Meeting location: THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF THE CAPE COD FAIRGROUNDS
1220 Nathan Ellis Hwy, (Rt. 151) East FalmouthMA02536 (White fences on North side of Hwy.)
Growing Orchids Outside in the Summer
Growing orchids outside isn’t much different than indoor orchid care. Your plants need the right temperatures, lighting, humidity, and water, as usual. You may find that you need to water more frequently outdoors, perhaps even daily. This depends a lot on wind conditions and humidity. If your climate's temperatures don't agree with what an orchid needs, keep it indoor!
Very few orchids like direct sunlight; and a shade cloth or a shade tree is usually required that provide alternating light and shade as the sun moves across the sky, provided the light doesn't stay in one place long enough to cause sunburn!
Pay extra attention to your plants outside as it's much easier for bugs to get at them, and you're more likely to have to deal with things like caterpillars! One recommendation is to spray outdoors orchids with a mix of water, horticulture oil or neem oil and several drops of liquid dish detergent every 3 weeks to keep insects away. Also keeping orchids raised off the ground helps to control pests. More Summer Growing information at Growing Orchids Outside
American Orchid Society Webinars
WHAT ARE WEBINARS? Webinars are an Internet conference where you can hear the speaker and view his presentation, ask questions, and hear interactions from other members of the audience. You can join either on your computer or by phone. You can join from anywhere, via your Mac, PC or even your mobile device. Audio is included, so attendees can phone in or use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). You will need a microphone for your computer to use VoIP
Tuesday, June 12 th, 2018 @ 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM EST Open to all
Please join Ron McHatton, American Orchid Society Director of Education and Science Officer, who will discuss a variety of topics on orchid culture based on questions submitted by attendees. Please send you questions to stillisch@cox.net by June 1st. Send your related pictures too.
American Orchid Society: Greenhouse Chat with Ron McHatton
Thursday, July 12th, 2018 @ 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM EST Open to all
Please join Ron McHatton, American Orchid Society Director of Education and Science Officer, who will discuss a variety of topics on orchid culture based on questions submitted by attendees. Please send you questions to stillisch@cox.net by July 1st. Send any related pictures.
Note: After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the seminar.
WANT TO LEARN, BUT CAN’T MAKE THE DATE? The live webinars will be recorded and posted on the AOS website, where you will find a link allowing you to view the webinars at your convenience.
Repotting:. You should only repot orchids when you NEED to repot orchids. Many orchids resent the root disturbance that comes with repotting, so it is not a good idea to repot needlessly. The following reasons are the only times you should consider repotting : 1)The potting mix has broken down; 2)Your plant has a health problem, so the roots need to be examined; 3)The plant was accidentally dropped and got damaged or unpotted in the process; 4)The plant has outgrown it's pot. ("Outgrown" orchids like to be tight in their pots and thrive best when this is the case. In fact, Cattleya alliance plants actually bloom best when they are 1 or 2 growths off the edge of the pot, so repotting them sooner deprives you of a nice display of flowers.)
When to Repot Consider the growth habits and culture of your orchids. The optimal time to repot is after the plant has bloomed and is beginning a new growth cycle. The emergence of a new leaf, new roots, or a new pseudobulb signals this time.
Early Spring – This is the best time to repot most orchids as the days are getting longer; you see new growth; and they are no longer blooming. It the time to check your Brassavola (Winter - Spring) , Cattleya(Spring/Fall), Catasetums, Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, Epidendrums, Encyclia, Ludisia(Winter-Spring), Masdevallia, Oncidiums, Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis (Spring-Summer), Sophronitis, Stanhopeas (Spring/Fall)
Repot in Fall – Doritaenopsis (Fall-Winter), Miltonia, Miltoniopsis, and Vanda.
Other times repotting may be necessary: Repotting may be required if an orchid is infested with bugs. If bugs keep recurring it is sometimes because they have taken their operations underground and are munching on the roots or in the media. Removing all of the old mix, carefully cleaning and examining the roots and repotting in fresh mix is often a critical step in eradicating a persistent pest issue.
Pot size: should be selected according to the size of your plant’s root mass and growth habit. When potting epiphytes (tree-dwellers), these are lateral or shallow rooters, so choose pots that are not as deep as they are wide. When potting terrestrial types (ground dwellers), they will want to root deeply, so choose pots that are deeper than they are wide. If the current pot is the right size, then you should clean it and re-use it!
American Orchid Society provides judging to New England, New York and Northern New Jersey.
The Northeast Judging Center of the American Orchid Society sponsors 2 monthly judging events at the following venues:
1) First Saturday of the month - Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston MA
2) Third Saturday of the month - Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens, Stamford, CT
On these days, each site holds educational forums and discussions in the morning beginning at 10:30 on a wide range of topics related to orchid judging. Plants being submitted for judging should arrive no later than noon that day; actual judging of plants begins after a lunch break, generally no later than 1 PM.
In addition to our monthly judging, we participate in a number of orchid shows throughout the center, providing AOS judging as well has taking part in ribbon and trophy judging at the show.
Finally, we have many knowledgeable and helpful individuals in the center who can speak on a wide variety of topics related to orchids and judging. We encourage all of the orchid societies in our region to utilize this resource.
From Orchid Fever, by Eric Hansen
"You
can get off alcohol, drugs, women, food, and cars, but once you're
hooked on orchids, you're finished. You never get off orchids...never".
CAIOS is an officially affiliated organization of the American Orchid Society and the Orchid Digest.
