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August 2009 The
Newsletter of The North Dade Orchid Club Page 1 |
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Officers
President: No one at this time Vice President: Amy Werba 305-935-4364 Secretary: Donna Hanley 305-895-3683 Treasurer: Marianne
Napolitano 305-940-3249 PROGRAMS
Amy Werba 305-935-4364 Newsletter
Editor
& Photography: Amy Werba 305-935-4364 Send
Newsletter articles to : Meetings 4th Monday of Every Month |
Our 3rd Annual
Mini-Auction ! By Amy Werba Here is a great opportunity to get some
beautiful blooming orchids. We will be presenting a table of 60 orchids, each
one in bloom! Expand your collection with everything from Phals
to oncidiums and maybe some vandas.
You will be pleased with what you see. Member Roy Rosenthal will be the auctioneer for this event. Doors open at Since we are auctioning plants, there WILL NOT be
a Raffle table or Show-N-Tell table this month. However, there WILL BE lots of good food
to keep you satisfied during the auction along with plenty of beverages. See
you on Monday August 24th by If you would like
to make an orchid donation for the auction, please bring in your plant(s)
prior to the start of the event. While the plant does not have to be in
bloom, it should be clean, free of disease and tagged with its name. We will also accept other types of plants for
auction – bromeliads, cactus, violets, etc. |
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Hurricane
Season Advisory Hurricane Season awareness & Center
closing As you all know, over the next 3 months,
we are entering the most active period of Hurricane season. If a Tropical
storm or Hurricane is approaching, be aware. If you hear that schools and government offices are closed, then
the If conditions are uncertain, please call
one of the officers listed in the left column on this page to see if the
Center is closed the night of our meeting. We don’t advise calling the Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this
will be a quiet season, like 2008, and meetings will go on as usual. |
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Monthly
Orchid Tips Summertime care for your orchids – August Courtesy
of Dr. Martin Motes August is definitely not
the month to overindulge in water. September, the soggiest of months, is next
up. The corollary to this calculated drying is the concept that when watering
in August water thoroughly. If watering is necessary be sure that the roots
and medium are totally saturated with the application. The drizzling rains of
September are so detrimental precisely because they keep the foliage of the
plants wet unduly long. We want our plants which are still growing to receive
plenty of water but also plenty of drying time. Good air circulation and
proper watering are the keys to disease prevention. Lengthening nights in
August mean cooler nighttime temperatures. Many sympodial
orchids are reaching the end of their growing cycle and require less
nitrogen. Cattleyas and oncidiums
have maturing bulbs. Genera that become deciduous in winter like nobile dendrobiums, calanthes and catasetums should
be given much less nitrogen in August to prevent them producing an unwanted
off season growth and perhaps forgetting to flower. Substitute an additional
application of potassium nitrate and Epsom salt (1TBS each per gal) instead
of the balanced 20-20-20. Vandas will respond well
to this, too. If you have been waiting
to make cuttings of the terete vandas
or reed stem epidendrums, you can wait no longer.
The potting season is drawing absolutely to a close. Pot up those overgrown phals before they even think of
spiking. Re-set those strap leaf vandas early in
August whilst they still have just enough time to re-establish themselves in
the September humidity and before the cool weather arrives and their root
growth slows or stops. To
subscribe to Dr. Motes’ free monthly e-newsletter, send an email request to [email protected]. Include your
name and email address. |
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