Page 1 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

SONOMA COUNTY

ORCHID SOCIETY

Janary 2015

A California Non-Profit 501 (c) (3) Corporation

IN THIS ISSUE

1: Peter Lin Bio;

2: Dinner With

Speaker; President's

Corner; Membership

Column

3: Refreshment List;

Thank You; Classifieds

4: Ongoing Show

Information

5-6: AOS Corner

7: January Checklist

8 - 9: Holiday Dinner

Pictures

10 - 11: Events

Calendar and Trivia

Question

Please feel free to post

comments and share pictures

of your blooming orchids on

Facebook or share orchid

articles. It's an opportunity

to show off your orchids

and/or orchid growing

conditions. Press the Control

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click on the above Facebook

link.

Our January meeting is on January 13, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.

at the Veteran's Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Avenue, SR

GUESTS WELCOME

________________________________________________________ Our January speaker is Peter T. Lin who will speak on "The 3 A’s of the Orchid

World: Angraecum, Aerangis and Aeranthes."

This fast paced PowerPoint presentation will showcase 3

of the main genera in the Angraecoid family of orchids, as

well as some of the lesser genera. Along with the species,

we’ll also take a look at some of the beautiful hybrids that

have been made over the years.

Peter started growing orchids over 25 years ago, but then

stopped due to school and starting a career. It wasn't until

about 10 years ago that the orchid "bug" came back and he

is now heavily involved once again. Peter is an accredited

judge with the American Orchid Society and a hybridizer

of mini-cattleyas. He enjoys meeting with other orchid

enthusiasts, and can often be found at various orchid

shows and societies around the country. He also has

hundreds of photos of his orchids that he maintains on

Flickr. You can view them by typing this address into the

internet: http://www.flickr.com/photos/minicatt/collections/

Due to limited growing space, Peter chose to specialize in miniature orchids, both

species and hybrids, and has received numerous AOS awards. His other orchid interests

include Dendrobiums, Angraecoids, and Neofinetias. He maintains a collection of a

thousand or more orchids at his home in Southern California in 3 small greenhouses, as

well as in the house under fluorescent lights.

Peter will be accepting pre-orders that he will bring to the meeting. All pre-orders

qualify for a 10% discount. You can review his catalog on his website:

www.diamondorchids.com. Please contact Peter by email: lin.petert@yahoo.com or

cell: 909-573-6751 by Jan 9th.

Page 2 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

PLEASE JOIN US FOR DINNER WITH THE SPEAKER AT SEA THAI BISTRO,

2323 Sonoma Avenue at corner of Farmers Lane, at 5:00 p.m. RSVP to Angelique

Fry at 291-6029 or bfry@pon.net.

President’s Corner

Dear Orchid Friends,

Happy New Year! Let’s roll into the New Year with renewed enthusiasm to make our Sonoma County Orchid Society the best it can be! We have Peter Lin flying up from Southern California to start off our January meeting. It is sure to be a fun evening. His orchid knowledge is amazing. Now that the busy holiday season is over, we can look forward to our fun Spring Show. Even though it is about 3 months away, we have a lot of planning and details to work out. Let’s think of things that we can do to help our Show Chair, Lynne Murrell. There

are a lot of things to do to get the Show ready. Everyone needs to get involved in order to make the Show a success! It is YOUR efforts that make our SCOS a successful and fun organization! Volunteer, volunteer and volunteer, again! Congratulation to Becky Jackson, the SCOS Marie Waskow Award recipient for 2014! She really deserves it! She has been a SCOS Board member for many years. She has hosted our Annual BBQ and Auction for several years. She has volunteered countless hours and taken on a lot of jobs that make our Society run smoothly. Thank you, Becky, for all of your hard work! I look forward to seeing all of you in the New Year, starting with our January 13th meeting!

Susan

MEMBERSHIP COLUMN

We presently have 87 paid members. Thank you to all who have brought their memberships current.

