Orchid News • Colorado Springs Orchid Society Newsletter •

Next Meeting: Saturday Mar. 28 – 10 a.m. Location: Fire Station #14, 1875 Dublin Blvd., Colorado Springs

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The Society holds a general meeting each month which includes regular club business and programs. Members are encouraged to bring in their blooming plants for the Show and Tell table. Social time and set-up begins at 9:30 a.m.

The club provides orchids each month for

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the raffle and members are encouraged to donate divisions of their plants for the raffle table. Tickets are $1 each. Bring your blooming orchids for Show and Tell and receive a free raffle ticket.

Refreshments This month refreshments will be provided by those whose last name begins with the letters:

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Directions Fire Station 14 is at Academy Blvd. and Dublin Blvd. behind Yorkshire Vet Clinic. The entrance is located off of Dublin, behind Oak Express.

Visit us at: CSOrchids.org March 2015 Issue

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Colorado Springs Orchid Society Newsletter March 2015 Issue

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President's Message The Roots of All Evil

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The roots of orchids are the basis for both good and evil. Healthy roots provide water and nutrients to the plant. Dead ones provide nothing to the plant but exist as decaying matter that may adversely affect living roots.

Too little water can result in roots drying out and dying. Too much water may lead to rotting of the roots. Either way, the result is a plant with no roots. I have seen instances where ideal conditions of misting and humidity can keep an orchid plant looking healthy even in the absence of roots. This is only an apparently healthy plant but it cannot grow and perform well in the long term.

I just read an article in the April/May issue of National Wildlife magazine referring to the intelligence of plant roots. Any part of calling a plant smart seems ludicrous but how else to

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explain the apparent reasoning a root has to know to direct its growth toward water or nutrients or light and air. The article also questions the wisdom, or lack of such, in ever trimming off any or especially all of the growing, healthy, (brainy?) root tips. I find myself wondering about my plant roots that grow, quite purposefully it seems, outside the plants designated pot out into the air, up or down, into the neighboring pots and wherever! Is there some purpose? Is the home pot lacking in air space or something else the roots and plant require? Nature has equipped most orchids, as epiphytes, to grow their roots exposed to the air and humidity or rain.

And us humans think we're so smart. Anyhow, good luck and good growing

Roger Stone

President, Colorado Springs Orchid Society

Orchid 101: Basic Culture

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Orchids, like all plants, need a balance of light, air, water and food to grow and flower well.

• Light: How much light is enough? The foliage should not be a lush, dark green. Orchids grown under sufficient light will have lighter, somewhat yellow-green foliage and strong upright growths.

• Air: Orchids roots, and eventually the entire plant, will die if they do not get enough air. Potting media should be open, with very good drainage, yet capable of holding sufficient moisture to support the plant's needs. Orchids in the home can also benefit from gentle air movement from a portable oscillating fan.

• Water: Proper watering is key and consists of two separate components; quantity and

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frequency. Orchids should be watered just as they dry out. Water should be provided copiously until it runs freely from the drainage holes. If in doubt, a finger inserted into the potting mix is perhaps the best tool to determine the moisture content of the mix and will cause no harm to the plant.

• Fertilizer: Orchids will grow and flower, given that their other requirements are met, for fairly long periods without fertilizer but you'll get better results with some level of feeding. Typically fertilize once a week during the summer and every two weeks in the fall and winter. Regardless of the fertilizer that you chose to use, most experienced growers use no more than ½ the label-recommended strength. Just remember that it's best to water first to wet the potting medium before you fertilize.

(Adapted from Orchids 101: Basic Orchid Culture from the American Orchid Society)

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Colorado Springs Orchid Society Newsletter March 2015 Issue

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Roger Stone Vanda (V.) (syn. Ascf.) Cherry Blossom (falcata x ampullacea)

Cattleya (C.) schofieldiana V. lamellate C. (syn. Lc) Frenchy's Melange (Milton Warne x Chen's Beauty) Phragmipedium (Phrag.) Noirmont (Memoria Dick Clements x longifolium) Guaricyclia (Gcy.) (syn. Epc.) Kyoguchi x C. (syn. L.) Gold Star Rhyncholaeliocattleya (Rlc.) (syn. Pot.) Kayla's Smile (C. Sunset Beach x Susan Stromsland)

Fred Allen Paphiopedilum (Paph.) Deperle (primulinum x delenatii)

Tolumnia (Tolu.) Pink Panther (Purple Envy x Misty Pink)

Lois Dauelsberg Stenorrhynchos (Strs.) speciosum Dendrobium (D.) palpebrae Gomesa (Gom.) Moon Shadow (Hornet x Big Bee) Epidendrum (Epi.) escobarianum

February Meeting Show and Tell Plant List

2015 Meeting Calendar

Colorado Springs Orchid Society

Visit us at: CSOrchids.org

Visit us at: CSOrchids.org February 2015 Issue

Jan. 24 — Andinia Orchids/Donations Discussion

Feb. 28 — Ten Ways to Kill an Orchid

March 28 — TBA

April 25 — TBA

May 23 — TBA

June 27 — TBA

July 25 — TBA

August 22 — TBA

Sept, 26 — Plant Auction

Oct 24 — TBA

Nov 21 — Elections

Dec 19 — Holiday Raffle