Orchid Society of

Coral Gables
JUNE 2018
The Orchid Society of Coral Gables is a non-profit organization established for the purpose of showing the cultural and economic importance of the
orchid, as well as the intrinsic beauty, and biological and ecological importance of this group of plants. We promote the scientific research and study of
orchids including their classification, evolution, propagation, culture, care, and development. Additionally, we support the conservation of orchids in nature,
and disseminate educational information and knowledge about the orchid family to the general public.

www.oscg.club
H ig hl i g ht s i n t his I s s ue Membership
June Tips
From the AOS - the Photos from the May Renewal
from Dr. Motes
Dreaded Black Rot Meeting and the Form - Very
Redland Show! Important!
How to not get it, or treat This can be a tricky
it if you have it! Pix of our pride and joys! month for growing. Send it or bring it
in ASAP!
Page 4 Page 8-9 Page 10-11

Jun e Me et ing  Tu e sd ay, Jun e 1 2, 20 18  7 :30 pm

Norman Fang
of Norman’s Orchids
and Orchids.com
Beginner’s Class - 6:45 pm
We are pleased and honored to have Mr. Nor-
man Fang as our speaker on June 12, 2018. He
will be talking on “New Color Forms of Phalaenop-
sis Species”, a topic he recently wrote about in Or-
chid Digest and gave a presentation on at the Or-
chid Digest Speaker’s Day.

Even before 1988, when he received his degree

in Ornamental Horticulture from California State
Polytechnic University in Pomona, Norman Fang
was already immersed in orchids. While still a stu-
dent, he managed the Raymond Burr Orchid Col-
lection on campus. Two scholarships to study plant
tissue culture also allowed him to study under
Dr. Murashige at the University of California and
Dr. Tanabe at the University of Hawaii.
(Contiued on page 3)
ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES

P re s i d e n t ’s M e s s ag e

Dear members: one week, but it will be worth it! Nor-

man is renowned for his orchids, es-
“I’m back!” I would like to
pecially his Phalaeopsis, and his new
thank all of you who have been so
talk wil be amazing! He will also be
concerned about my health the
supplying our raffle table and selling
last few months. For those who do
not know, I did have emergency plants.
back surgery a few days after the Next month we are having a spe-
last meeting. And I have to say, it cial summer meeting. Orchid Bingo!
has been very successful! I do Lots of fun, and lots of orchid prizes!
have some residual pain and I am Food, wine, and good times! Don’t
on physical therapy but I am clos- miss it! July 3rd, 7:30!
ing in on being my old self again! I would like to thank the seven
Thank you for hanging in their with members who went to ZooMiami on
me! May 5th to help with fixing their
It seems that our rainy season shade house area. Rosa Cuadrado,
started a couple of weeks early Jill Koerber, Theresa Smith, Joel
this year. It usually gets going Smith, Ken Murrell, Tomy Edwards,
right after the Redland Festival, and Suzanne Williamson worked
but this year it started before, as from 8:45 to noon and gutted the old
those who got soaked shopping shadehouse and revamped it com-
“Nothing is for orchids can attest to! Hopefully pletely - new benches, new shade-
everyone had already began a se- cloth, and rearranging the plants.
ever lost by ries of fungicide applications be- You get 7 OSCG workers together
courtesy. It is fore the rain started. If not, you and stuff gets done!! Check out the
can still apply fungicide during a pictures on page 4.
the cheapest of dry day, even if only dry a few Please note: Because Norman
pleasures, costs hours. Most fungicides prescribe a
will be selling, there will be no silent
monthly application, alternating
nothing, and auction this month. However, we will
with different fungicide group. For still have show and tell, so please
conveys much. “ - example, we use Banrot (group 1) bring in your plants for us to see!
one month and use Mancozeb
- Erastus Wiman And, of course, bring your $ for the
(group 33) another month. raffle table supplied by Norman!
Sometimes even a third type the
next month. So far we haven’t had See you at the meeting!
any rot yet, but I know the season Melana
is just starting! We have reprinted
an article from the AOS on Black
Rot to help, page 4.
We were very fortunate to be
able to have Norman Fang from
Norman’s Orchids in California as
a speaker this month. It meant we
had to move our meeting forward

