etc., and work it around the roots. Keep shaded, humid, but drier at the roots until new root tips grow. Do not overpot.

Culture sheet courtesy of: American Orchid Society 16700 AOS Lane, Delray Beach, Florida 33446-4351, Tel 561-404-2000, Fax 561-404-2100, E-mail TheAOS@aos.org, Web Site orchidweb.org

     Checkbook Balance on October 1............$7,309.10

     October income..............................................333.00

     October expense...........................................(538.79)

     Checkbook Balance on October 31............$7,103.31

     CD balance on October 15 was..................$7,616.66

A Reminder ... If you are enrolling as a new member, or are simply renewing your membership, please make sure that we have your current address and telephone number (and email, if you have one). We want to make sure you get your Backbulb regularly! Use the form below to make any changes, please.

Monthly meetings at 7:30 PM on the first Monday of each month (Except September and December) at the First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, 501 EI Dorado, Monterey. Membership $ 15.00 for a single or $ 20.00 for two at the same address, $ 25.00 Vendor membership. Please make checks payable to the Carmel Orchid Society and mail to:

Carmel Orchid Society—Membership
P. O. Box 2454
Monterey, CA 93942

Application For Membership -- Please fill in the blanks and either click the submit button to submit via e-mail or print and mail. If you send via e-mail, you can pay at the first meeting you attend.

Carmel Orchid Society Christmas Party
Sunday, December 12, 2004. Once again, this annual bash will be held at the Monterey Beach Resort at the end of Canyon del Rey. Talk with Ida Hale about volunteering for setup.
Don’t forget, there’s a bonus for having your 2005 annual dues paid before the party!
(Because of the Christmas Party, there will be no regular meeting or Board meeting in December).

Carmel Orchid Society Board of Directors Meeting - Installation of New Board
Monday, January 17, 2005 at 7:30pm
The meeting will be held at Ken and Sharon Ashton´s home, 26966 Laureles Grade Road, Carmel Valley. 659 7387

Monterey Bay Orchid Society Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, December 14, 2004, at 6:30pm (second Tuesday of every month)
At the Community Bank, Community Room, 6th Floor, 301 Main Street, Salinas, CA. Entrance on Alisal. For more information, call (408) 375 6871.

The Paph House Annual Open House
Saturday and Sunday 4th and 5th of December 9 am to 4 pm
Visit the website for more information or call (510) 635-2845.

Click Here to open and a print a signup form that you can mail to Ida Hale.

COS Annual Christmas Party
Always a Holiday Delight!

Bill Hale has been kind enough to provide us with an advance copy of the menu that we will enjoy at the Christmas Party. As always, the party will be held in the Alones/Cabrillo Room, with a no-host bar open from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, and supper being served at 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Here’s what we have arranged for our members:

Those of you who have attended in the past know that the food and drink at the Monterey Beach Resort is superb, the plant table copious and beautiful, and the companionship delightful. If you have not yet signed up, do so right away!

The Board would like to remind our members that annual dues for the Society are due on January 1 of each year, not on the anniversary of your joining the Society. To encourage timely payment of dues, there will be a special and separate drawing for a spectacular plant, apart from the normal plant table raffle. Only members whose 2005 dues are paid up before the party will be entered into the special raffle. The plant will be selected by Bill Hale and Jim Nybakken, so you know it will be a good one. Of course, you will be welcome to exchange it for any plant on the plant table, if you prefer.

Visit the COS website for a slide show of last years party.

November Goodies Providers

We should all like to offer our sincere thanks to the people who generously provided the goodies for our November meeting. There was much nourishment at the meeting for both mind and body. Our gratitude goes out to Cely Cruz, Lesley Olson, Lori Siegmund, Carolyn Salmon, Lupe Rubio, Cecilia Loleng, and Ophelia Antonio. Of course, Ellie Mamon set the treats out and decorated the table with taste and beauty in mind. There will be no December treats list, because the Christmas Party takes the place of the regular monthly meeting. We’ll collect volunteers for January at the Christmas Party.

Happy Holidays!

Orchid Growing Tips

Carolyns Tips are collected on the COS Web Site.

In my greenhouse I am hunting down those pesky mealybugs, and I am not being organic about it either! They seem to be pretty immune to all the non-toxic remedies. I did take the lazy way out though. Since Malathion is the least toxic to humans, I bought the concentrate in the bottle that attaches directly to the end of your hose. No mixing, no fuss. I plan to repeat the application two more times at ten day intervals. I did find a good, five-page article on pest control at canadianorchidcongress.ca/pests.html.

Many of our members grow cymbidiums and zygopetalums so successfully because of our favorable climate. I found a website with several extensive articles on both the orchids. Articles include repotting and dividing, culture, easy to build benches and shade houses, grooming for a show, even growing these orchids just out of the flask.

Attention pleurothallid lovers. I found a grower in Canby, Oregon who sells draculas, masdevallias and pleurothallis. Good prices. My plants arrived today in perfect shape, real nice size, super fast shipping and they even included a gift plant!

This time of year you can put your phalaenopsis orchids out in the garage for the nights for about two weeks running. They need that cool-down at night usually to trigger new spikes. The day-night temperatures don't usually fluctuate enough to inspire the next blooms.

A couple issues ago I gave you an incomplete web address for the Brisbane Orchid Society newsletter. It is good enough that you must visit their site. Give it a try.

Hope to see you all that the Christmas Party. There are going to be some great orchids there!

Carolyn Salmon