NEWS OF THE CHINLE CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY MARCH 2017 VOL. 9 NO. 3

To promote knowledge, enjoyment, cultivation, and conservation of cacti and other succulent plants among its members, other individuals and organizations throughout West-Central Colorado

REMINDER: NEW MEETING ADDRESS IN 2017: 536 OURAY AVENUE, GRAND JUNCTION

March Program:

WHAT’S THE LATEST “DIRT” ON “SOIL”, LIGHT, WATER, AND THE IMPORTANCE TO C&S GROWERS

Dr. Curt Swift returns with one of our members’ favorite and useful programs on three of the most important factors in successful cacti and succulent cultivation—the soil your plants “live in” and its chemical composition, light requirements, and water guidelines. One of the areas he will discuss is the very alkaline soil we have in the Grand Valley, and what you can do to mitigate some of the effects of these alkaline salts. Many plants have adapted to these conditions, but unfortunately many cacti and succulents (particularly the indoor varieties) have not.

Much of our soil is very clay-based and percolates water very slowly, if at all. Think of it as digging a hole and putting a plastic bucket in the hole without any openings for drainage. Then put your favorite (and sometimes expensive) plant in this hole where it will soon drown. Dr. Swift will discuss ways of amending soil to improve percolation as well as salinity.

Light (how much is enough and when is the right time to move plants from inside to outside) is another important aspect of the care and cultivation of cacti and succulents. He may surprise you with some facts related to our windows, as well as preventing sunburn as we move

our plants from inside to outside in the spring.

As if this isn’t enough information to digest, he will also discuss plant watering and how it relates to the seasonal changes. All in all, this is a great program for novice and expert alike, so be sure to put it on your calendar!

PLANT SHOW WEST THIS WEEKEND We will again be participating in the Plant Show West at Bookcliff Gardens. Set up is Friday, March 3 from 2-4 pm and the show will run March 4th and 5th, from 10am until 4pm on Saturday and 10:00 am until 3:30pm on Sunday. We have had many members sign up to help, but the more the merrier!

If you have questions about preparing your plants for showing, we’ve repeated the article about that topic from last month’s newsletter on page 8. Also, please let Janet Hassell or Kate Weissenburger know the name(s) of the plant(s) you plan to show in order to prepare the proper plant labels.

Succulent Morsels

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The Plant Show West provides good exposure of our Chinle C&SS, and in past years, we have gained members as a result of seeing our display and talking to CC&SS members.. It is also fun to get together with other members and discuss our favorite “prickly” topics with a curious and interested public during the event.

GARDEN PARTIES TO BEGIN MARCH 11TH

Our first GardenParty of the 2017 season is Saturday, March 11th at the Western Colorado Botanical Garden. If you don’t have a current gardening schedule, you can find it on our website, www.chinlecactusclub.org.

All Garden Parties start at 9:00 am and will usually end at 11:00 am. Please mark your calendars with these dates so you don’t forget to come out and share in this important work at our two beautiful gardens. Gardening is great for your health, fun, and an easy way to give back to our community.

When the weather is too hot or cold, feel free to come earlier or later than the scheduled times. Please let Lois Davidson (ldavidso@coloradomesa.edu) know how long you gardened at each session for accurate records of volunteer hours. We are looking forward to seeing you at the gardens. We need and appreciate your help.

CCSS has a set of gardening tools, but we encourage you to bring your own. Please mark your tools so you can identify those that belong to you.

If any of the above dates or times need to be changed, members will be notified by email or check the website.

WEBSITE HAS A NEW LOOK! When you navigate to chinlecactusclub.org, you will notice that it is full of beautiful photos, easy to access Society news and information and educational articles on cultivating cacti and succulents. Thanks goes out to Kate Weissenburger for her work in setting up the site in a new format. And thanks also to Tom Burrows for his work in setting up our original website.

Our Society is truly fortunate to have these and other talented individuals willing to devote time and energy to the Chinle C&SS programs and its mission.

Be sure to check out chinlecactusclub.org for a look at the new format and information! You will also find the latest information about Society activities and information about cultivation and care of cacti & succulent as well as things to keep in mind about xeric gardening and water conservation.

March 2017 Vol 9 No 3

Chinle Gardeners at the WC Botanical Garden last fall.

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OUR NEXT ADVENTURE: MAY FIELD TRIP TO VERNAL and FANTASY CANYON (Information contributed by Don Campbell, Kate & Ken Weissenburger and Lois Davidson. Photos by Don Campbell.)