Don't forget to wear your name badge and sign in! Wear your name badge or make a paper name-tag at the

membership table when you enter the meeting room. Then, sign the list at the Membership Table. At each

meeting, one name will be drawn and that person will receive a free strip of raffle tickets.

Those who would like to order a name badge should email Jeanne at jeannevanb@gmail.com.

Page 3 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

PLEASE CHECK THE SCHEDULE BELOW TO

SEE IF YOU ARE SCHEDULED TO BRING A

FINGER FOOD TO THE OCTOBER MEETING.

(Anyone can bring a refreshment at any time.)

REMEMBER, if you bring a refreshment, you

receive a raffle ticket to be placed in a special

drawing for only those bringing refreshments that

evening. Winner gets first choice from the

opportunity table.

Refreshments

Please bring a refreshment if the first letter of your last name

corresponds with the monthly meeting.

T – Z January, 2015 A – B February

C – De March

Di – Fo April

Fr – H May

J – Le June Ice Cream Social July

Li – M August

Bar-B-Q & Auction September

No Meeting in September

N - R October

S November

Holiday Dinner December

No Meeting in December

THANK YOU!

Thank you

Thank you to Billie MacCarthy for making our Annual

Holiday Party a HUGE SUCCESS! Bille and her helper elves did a great job making all of the arrangements!

Billie and Helen Finigan put out lovely decorations to

make the night even more festive. Thank you to Dale Martin for supplying the beautiful orchids for the table

decorations. Thank you to Angelique Fry for picking

them up and making the arrangements. Our gift exchange was fun, too! And thank you to all our members who attended the party and provided their festive smiles and personalities.

Thank you Josie Lee for getting the engraving done for

the Marie Waskow Award.

Change of address, email or to

unsubscribe to newsletter? To send an address or email change, or to

unsubscribe from our newsletter, go to our Society

website at www.sonomaorchids.com and use the

"contacts" link to send an email to the membership

chair.

CLASSIFIEDS COLUMN

Don't forget you can get orchid supplies from Kris and Jim Foster foster@sonic.net or 707-762-7124

Small and medium Rexius bark, Perlite, Sphagnum Moss, Orchid labels, Stakes, Charcoal

ORCHIATA BARK ($17 includes tax) AND NUTRICOTE ($3 for 1# bag) FOR SALE BY YOUR SOCIETY!

Orchiata:

Classic #9 1//4" – 3/8" chips

Power #5 3/8" – 1/2" chips

Power #5a 1/2" – 3/4" chips

Super #7 3/4" – 1" chips

Email Angelique bfry@pon.net to Order and arrange for pick-up

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR SALE

ADVERTISE HERE – FOR FREE!!

Page 4 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

SHOW PREPARATIONS ARE GOING STRONG!

Our Show Chairs are already hard at work on your upcoming Orchid Show.

We have 10 confirmed vendors;

We are looking into radio; newspaper and online advertising;

We have a Show theme: A Symphony of Orchids. There will be postcards

at the January meeting for members to distribute.

We have another SHOW MEETING scheduled on January 18 at 2:00 p.m.

at the home of Angelique Fry, 777 Liberty Road, Petaluma. Anyone who

wants to participate is welcome to attend. Everyone should RSVP to

Angelique at 707-291-6029 or bfry@pon.net

Page 5 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

AOS CORNER

WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT: AOS Judging

Part two.

In November, Napa Valley Orchid Society arranged for AOS judges to come to their

regular meeting to perform a judging. Napa Valley encouraged their members and

those from other societies to submit plants for judging. SCOS member Angelique Fry

decided to attend for the education. During the event, three plants were considered

worthy of judging. Of the three, two had never been previously judged as a species and

were being judged for botanical recognition. This is an award to a “previously un-

awarded species or natural hybrid deemed worthy of recognition because of rarity,

novelty and educational value.” If these plants were deemed worthy of the award, they

would be awarded a “provisional award”. Photos and data would be sent to AOS

headquarters for expert analysis to determine if the plants were indeed what their

owners claimed them to be. Once confirmed, the Certificate of Botanical Recognition

(CBR) would be made and the owner could then claim status for having produced such

a fine plant. The owner pays a $36 filing fee and is then able to put evidence of the

award on the label of their plant.