Phal amabilis var Java

PAGE 2
 JUNE 2018

C o n t i n u e d f ro m Pag e 1 - N o r m a n Fa n g
In 1986, he started his renowned nursery, Nor-
man’s Orchids, based in both California and Tai-
wan. His parents, brother and sister soon joined him
in the company as it grew, and he wisely was the first
to secure the domain name of www.orchids.com. Ex-
hibiting at shows across the US, he has received
more than 400 AOS flower quality awards and 20
AOS Show Trophies. In addition, he was honored in
2005 with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the
School of Agriculture at Cal Poly in Pomona.
As the second youngest judge to become fully ac-
credited, Norman has traveled around the world to
judge orchid shows, from Asia to South Africa, from
Canada to South America. In 1996, with Paul
Bechtel, he initiated AOS Judging at the Taiwan Inter-
national Orchid Show and since then has served as
the AOS Judging Coordinator for the show. He has
also long served as the AOS Representative for the
Taiwan Orchid Growers Association. As a result of
these relationships, he has been instrumental
in bridging the license agreement with TOGA and the
Taiwan Paphiopedilum Society to include their award
records in Orchids Plus.
As a former Vice President of the Ameri-
can Orchid Society and having al-
so chaired their Development Committee, he is cur-
rently serving on their Public Relations Committee. In
addition to these AOS volunteer activities, he’s a
Founding Member and Regional Director of the Inter- Phal. Mituo Prince 'Caribbean Sunset,
national Phalaenopsis Alliance, currently celebrating
its 25th year!
He is an active member of several affiliated socie-
ties, Norman is a sought-after guest speaker for soci-
ety meetings, shows and conferences. He generously
supports Judging Centers, societies and the AOS
with generous financial, scholarship and plant dona-
tions.
Recently, he became the Orchid Advisor for the
famed KBCC at Pintung,Taiwan 辜嚴倬雲植物保種中
心

Norman can be reached at Norman’s or-

chids (https://www.orchids.com). He is also on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
normanorchids/
Don’t miss this great opportunity!!

PAGE 3
ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES

Hospitality Corner
What is the only state whose flower is an orchid?
It’s summer and time again for
Melana’s Pulled Pork Sandwiches!
We need sides, salads and des-
serts, and you can bring any other
type of entrée if you’d like.
Please try to bring something for
our table - this speaker will be pull-
ing in guests and we’d like to show
them our best!
Minnesota!
The Cypropedium reginae

Wo r d s o f W i s d o m f r o m t h e AO S
Black Rot roots..
By Susan Jones As it name implies, black rot
shows up as dark blackish
A danger to orchids any time spots or lesions on the af-
the weather is rainy or damp for fected plant part. The black
extended periods, black rot can spot or spots enlarge rapidly
quickly destroy an entire plant if and can spread throughout
left unchecked. Caused by one the plant. If allowed to reach
or both of the fungi Pythium ul- the crown of a monopodial
timum and Phytophthora cacto- (single-stemmed) orchid, the
rum, black rot affects a wide Black rot moves quickly through a rot will kill the plant. Affect-
variety of orchids. Cattleyas plant and can decimate an orchid ed leaves may turn yellow
seem to be particularly suscepti- collection if not treated. around the infected area,
ble. and the lesions themselves
and change to brown and then will be soft and exude water
Life Cycle
black. Left untreated, the af- when pressure is applied.
The fungi that cause black rot in
orchids can live only in environ- fected plant or plants may in-
fect others and will probably Prevention Unsterilized
ments where water is available pots, media or water
to them. They consist of spores die themselves.
sources, as well as water
capable of independent move- splashed from affected
Symptoms
ment, called zoospores, which plants nearby, are all excel-
When the fungus attacks
swim through the water. If that lent means of spreading the
seedlings, it is usually at the
water happens to be sitting on fungus. In addition, plants
soil line. This can cause the
an orchid leaf, the zoospores that spend time outdoors
little plants to topple and die,
can penetrate the plant tissue should be elevated 3 to 4
and is referred to as damping
and begin the next stage in their feet (90 to 120 cm) above
off.
life cycle. At this point, the fun- the ground to avoid splash
gus develops a vegetative part In mature plants, the disease contamination. Do not allow
or mycelium consisting of hy- can strike at any point on the your orchids' leaves to re-
phae (thin, thread-like tubes), plant (leaves, pseudobulbs or main wet for any extended
which spread quickly through roots), but often starts in new periods. Good air circulation
the affected plant tissues. Once leaves or growing leads, and
this occurs, the visible signs of progresses downward through (Continued on page 6)
infection - small, watery, trans- the plant until reaching the
lucent spots - expand quickly