An overnight field trip to Vernal, UT, is scheduled for the weekend of May 20-21, 2017. Sights on the itinerary include: • Rare and wonderful cacti • Fremont Culture and Ute rock art • Unique erosional forms of Fantasy Canyon • Oil and gas resources, including oil shale and tar sands, and • Gilsonite mining and the story of this unusual “solid” oil

Saturday travel from Grand Junction to Vernal includes stops for rock art at Canyon Pintado, a “Lunch and Learn” at the Rangely Outdoor Museum, and a Pediocactus hunt on gravel terraces above the Green River. Sunday includes stops at Fantasy Canyon, a search for Sclerocactus wetlandicus, and an exploration of gilsonite veins and mining near Bonanza, UT.

An optional third day on Friday May 19 may be available for interested participants during which we will visit sites southwest of Vernal to see Sclerocactus brevispinus (the “Pariette” cactus).

The field trip area has a rich and colorful history including connections to the Grand Valley. For example, from 1904 to 1939 gilsonite was hauled by the narrow gauge Uintah Railway to Mack, CO, for further shipping to end users. From 1957 to 1973 gilsonite was transported as a slurry in water via pipeline over the old railway route to a Chevron refinery at Gilsonite (Loma), CO.

ACCOMMODATIONS For overnight accommodations, some rooms in Vernal have been blocked for “Chinle Cactus” at the (formerly Best Western) Antlers Inn, 2 queen beds including. breakfast, $85.50 + $10.09 tax. Phone 435-789-1202 to reserve a room. You are encouraged to make plans and book early; unreserved rooms will be released April 20.

Options for trailers/camping include:

Steinaker State Park: 4335 US191, Electric, water & sewer; electric & water; or tent sites, Use Reserve America to make reservations online, 7 miles N of Vernal Red Fleet State Park: 8700 N US 191; same as Steinaker State Park, Use Reserve America to make reservations online, 13 miles N of Vernal Dinosaurland (Dino) KOA: 930 N Vernal Ave, Electric, water and sewer hookups and WiFi, 435-789-2148 Fossil Valley RV Park: 999 US 40, Electric, water and sewer hookups and WiFi,435-789-6450 Western Heritage RV: 271 S 500 E, Electric, water and sewer hookups and WiFi,435-789-3324

We will have a sign-up sheet for the trip available at the April meeting as well as other last minute details about the trip.

Don Campbell has shared images below of some of the cacti & succulents we might find. Often in May, we find them still in glorious bloom!

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Sclerocactus wetlandicus Sclerocactus brevispinus (“Pariette cactus”) Pediocactus simpsonii

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HERE’S A PREVIEW OF MAY FIELD TRIP (photos by Don Campbell)

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Kate Weissenburger shows a mined out gilsonite vein

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“SCENE” AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING The February meeting was well attended and many thanks go out to Kate Weissenburger who conducted the meeting in Janet Hassell’s absence.

Don Campbell presented his very interesting Keynote presentation on Capitol Reef and a preview of our upcoming trip to Vernal and Fantasy Canyon. Some photos are shown on page 3.

We were pleased to have a new members join our group, and also lovely drawing plants contributed by Tom Burrows and Don Campbell.

March 2017 Vol 9 No 3

Guest Cindy (L) chats with Lois Davidson during snack break.

A sampling of drawing plants offered at the Feb. meeting.

Sue Fuller (L) and new member Rachel (R) look over the drawing plants.

Thanks to Ken Weissenburger for these meeting photos

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KENTON’S QUIPSKenton J. Seth shares some amusing cactus tales which involved a big cacti that Mike Yeager was looking to adopt winter before last and Kenton ended up taking it:

1. “In the truck (below), about 25 years old each, are a Mexican Saguaro/Cordon Pachycereus pringlei, and a golden barrel. They have been tastelessly named "Fernando" and "Goldie" respectively since moving into my apartment. It's what happens to you when you are a plant older than 15 years. (The famous Feather Nipple Cactus at the last banquet from Don this Christmas was democratically voted an unsavoury name here, so Julie Bursi's recommendation of "Gwenevere" was adopted by our electoral college, i.e., me.”

2. “Everyone knows that the Santa at the Mall is a stand-in, so Fernando (above)is our stand-in for a Christmas tree. Gosh we gardeners get weird in the winter”.