The third plant received an Award of Merit (AM). Not only does this give the owner swank and bragging rights, but a

commercial owner might be excited to receive this award because now she/he can clone the plant and buyers will know it

has received an AM from the AOS. An AM award signifies the plant is an excellent example of the species and will likely

command a higher price at market. The owner has the satisfaction of knowing they are advancing the standard for that

particular plant.

Other awards exist. A Judges Commendation (JC) is awarded to plants or flowers which in the opinion of the judges have

some notable quality which they are unable to score. An Award of Distinction (AD) is awarded to a cross representing a

worthy new direction in breeding. A Certificate of Horticultural Merit (CHM) is awarded based on plant characteristics

(form and color), robustness (size, natural vigor), condition (culture), floriferousness and other characteristics such as

aesthetic appeal.

A Certificate of Cultural Merit (CCM) or Certificate of Cultural Excellence (CCE) is awarded for the size and condition of

the plant, the floriferousness and condition of bloom. An Award of Quality (AQ) is awarded once to a cross, exhibited by a

single individual as a group of a raised species or hybrid when the result is sufficient improvement over the former type.

The AOS Show Trophy is given after a vote of the judges for the most outstanding exhibit of the show and is based on

quality of flowers, variety and labeling. There are other awards for Best Educational Exhibit, Plants Arranged for Effect

and Orchid Arrangement.

The American Orchid Society’s judging system is one of the most highly respected horticultural award systems in the

world. At nationwide monthly judging and worldwide sanctioned shows, highly trained AOS judges evaluate and

recognize new and superior forms of orchid species, improved forms of orchid hybrids and plants exhibiting superior

culture. Judges are dedicated volunteers who serve the membership and the orchid-growing public through participation in

the Society's judging system. Each judge has made a sincere, long-term commitment, and gives much of their personal time

and resources. AOS Judges are not compensated for their services or travel to various judging events.

AOS’s judging system is comprised of 35 Centers throughout the United States and Canada. These Centers provide

opportunities to have plants judged on specified monthly dates.The Centers also provide judging service to AOS-

sanctioned shows here and abroad. Center activities are open to visitors who wish to see the judging process in operation or

bring their plants to be evaluated. Meeting dates, times, places and contact information are published each month in

Orchids magazine as well as on our Events listing. All orchid plants or cut flowers submitted at a monthly judging session

are candidates for an award. Plants should be entered in the most presentable condition possible. Entries may be entered by

the owner in person or by someone else on his/her behalf. The exhibitor completes a single sheet entry form for each plant

entered for judging. After an entry number is assigned and annotated on the form by the Judging Center Clerk, the

exhibitor places the entry form with the plant on the display table.

Page 6 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

So, are you ready to be a judge yourself? If an individual has a desire to be an orchid judge and is willing to make this

commitment, he/she makes application to the nearest AOS judging center and, if accepted, begins rigorous training for

three to five years as a student judge. Upon successfully completing student instruction, the candidate becomes a certified

judge, and is granted the authority to judge at any AOS-sanctioned event. However, the status is probationary, and training

continues for another three-to-five years before full accreditation is attained. A judge's education must continue through

seminars and workshops in order to keep up with continuing taxonomic developments and orchid trends.

It could take 10 years to become an accredited judge! After that much training and experience, I’d say they are neither

blind nor are their conclusions based on taste. Something as specific as mm length of a flower can make a difference to a

judge. They operate from a book of written standards and their observations are completely objective. In fact, if they know

who an entry belongs to, they are required to remove themselves from the judging to eliminate bias.

At the Napa judging, SCOS member Cynthia Battershall submitted two plants. She knew they weren’t in their best form,

but she wanted to see what the judges thought of their form, color and uniqueness. Cynthia was able to get judge feedback

during the initial rejection process that increased her knowledge about her plants.