PAGE 4
 JUNE 2018

B e g i n n e r ’s C l a s s - 6 : 4 5 p m , P h a l b e l l i n a a n d f r i e n d s
To go along with Norman’s talk, Jim will
be discussing Phal bellina, the species and
its hybrids, and other bellina type plants.
Phalaenopsis bellina is a monopodial
epyphite orchid species, native to Malaysia
and Borneo. It used to be called Phal. viola-
cea var. Borneo due to its native location,
but the correct classification is now bellina.
This orchid grows on trees and branches in
shady lowland forests, at elevations of 200
m or lower. This is one of the most iconic
Phalaenopsis species, due to its exquisite
appearance and delicious fragrance, few
serious orchid collectors miss it from their
orchid collections.
Bring your questions on this species or
any other orchid type!

O u r O S C G vo l u n t e e r s a t Z o o M i a m i !
Seven OSCG members had a great
time fixing the shade area where the or-
chids are kept to put in trees at ZooMi-
ami. This is part of our commitment to
conservation and education to help
beautify the zoo.
Everyone had a great time and really
enjoyed themselves! Hopefully, more of
you members will step up at the next
outing and help! Before...
Our thanks to Tomy Edwards, There-
sa and Joel Smith, Rosa Cuadrado, Jill
Koerber, Ken Murrell, and the fearless
leader of the group, Suzanne William-
son! After!

PAGE 5
ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES

From the Membership Committee! If you haven’t renewed your

membership, now is the time! All memberships except those begun this year will renew in May.

I know that some things may seem redundant, especially to those of you who have been members for a long time,
but it is important that we make sure we have the correct information for everyone, especially for the newsletter.
Print out your renewal form on the next page, fill it out, and bring it to the meeting with your renewal fees.
Please make sure it is legible, especially your email address. Thank you, and we’ll see you at the meeting!

Membership Committee

Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know!

C o n t i n u e d f ro m p a g e 4 - Wo r d s o f W i s d o m f r o m t h e AO S
in the growing area is key, and or the entire leaf if necessary, open wound.
can help plants dry quickly after to halt the spread of the fun-
watering or rains. The addition gus before it reaches the Drenching the affected plant with
of a fan or fans to the growing crown. Place the plant in an fungicide is also an option. Drench-
area can improve the airflow area that receives good air cir- es of a protectant fungicide such as
and help prevent rots. At first culation to allow the cut to dry. Truban or Terrazole are recom-
signs of infection, segregate all mended if the disease is diagnosed
affected plants to avoid contam- Chemical Treatment Once early. For more advanced cases, a
inating healthy plants. Finally, the infected plant parts have systemic fungicide such as Aliette
some growers recommend the been removed, a fungicide or Subdue is more effective. Cap-
use of a high-calcium fertilizer should be applied to protect tan, Dithane M-45 and Physan 20
in the spring to help avoid black the remaining healthy tissue. have also been recommended by
rot in new growth. Cinnamon is an excellent fungi- some growers for control of black
cide, and ground cinnamon rot.
Mechanical Treatment To may be applied straight from
stop the spread of black rot in the spice jar directly to the ex- To protect seedlings against damp-
your orchid, begin with a sterile posed area where infected por- ing off, water with the fungicide of
knife and cut out the diseased tions of the plant have been choice (at the dilution rate for
portion of the plant. Remove all excised. First Rays Orchids also seedlings specified in the product's
infected plant material, taking recommends mixing cinnamon instructions) as soon as they are
out a small amount of healthy with either casein-based glue deflasked and potted in compots.
tissue bordering the infected (such as Elmer's) or cooking oil Afterward, treat with a preventive
area as a safety precaution. Ex- to form a thick paste. This fungicide at two-week intervals.
amine the cut portion carefully. paste is fairly waterproof and
It is sometimes possible, espe- can be used to cover the
cially in pseudobulbs, to see a wound.
brownish discoloration extend-
ing into the interior of tissue Another poultice that was de-
that appears healthy on the sur- veloped specifically for use on
face. In sympodial (many- orchids is StopRot. The product
stemmed) plants such as a catt- contains a Bordeaux mixture in
leya, it may be necessary to cut lanolin. The Bordeaux, a mix-
below the leaves and into the ture of copper sulfate and lime,
pseudobulb to stop the spread has fungicidal properties. The
of the disease. If the plant is lanolin seals the wound to keep
badly infected, cut into the rhi- moisture out.
zome, growth by growth, until
you reach healthy tissue. For a Whatever method is chosen, be
monopodial orchid such as a sure to cover all of the exposed
vanda or phalaenopsis, remove (cut) area with the fungicide or Black rot is easily spread by splashing water.
the infected portion of the leaf, sealant, so that no new infec-
tion can be introduced to the
PAGE 6
 JUNE 2018