3. On the left below, Kenton shows a photo of a Ferocactus lecontei in the Superstition mountains. Kenton says “I cannot help but think of this as ‘clown-spined.’”

4. “On the right is an Agave parryi at the house of succulent grower and market farmer Sam Hitt in Santa Fe, all decked out for the Christmas holidays!”

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5. And last but not least, below is an Escobaria vivapara evolved and perfectly mimics the urban environment: a toy cow.

HOW TO PREPARE PLANTS FOR SHOWING You have a great looking plant that you’d like to “show-off” at Plant Show West, but you have some questions about what more can be done to make its appearance “show quality”. Here are some suggestions for presenting plants for show. The photo below by Don Campbell is an excellent example of a well-prepared plant for show.

+ The plant needs to be centered and upright in its pot. + Make sure your pot is an appropriate size and shape for your plant. It should give a balanced appearance and not overwhelm or detract from the plant. + Remove alkali encrustations, algae, snail tracks, spider webs, or dirt, etc. from the pot. + Rubbing a clay pot with a little salad oil can help cover water marks. + Clean up the actual plant as well—remove hard water marks on the leaves or body; pick off dead leaves and any debris (tweezers, a small brush or paint brush work well to remove stubborn materials and avoid getting “pricked” during your clean-up process! + Top dressing with a color-coordinated stone that picks up or contrasts the color of the plant greatly enhances the appearance of the plant. The size of the stones should coordinate with the size of the plant. + Typically the tray underneath the pot isn’t displayed with the plant, but if it is, it must be as clean as the pot and compliment the pot and plant. + Leave at home any plant that is extensively sunburned, diseased, scarred, has scale or is discolored. Also do not bring in a plant with mealy bugs or other insects that might infest other plants in the area.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS: March 2017 to June 2017

March 3 2-4 pm, Set Up for Plant Show West March 4 10am-4pm, Plant Show West @ Bookcliff Gardens March 5 10am-3:30pm, Plant Show West 3:30pm-4pm - Take down display and plants

March 6 Chinle Board Meeting - at the Hassell’s home

March 9 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: Soils, Water, Light and pH - Dr. Curtis Swift

March 11 First Garden Party of the Season! Saturday, 9 am at the WC Botanical Gardens

March 29 Garden Party Wednesday, 9 am at the CSU Extension Garden

April 3 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s home

April 8 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am, at the WC Botanical Gardens

April 13 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: “How To’s for Outdoor Cacti & Succulents”

April 22 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

May 1 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s home

May 8 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am, at the WC Botanical Gardens

May 11 NO REGULAR MEETING - IS REPLACED BY FIELD TRIP (5/20-5/22)

May 17 Garden Party Wednesday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

May 20-22 Field Trip to Vernal, Fantasy Canyon, Bonanza, &Gilsonite areas. Possible extra tour on Friday, May 19, for rare plants in the Parietti Wetlands. June 3 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am at the WC Botanical Gardens

June 5 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s home Saturday, 9 am, at the WC Botanical Gardens

June 8 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: Making Hypertufa Pots - Susan Honey, instructor

June 17 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

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EDITOR’S NOTE: I want to express my appreciation to the many members of the Chinle C&SS who so graciously took care of conducting our Chinle meetings, providing newsletter contributions and Plant Show West planning and preparations while I have been recovering from neck/back surgery. We indeed have a very special group of members for whom I am so grateful. On a lighter note, if there are a few ??? items in this newsletter (not caught by my capable proofreaders), just blame it on post-anesthesia delirium, the residual effects of pain medications, or just my true goofy self rising to the surface!! Janet Hassell

March 2017 Vol 9 No 3

2017 Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society Board

President: Janet Hassell Vice President: Kate Weissenburger Secretary: Deb Mallory Treasurer: Lisa Hamilton Garden Activities Coordinator: Lois Davidson Member at Large: Walt Scheer Newsletter Editor: Janet Hassell

Program Committee: Shari Skeie MeetUp: Lisa Hamilton Web Site: Kate Weissenburger

Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society usually meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Meetings are held in the Unitarian Universalist Church

536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO. Guests are always welcome. Chinle Mailing Address: Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society, PO Box 233, Grand Junction, CO 81502

CHINLE C&SS WEBSITE: www.chinlecactusclub.org

Ghostly images seen from Colorado 128 on the way to Moab, CO.