Angelique left Napa feeling like she’d enjoyed a really cool experience and received an invaluable education. She believes

observing a judging or entering your own plants will help you make better buying decisions. If you are going to buy that

beautiful plant, but know it hasn’t received an award; buy it anyway, but enjoy it for its beauty and the way it makes you

feel while recognizing it may not be a prime example of its species.

So, are you ready to sling some mud at the wall? Check out which local societies have monthly judging and bring one of

your favorite plants to their next judging. Judging and is open to anyone and there is no cost to enter. See what the judges

think while enjoying a great learning experience and having great fun!

This Cymbidium erythraeum "Lady of

China' was entered for AOS Judging at the

November 14, 2014 Napa Valley Orchid

Society meeting by Karen Olson. It received

an HCC of 78 points.

Description: Fifty-two flowers and two buds

on five upright inflorescences; sepals and

petals olive green, red-brown stripes and

spots; lip white, basally striped red-brown;

side lobes red-brown striped; substance firm;

texture matte.

(Remember: All awards are considered

provisional until published in the AQ.

Pictures are not the award slides. Descriptions

subject to revision in final publication. Copyright © California Sierra Nevada Judging Center 2014.)

The California Sierra-Nevada web page has been updated with awards through December, 2014. Find at

http://www.csnjc.org. Note, the California Sierra-Nevada Judging Center awarded three orchids in December.

Check out this website to see their pictures and descriptions.

Page 7 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

January Checklist

Phalaenopsis Malibu Elf 'Malibu', HCC/AOS, grown by Zuma Canyon Orchids.

Bonatea speciosa The first of the year brings forth the spectacular flowers from this South African terrestrial. Huge clusters of unique sparkling green-and-white flowers top 2-foot-tall stems with luxuriant green leaves. After flowering, the stems die back. Tubers can be divided. Use a terrestrial mix with peat moss and sand to ensure good drainage.

Cattleya Keep watering and fertilizing to

a minimum to prevent rot and soft growth. Be on the look out for senescing sheaths on your spring bloomers, and remove as soon as they begin to yellow. If these sheaths are carefully removed, the buds will still develop, but will need additional staking to compensate for the lack of the sheath. If the sheath is not removed, water can condense from temperature fluctuation, leading to bud rot in the sheath. Continue to stake and support flowers.

Cymbidium The peak of the flowering season is fast approaching, making this an important time for growers, especially for anyone aiming to exhibit in orchid shows.

Stake the spikes so that the flowers will be at their best, remembering that as the spikes grow, you may have to retrace your steps and adjust the ties so that the spikes stay straight. Bait as necessary for snails.

Once you see any sign of new growth, begin a steady fertilizing program. The formula should be balanced but moderately higher in nitrogen. Do not let the potting mix dry out or the plants and flowers will suffer.

Lycaste Watering tapers off now as the spikes start growing. Start staking soon to better position the flower spikes so that the elegant flowers will not interfere with each other. The blooms can be enormous and should not look crowded. Bright filtered light will increase stem strength. Do not move the plants around or the flowers will readjust to the different direction the light is coming from and so ultimately will not face forward properly.

Paphiopedilum Paphiopedilums can be potted almost any time, even now. If you see a plant or plants with decayed mix and declining vigor, go ahead and repot. Just watch the watering. Keep an eye out for water lodging in the center of the growths, as this can rot the growth or developing spike.

Depending on where you are, your flowering season for the standard "toads" is either nearly over, or is about half way through. Again, stake spikes to avoid weakness from the dull days. The exception may be those with Paphiopedilum fairrieanum influence, as these do not like to be staked until the bloom is ripe. If staked too soon, the flower will mature in a nodding fashion, with the dorsal nearly horizontal.

Orchid Trivia Answer: Sobralia altissima

Phalaenopsis This is show time for these orchids. As with cattleyas, continue staking, so that the spikes will not be crooked and flowers will be shown to their best advantage. It is even more important with phalaenopsis to keep the area clean and free of dead or dying material to reduce the chance of disease. Mealybugs are fond of developing inflorescences, so look for them. Watch watering carefully, as wet roots are an invitation to rot.