Orchid Society of Coral Gable Membership/Renewal Application

DATE:___________________

NAME:___________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:________________________________________________________________

________________________________________Zip Code________________________

PHONE: (Home)_______________________ (other)_____________________________

Email: (Important!)____________________________________________________________

PRINT CLEARLY:
Birthday:__________________________(month/date)

Business name_________________________ Occupation_________________

American Orchid Society member?________ Expiration date:_________

I would like to become involved and assist with the following: (Please check at
least one.)

Phone Committee Refreshments Newsletter

Orchid Shows (2 per year) Auction Public Relations
Library Welcoming Committee Membership Committee

Other ______________________________________________________________________

Do you consider yourself a beginning, intermediate or advanced orchid grower (circle one)
Have you taken any orchid culture classes?____ Where_________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any feedback on club programs from this year or any ideas for programs you would like to
have for next year? email a board member or JoAnn Forbes at wartrace@aol.com
(Dues are: $25 single membership / $40 couple - same household)

PAGE 7
ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES

P h o t o s f ro m o u r M ay M e e t i n g !

Photos by Ron Rosenthal.

PAGE 8
 JUNE 2018

FYI: Ron has put many P h o t o s f ro m t h e R e d l a n d S h ow !

of his photos of our Photos by Ron Rosenthal.

and other shows, and

meetings into albums
on our Facebook page!
Check them out!
Thank you, Ron!
You can add your own
photos too! Orchids
only please!

PAGE 9
ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES

Orchid Tasks for June - by Dr. Martin Motes

1. Careful watering this month often means no watering at all. Arise early to enjoy the cool and water
only when truly necessary.
2. Space plants amply. Good air circulation is essential across the coming months.
3. Re-pot Phals and re-set Vandas. Make sure that plants are firmly set in their new abodes.
4. Begin or continue a disease prevention program with the prophylactic application of Thiophanate
Methyl (Cleary's 3336) and Alliette or Banrot.
5. Clean up growing area and plants. Remove dead leaves from plants and the ground. Pull weeds.
6. Prune trees and shrubs to increase light and air circulation.
7. Apply snail bait lightly early in the month and again lightly mid-month
8. Set air conditioning thermostat at 80 and enjoy living in the Tropics. June Climate Data
Average high: 89.5
Average low: 75.2
Average mean: 82.4
June in Your Orchid Collection - by Dr. Martin Motes Average rainfall: 8.54"

