Come to one of our meetings!
Courtney Hackney gives culture tips from the Show Table
SAOS Resources for events, newsletters and library
If you are just learning to grow orchids, check the Beginners tab
Culture pages address orchid growing basics and different orchids
Having a problem? Info in the Problems section can help
Month by month advice for growing orchids
Beautiful orchid pictures, if only we could include their fragrance!
January 5 Monthly Meeting
Growing Orchids in St. Augustine. SAOS Growers Brandon Silvester and Charlie Rowell will share their orchid growing tips at the January meeting. Brandon grows his entire collection indoors under lights. He will talk about the basics of lighting, with special emphasis on those that are interested in providing supplemental light to their orchids in their winter homes. Charlie grows his orchids outdoors. He will talk about growing orchids on mounts, sharing his tips for the unusual mounts he makes for his orchids. Learn their tricks!George Hausermann of EFG Orchids will be joining us, hosting the sales table. He will be selling plants as well as providing raffle plants. We will have our normal raffle at the end of the meeting. Friends and guests are always welcome
When: Tuesday, January 5, 6:30 til 9 pm
Where: Memorial Lutheran Church
3375 US 1 South, St. Aug 32086
Virtual Show Table. For the time being, we will not have our traditional show table presentation at the meetings. If you want to share images of your beauties in bloom, send high res pictures to info@StAugOrchidSociety.org. We'll include the pics in the newsletter and Courtney's mid-month Virtual Show Table presentation. Here's a link to Courtney's November Virtual Show Table presentation.
SAOS News and Activities
2021 Calendars. Terry prepares a SAOS calendar each year featuring the Member's Choice orchids from the Show Table. Only two left! Email us at info@StAugOrchidSociety.org to order or use the PayPal link below. Calendars are $15 each if paid by cash or check, or use PayPal. We'll be glad to mail the calendar to you for an extra $5 in postage.February 6 Repotting Clinic. The first Saturday of the month from 9 am til noon, February through October, St. Augustine Orchid Society members are available to talk with you, answer questions and help you repot orchids. Starting in September, we relocated our repotting clinics to the pavilion behind the Memorial Lutheran Church.
When: Saturday, February 6, 9 am - noon
Where: Memorial Lutheran Church
Pavilion Across from Back Parking Lot
3375 US 1 South
Turn west at the blinking light across from the new fire and police station on US 1 and drive around to the back of the church.
New Growers. Our beginners programs include culture classes, monthly repotting clinics, a mentoring program along with Keiki Club road trips and growing area tours. Keiki Club get togethers and road trips are finished for 2020. We'll let you know when we're ramping up in the early spring.
Monthly Meetings
Members Choice. Our November Members Choice is Bulbophyllum Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' FCC/AOS grown by Steve Hawkins. This is a primary hybrid between two spectacular bulbophyllum species, longissimum and rothschildianum.Become a Member. The dues are $20 for an individual or $30 for a family... Click for more info.
Monthly Meetings. We meet on the first Tuesday of each month. The meeting begins at 6:30 with a plant sale followed by a review of the show table plants and presentation by an orchid expert. The meeting closes with a plant raffle where members can expand their collections. It's fun and informative for growers of all levels. Join us, visitors and guests are always welcome!
Covid Considerations. Everyone has been schooled on the guidelines on social distancing during the pandemic. Four people can space themselves about 6 ft apart at each of the large 8 ft diameter circular tables. Bring you face mask for when you are in close proximity to another member.
Culture Class. Prior to the pandemic, we had a beginner's culture class at 6:15 before the main meeting begins. We resumed our physical meetings in July, but attendance has been limited. We hope to resume culture classes in 2021 once we have bid the virus adieu!
SAOS Items for Sale. Potting mix, plant tags, and more. Click for more info.
Cultural Tips for Orchid Growers
Bob Scully's Month by Month Orchid Growing:
December in St. Augustine. Winter's cool days and nights have already affected most collections; if all plants are not already indoors, they soon may be. Concerning daylight intensity and its duration... read moreDr. Courtney Hackney Tips, Redux:
Winter Considerations. Winter in the temperate zone is alien to most tropical Orchids. For the most part, tropical Orchids experience nearly 12-hour days and nights with only slight differences... read moreDr. Martin Motes Notes:
Progress of the Season. This November has been both wetter and warmer than ever. In effect, the rainy season has been extended by six weeks. This is not good news for our orchids... read moreOrchids in December. December marks the beginning of the serious dry season in South Florida. While this additional dryness provides relief from the autumnal rains that can bring so many fungal... read more
Culture Article by Sue Bottom:
Blackened Leaf Tips on New Cattleya Leaves. Some of the newest growths of several cattleyas in the greenhouse had black leaf tips, suggestive of calcium deficiency. Calcium is an essential... read moreJoin or Renew Your Membership
The St. Augustine Orchid Society is a dynamic group of orchid growers having all levels of experience, from those who just brought their first orchid home to those with overflowing greenhouses. All members have one thing in common. We love to share our experiences, our knowledge and our orchid divisions with other orchid growers. Come to one of our meetings so we can get to know each other. If you would like to join, you can complete this interactive form.Join the Club or Pay Your Dues
The dues are $20 for an individual or $30 for a family if paid by check (mail c/o Linda Stewart, 1812 Diana Drive, Palatka 32177). For an extra dollar, you can pay using the PayPal links below.Individual Membership
Family Membership
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Catasetum Competition Grow
Fred Clarke sent us 20 plugs for the raffle table in January 2019. We are going to have prizes for the first one to bloom this hybrid, the one with the nicest flower, and the best grown one. Here's more information about the cross and how to grow catasetums. The summer growths are maturing now and you may start to see some of the oldest leaves drop.
Best Grown. Glo MacDonald won the best grown casetum award at the September 2020 meeting. She won a Ctsm. Sue Bottom she had been coveting, red with a fimbriated lip.
Best Flower. Send pictures of your catasetum in bloom to info@StAugOrchidSociety.org for entry into the best flower contest. Fred Clarke will judge the photo submittals in November 2021 during his trip to St. Augustine.
Culture Tips Here are some of Fred Clarke's culture tips for the season.
Jim Roberts Deflasking Project
At our August 2019 meeting, Jim Roberts of Florida SunCoast Orchids showed us how to deflask orchids and pot them up in either plug trays or compots. Five caretakers are nurturing them until they grow up to a size where they can be planted individually.