2018 SAOS Newsletters
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December - Christmas Auction
Auctioneer Courtney Hackney
Our annual Christmas auction was a great opportunity to eat, drink and be merry with our orchid friends, and we had a very lively group of bidders!
Fred talked about how 80% of your success as an orchid grower is a result of providing enough of the right kind of light, water, and air as well as repotting at the best time, when roots are first starting to grow.
Alan talked about companion plants that grow well with all those cattleyas we love, if you want to try growing some of the unusual orchids.
September - Show 'Em Where You Grow 'Em
St. Augustine Orchid Society Club Members
Four St. Aug Orchid Society members describe how they grow their orchids in summertime when the growing is easy, and where they grow their orchids during the winter cold.
August - Growing Cattleyas
Steve Hawkins, The Orchid Specialist
Steve talked about the basic cultural requirements of cattleyas, emphasizing the importance of bright but not too hot light and proper watering along with some tips for responding to problems.
Sue gave a hands-on demonstration on how to use our website to find answers to your questions. There is a ton of information archived on the website, you just have to know where to look for it.
June - Mounting Orchids
George Hausermann, EFG Orchids
George 'The Toolman' gave a hands-on demonstration on mounting orchids, including some of the tricks he uses at his nursery. Then he fired up his compressor to attach everyone's gift cattleya, what a guy!
May - Brassavola nodosa and Its Hybrids
Vern Bloch, prior owner of Palm Bay Orchid Range
Vern talked about those star-shaped summer blooming cattleyas, Brassavola nodosa and its hybrids. Everyone should grow Brassavola nodosa, they are some of the easiest orchids for beginners, they bloom several times a year, offer a wide spectrum of colors and flowers tend to last fairly well, with lots of evening fragrance
Phillip talked about Phalaenopsis, with many helpful tips on culture as well as describing the species and how they are used in hybridizing, with special attention to the novelty types.
Bill talked about Bulbophyllums, those oddballs of the orchid world that often have very distinctive odors and very unusual shapes. He discussed culture and growing tips in his own unique style.
February - Native Orchids of the Eastern United States
Mark Rose, former owner of Breckenridge Orchids
Mark showed us many of the beautiful and fascinating species of native orchids, lots of ones for us to chose from in the Platanthera group of Fringed Orchids and Spiranthes group of Ladies' Tresses.
Ben talked about Hawaiian Grown Orchids, telling us some of the tricks of the trade. Of particular interest, he tallked about the commercial practices that work for and against the normal orchid grower.