June is the most dramatically tropical month more the question than how or when to water
in South Florida. As the southeast Trade them.
Winds blow cool moist air off the Gulf Stream For most sympodial genera (cattleyas, den-
daily, as surely the heating effect of the center drobiums, oncidiums, etc.) the natural rainfall of
of the peninsula percolates up massive thun- June is sufficient. Only in those rare once or
der heads. The increased cloud cover drawing twice times during June when no rain falls for
a veil across the afternoon sun provides much nearly a week is it necessary to think of water-
cooling relief for our plants late in the day. ing sympodial orchids in June. Even then it usu-
Because of this additional cloud cover, our ally is a thought that can be dismissed. A thor-
plants are less stressed than in the brightest of ough, "hard" drying in this first month of the
May sunshine. The increased humidity makes rainy season is usually of much more overall
June feel hotter to us, but this humidity brings value to sympodial orchids than the slight extra
blessed balm to our plants from the unrelent- push of additional water. Harder plants that
ingly dry heat of late spring. The shading have not been pushed with extra water are
clouds are also the harbinger of the almost dai- much more disease resistant than softer more
ly rains that arrive like clockwork with the thun- lushly grown orchids.
derstorms that re-circulate the moisture laden Vandas and other high water requirement
air back toward the ocean in the afternoon. plants may still need periodic watering in June
These showers can drop the temperature but remember that these types too relish occa-
10-12 degrees in almost no time, again bring sional "hard" drying and the heavy often linger-
our plants relief when they need it most in the ing, rains of June are just the nostrum for re-
peak heat of the day. In June, such soaking hydrating them even when they have become
rains that can sometimes be an inch or more as dry as the cork in a wine bottle dry.
an hour are the norm rather than the excep- When watering in June, remember at no sea-
tion. For orchids grown outside in South Flori- son is the standard 'water early in the day' rule
da this month, how to dry them out becomes more relevant; those extra hours of drying are
crucial. If your vandas or other orchids really

PAGE 10 (Continued on page 9)

 JUNE 2018

(Continued from page 10)

need water, water early in the morning to allow dant moisture. While rain contains minute
time for them to dry not merely by night but by quantities of nitrogen, heavy persistent rain can
the time the all too likely afternoon thunder- in fact strip nutrients from our plants by revers-
storms arrive to soak them again. ing the normal osmotic process. To a degree
Be sure when you water that the roots of the this effect of the heavy rains can be positive
vandas are saturated until they turn overall dark leaching away any excessive fertilizer salts that
green. This will still take two applications of wa- have accumulated over the dry season but
ter spaced a few minutes apart. June is the ar- overall the rain leaves them needier than be-
chetypical month for careful but totally thorough fore. Those of us who have kept our plants well
watering. For those of us committed to sloth, nurtured in May will be ahead of this curve but
this month is one in which benign neglect be- we all must keep our plants fat and happy at
comes a virtue. the onset of the heavy growing season.
With an eye to efficient drying which the sea- For orchid grown in pots with media, the rel-
son demands, June is an excellent time to re- atively new, slow release fertilizer widely sold
view the spacing of our plants. Always give your as "Dynamite" (i.e.. Nutri-cote) is of especial
plants sufficient space to allow for good air cir- value at this time of year. Other brands of slow
culation to permit rapid drying. Crowded plants release fertilizer have not proven to be as relia-
stay wetter longer encouraging fungus and bac- ble (neither consistent nor durable) under the
teria. Scale and mealy bugs also thrive on the hot humid conditions of South Florida.
soft lush growth generated by overcrowded, In general, a good rule in June is that when
overshadowed plants. Mites too love the extra some opportunities to water present them-
protection from dislodging rain that overgrown selves, think rather of applying liquid fertilizer
plants provide. instead of just water. Remember too, the oft
When looking at the spacing of your plants repeated bad advice to water your plants be-
also allow some extra space for the new growth fore fertilizing them is particularly erroneous in
that will be rapidly developing in the new grow- June when over-watering can quickly have
ing season. Remember your well grown plants negative consequences. In June, as always,
will be much larger at the end of the rainy sea- replace a watering with an application of the
son when the fungi are savagely on the prowl. proper concentration of liquid fertilizer.
Plants and trees in your yard also will have Another frequently sought strategy is to ap-
grown in the past year and will be growing more ply fertilizer in conjunction with fungicidal
in the rains of summer. June is a good time to sprays. In general it is not advised to combine
think of pruning vegetation that is blocking light balanced fertilizer (20-20-20, 18-18-18) with
and air from our orchids. Come the true heart of sprays because with South Florida's highly al-
hurricane season in September you will be glad kaline water, any phosphorus in the fertilizer
that you did! Tree pruning alas, slips to a low tends to bind up most of the trace elements
priority in the face of an approaching storm. when conjoined to South Florida ground water.
Your orchids will be glad right away that you Phosphorus (a very active metal) can also have
pruned, rewarding you with harder, healthier adverse reactions to the fungicide itself, lessen-
growth sure to produce yet more lavish blooms ing or abnegating its effectiveness. The solu-
in season. tion to this dilemma is to use a fertilizer without
phosphorus when a bit of nutrition is desirable.
A persistent problem in June is how to apply The best source is potassium nitrate 13-0-44
liquid fertilizer to our plants under these often (available at farm supply stores in 50lb. bags)
persistently wet conditions. As all of our orchids which provides the additional potassium our
are in rapid growth in June they need to be fed, plants crave. 1 Tbs. per gal can be added to
ironically this comes in the face of super abun- the spray solution. Be
(Continued on page 10)