Vanda Alliance Try to give as much light and warmth to these plants. Outdoor growers in Florida should watch for frosts and protect plants if low temperatures are predicted. Water and fertilize regularly with a balanced formula.

Zygopetalum Although zygopetalums started their bloom season a month ago this. will be the peak flowering period. Spikes emerge from the sides of new growths. Stake if necessary, although with sufficient light they often can stand on their own. Fertilize regularly to allow new growths to form into a mature pseudobulb.

—Prepared by Ned Nash and James Rose

Below: Paul and Sarah Emery grew this robust Bonatea

speciosa. 'Dr. George Ferguson'. CCM/AOS. Unique flowers

top the 2-foot-tall stems that bear luxuriant Green leaves

Growers with ample space, bright light and cool temperatures

might want to cultivate cymbidiums for their brilliant shows of

winter and springtime color. A cymbidium with abundant

flowers is Cymbidium Phar Lap 'Darin Ishitani', HCC/AOS.

Charles Ishitani grew this plant.

Reprinted with Permission of AOS from January, 1995 "American Orchid

Society Bulletin".

Page 8 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

HOLIDAY PARTY

(I truly apologize for the poor quality of many of my pictures (Oh, where is Ann Possinger?)

Thank you Billie for Chairing our Holiday Party

Congratulations to Becky Jackson for being the Marie

Wascow Award recipient

Thank you to Helen Finigan, together Billie and Gay

Winkelbrandt for the wonderful table decorations

Joe Hile and Smitty Smith

Earl and Kathy Rathbun with

Gerry Smith in foreground

Page 9 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

Linda and Bill Pisenti

Robyn Chosy (Webmaster), Angelique Fry (V.P.)

and Mary Ellen Walsh (Ways & Means)

Marni Turkel and Judy Carney

Helen, Gay, Billie and Jeannie

Anna & Michael Golick and Shirley & Bill Tatham

Shirley and Gerry

Again, I apologize for the quality of my pictures and that I wasn't able to show everyone who attended the

dinner.

Page 10 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 2015

1/9 Napa Valley Orchid Society Annual Auction. 7:00 p.m. – 9:45 p.m. Napa Senior Activity Center, 1500 Jefferson Street. Open to the public. 1/13 SCOS MEETING. Peter T. Lin from Southern California will speak on "The 3 A’s of the Orchid World: Angraecum, Aerangis and Aeranthes." Peter is an accomplished grower and speaker with over 150 AOS awarded plants.

1/16 Gold Coast Cymbidium Growers Annual Collector's Auction. Preview 6:30 PM. Auction starts at 7:00 PM. San Mateo Garden Center, 605 Parkside Way, San Mateo, CA. Information: Carl Jukkola cjukkola@aol.com or Darrel Wong at bacyms@yahoo.com or call (510) 582-5896.

1/18 SCOS SHOW MEETING at the home of Angelique Fry 777 Liberty Road, Petaluma. Anyone who wants to participate is welcome to attend. Everyone should RSVP to Angelique at 707-291-6029 or bfry@pon.net

1/20 SCOS BOARD MEETING at the home of Jeanne Van Blarcom, 897 Matsuda Lane, Sebastopol. Please RSVP to Jeanne at jeannevanb@gmail.com or 707-829-0549.

1/24 – 1/25 Peninsula Orchid Society Show & Sale. Community Activities Building (not Red Morton Community building down the street), 1400 Roosevelt Ave., Redwood City.Show hours are 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM both days. Entry fees are $5 regular, $3 senior, handicapped, children 12 to 16. Children under 12 free, accompanied by an adult. Parking is free. For more information at http://penorchidsoc.org.