PAGE 11
ORCHID SOCIETY OF CORAL GABLES

(Continued from page 11)

sure to use "Spray Grade" not "Prilled" which will merely waste in the heavy rain.
would need to be dissolved in hot water. Although mites and to a degree Thrips are
Thiophanate Methyl, Cleary's 3336 or its washed away by the heavy rains of June, the
combination Banrot or Duosan should be ap- warm conditions of summer speed the growth
plied prophylactically in June. Keep a sharp of scale and mealy bugs. At the first sign of ei-
eye on your plants for any signs of black rot ther of these pests spray with soap at 2 oz. per
(Pythium). Should soft black or brown spots gal or an appropriate insecticide. Oil is no long-
appear, they should be excised immediately er an option in the heat of summer. If the soap
using a sterile knife as this disease can doesn't prove effective
spread quickly in wet conditions. Banrot enough, try something
gives good control but Alliette is the best fun- stronger but apply with
gicide to control this disease if it persists. care early in the morn-
ing or late in the even-
To minimize the need to apply fungicides,
ing as the high temper-
June is an excellent time to review our over-
atures of mid-day in
all sanitation and cultural conditions in the
June can acerbate phy-
growing area. It is always important to keep
totoxic reactions.
the growing area as clean as possible.
June is still a great
In June, cleanliness becomes even more
month for top cutting
essential because water is the chief vector of
strap leaf vandas, te-
most orchid diseases. Dead leaves, roots or
retes (papilionanthes)
other dead orchid tissue frequently harbor
and reed stem epiden-
diseases that can be loosed upon our or-
drums. Most sympodial
chids by the heavy rains of June. Weeds
orchids are already in
(dead or alive) can hamper air flow and also
growth and unless their
harbor disease. This month whatever one
media is totally broken down are probably best
can do to enhance air circulation is a plus.
left undisturbed till their new growths have ma-
Under cover, fans to move air are of great
tured and they have flowered. If you have not
value to Phals and other genera.
gotten your Phalaenopsis out of last year's
Hopefully, if we have been doing a good sphagnum moss wait no longer! Phal roots in
job, our plants will have grown significantly soggy medium in June are a receipt for "Fails".
since last year's rainy season. They all may
For those of us so in love with Florida that
well need more space. Remember that old
we would never think of insulating ourselves
time orchid growers would say one needs a
with air-conditioning, the rains of June provide
cat to be a good grower in South Florida be-
pleasant relief from the harsh Mediterranean
cause a cat should be able to walk orchid
sun of late spring. As my son Bartholomew at
benches without knocking plants down when
age two so aptly said "Rain sweet as honey".
they are properly spaced.
Enjoy! Our orchids do.
Snails and slugs will have the whole
world as their stage in June and can travel Sign up to receive Dr. Motes’
considerable distances to eat our tender or-
chid shoots. Baits containing metaldyhyde newsletters at
are very effective if applied evenly and often. http://redlandpress.com/
Remember, bait draws the pests; spread it
thinly but repeat weekly for thorough control. subscribe.html
Snails and slugs always require multiple ap- You can also text ORCHIDS to
plications. Overly heavy applications of bait
PAGE 12
22828.