February

2/10 SCOS MEETING. Harvey Brenneise from Seattle. Harvey's presentation will be on

"Darwin's sexy orchids: First case study On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection". Harvey is a professional librarian, including from 2008 at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA. Long-time orchid grower in the Midwest, Pacific NW, and Southern California. 2/19 - 22 Pacific Orchid Exposition, Ft. Mason Festival Pavilion, San Francisco. Gala Benefit Preview -Thursday Feb. 19, 2015 6:30 - 10 PM; Show and Plant Sale - February 20 - 22, 2015 Friday 10 AM - 6 PM; Saturday 9 AM - 6 PM; Sunday 10 AM - 5 PM. Tickets & Information:www.orchidsanfrancisco.org

March 3/10 SCOS MEETING. Chris Mende of The Tiny Jungle will speak. More details to follow 3/14 – 3/15 Napa Valley Orchid Society Show & Sale. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Napa Senior Activity Center, 1500 Jefferson Street, Napa. Free Admission. For more info: 707-252-4050 or www.nv-os.org, or email: info@nv-os.org 3/27, 28 & 29 SCOS SHOW & SALE: "A Symphony of Orchids". CLEAR YOUR CALENDARS! Show set-up on Friday 3/27 from 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Please volunteer to help if you're not working that day. Show on 3/28 from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and 3/29 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Volunteer sheets will be at the monthly meetings. Watch your newsletter for more details

April 4/14 SCOS MEETING. Dennis Olivas will present "Orchids 101". A Great talk for those new to orchid growing!

Page 11 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter

May 5/12 SCOS MEETING. May's speaker will be Janet Lamborn from Agdia,Inc./Adgia Testing Services. Janet's

presentation will be on Orchid viruses and how to test for them. Members are encouraged to bring in plants with suspected symptoms to be tested. 5/30 SCOS BUS TRIP. "Gold and Wine Country Tour". We will be visiting Alan Koch's Gold Country Orchids in Lincoln. Jeff Tyler of Insitu Orchids and Dave Sorokowski of Paph Paradise will also be meeting with us at Alan's Nursery. We will then travel to Lodi for a tour of I-Hsin Nursery and perhaps we will also have an opportunity to visit one of Lodi's many fine wineries during our lunch stop. (Other orchid related stops are still being investigated). This will be a great trip – not to be missed.

The POE is the premier Orchid show on the west coast. There are many fabulous vendors attending from all over the world. The San Francisco Orchid Club is offering a discount to all AOS members for admission and they have secured a fabulous room rate. The venue is the Holiday Inn, Fisherman's Wharf. Reservations must be made before January 30 to get the special rate. Call 1-800-942-7348 and make sure to say that you are asking for the POE or Pacific Orchid Exposition rate. The rate is $149/night and is good for stays from February 18 to February 23, 2015. Check out their website for complete details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2015-pacific-orchid-exposition-the-thrill-of-discovery-tickets-12481363093?discount=AOS15

A Bit of Orchid Trivia (courtesy of Massachusetts Orchid Society August 2011 newsletter)

I am the tallest

freestanding orchid and

come from the

perpetually cool high

forests of Peru. I am

reported to grow up to

44 feet or 13.5 meters

high in optimum

conditions. More typically I grow to 16.5 ft. high in open, sunny areas and 23-26 ft.in areas under a low tree

canopy. My species name derives from the Latin and refers to my long stems. My bright reddish-purple flowers

are up to 6 inches across and are displayed in spectacular groups of up to 8 flowers per stem. My flowers last for

two weeks on the plant and one week as a cut flower.

My common name in Quechua (the native Andean language) is “Inquil” or “Inkill”, meaning “bearer of

language.” This is due to the wide lip of my large blooms. My genus consists of about 125 species. Plants of my

genus typically have reed-like stems that range in height from about 1 ft. to 25–30 ft. They have heavily veined,

bilobed, plicate, apical leaves all along the stem. The inflorescences on the apex of the stem carry one or two

successive flowers with large sepals and petals. The short duration of the flower is caused by a self-digesting

enzyme. Flower in my genus range in color from pure white to yellow, green, pink, purple, red, brown, and even

blue-violet. What am I? (Answer can be found in this newsletter, somewhere).

Page 12 SCOS January 2015 Newsletter