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Maroochydore Orchid Society Inc. presents,

‘The Observer’ P.O. Box 382, Maroochydore 4558

www.maroochydoreorchidsociety.com.au

JUNE 2017

Patroness - Rosanna Natoli

President - Duncan McMartin (07) 5448 5300

Secretary - Kathy Howatson (07) 5448 4450 maroochyorchid1@optusnet.com.au

Treasurer - Del Whittaker (07) 5476 5305

Editor - Fred Lenz (07) 54915654 fmlenz@westnet.com.au

The June cultural meeting will be held on Tuesday 6th at 7.30pm

CULTURAL MEETINGS

Cultural Meeting is held on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the Girl Guide Hall, Beach Road, Maroochydore, at

7.30pm. AGM will be held at October meeting. Members and visitors are welcome. All plants to be tabled by 7.30pm

for judging.

MAY MEETING TOPIC

Use of Plantacote Top K

The topic discussed at the meeting revolved around the use of controlled release fertiliser (CRF) Plantacote

Top K. This CRF is coated with a tough and resilient coating material. A natural membrane process is the

method by which nutrients are released. The process is controlled by the thickness of the coating and the

soil temperature e.g. 20°- 21°. The coating thickness determines the release time e.g. in months 4, 6, 8

months.

Nutrient release and growth occurs when higher temperatures are experienced. With lower temperatures

less nutrient release happens and growth slows.

Application methods will depend on how the type of orchid or pot plant involved is containerised.

Topical application is when the fertiliser is placed on the top of the mix and when released moves into the

root zone.

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Mixing into the potting media allows distribution throughout but care should be taken to prevent damage

to the coating.

Layering is when fertiliser is set at different levels during the potting process.

Another process where small holes are drilled into the mix at varying depths and the fertilised placed into

the holes is ideal for established plants.

HOW I USE CONTROLLED RELEASE FERTILISER (CRF) ON ORCHIDS

I use half a teaspoon per 150mm or 6 inch pot. You may wish to use less.

Density of the potting media will relate to where the CRF sits.

The CRF can be included into the pot in several ways.

(a) Included when mixing the various elements of the media. Mix each pot separately to get the correct

ratio of CRF.

(b) Layered on the top of the mix. Best if plant is established in pot.

(c) For open mix, place CRF in porous stocking and lay on top of mix.

Sale plants at cultural meetings

Members may bring plants to sell at meetings. So be prepared and bring little extra cash if you are interested

in buying.

CULTURAL MEETING RESULTS

JUDGES CHOICE POPULAR CHOICE

NOVICE

1 C. unknown No result

Member

2 C. unknown

Member R Bryan

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Member

SPECIES

1 Den stratiotes Bulb. rothchildiauum

Member R. Rae J Merieca

2 V. sanderiana

Member R. Rae

3 Bulb. grandiflorum

Member D McMartin

FOLIAGE

1 Aglaonema No result

Member L Hocking

2 Hairsfoot fern

Member R Bryan

3 Bromeliad

Member L Hocking

CATTLEYA

1 Rlc Dream Trader x Rolf Coconut Rlc Hawaii Stars

Member J Merieca L Hocking

2 Rlc Hawaii Stars

Member L Hocking

3 Blc Makai

Member L Hocking

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DENDROBIUM

1 Den unknown Den unknown

Member L Hocking L Hocking

2 Den unknown

Member L Hocking

3 Den Airy Crimson

Member L Hocking

ONCIDIUM

1 Col Wildcat “Leopard” Onc Milt Kauais Choice

Member L Hocking P Henssler OAM

2 Onc Milt Kauais Choice

Member P Henssler OAM

3 Onc Chauculatum

Member K Rimmington

VANDA

1 V Susan Ong Mooi V Susan Ong Mooi

Member F & M Lenz F & M Lenz

2 V Thailand

Member L Hocking

3 V Jose Coronado x Madam Rattana

Member L Hocking

OTHER GENERA

1 Lyc Aquilla “Detente” Lyc Aquilla :Detente”

Member P Henssler OAM P Henssler OAM

2 Phrag calarum

Member P Henssler OAM

3 Bulb Elizabeth Ann

Member D McMartin

OVERALL WINNER Den stratiotes owned by R. Rae

2017 CALENDAR

Society Show Dates: Bold indicates, Maroochydore Shows

Caboolture OS Show Morayfield Community

Complex

Set Up Thursday

Friday, Saturday

6th July

7th & 8th July

Maroochydore OS

Show

Benching Show

Millwell Rd

Community Hall

Set Up Thursday

4.00pm Judging 7.00pm

Show Friday,

Saturday

3rd August

4th,August 8.30am to

4.00pm

5th August 8.30am to

2.30pm

STOCQ Meeting Agnes Waters

Community Centre

Saturday 12th August

Agnes Waters O&FS

Show

Agnes Waters

Community Centre

Set Up Friday 11th

Saturday

12th August

Nambour OS Show Nambour Uniting

Church Hall

Set Up Thursday

Friday, Saturday

31st August

1ST , 2nd September

Glasshouse Country OS

Show

Beerwah Hall Set Up

Friday, Saturday

21st September

22nd, 23rd September

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Nambour Species Show Nambour Uniting

Church Hall

Set Up Thursday

Friday, Saturday

26th October

27th, 28th October

STOCQ &OQI meeting Glasshouse TBA Saturday 4th November

Pumicestone OS Show CT Williams Hall

Caboolture Showgrounds

Saturday, Sunday 4th,5th November

FUTURE INTERNATIONAL /AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCES AND shows

2017 9 - 11 June TQOC – 70TH Birthday Conference & Show Townsville Stadium

2017 5 – 6 August WA Orchid Spectacular Conference & Show Rendezvous Hotel

Scarborough

2017 8 – 11 November 22nd World Orchid Conference & Show, Guayaquil Ecuador

2018 18 – 22 July Orchids in the Foothills, 21st AOC Conference & Show, Hawkesbury

Indoor Stadium, South Windsor NSW

2019 14 – 15 September STOCQ Orchidfest Rockhampton OS

Supper Roster for 2017

Please put 2 names beside each month. This makes sure we have supper even if someone is away.

June: Robyn Volz, Joe Mercieca

July: Ian Walker, ___________________

August: Loraine Hocking, John Salway

September: Kev Rimmington, ______________

October: ______________, ______________

November: ________________, ____________

may cultural meeting photos

Rlc. Dream Trader x Rolf Coconut Vanda Susan Ong Ah Mooi

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Lyc. Aquilla ‘Detente’ Col. Wildcat ‘Leopard’

Den. unknown V. Jose Coronado x Madam Rattana

Den. stratiotes C. unknown

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Phrag. calarum V. sanderiana

Slow Release Fertiliser for sale

The society has purchased a slow release fertiliser for sale to members. The fertiliser is Plantacote TopK 8M

and it has an 8 month slow release time. N9 P3.9 K15.7. It is able to be purchased at the June cultural

meeting and is in a 1kg pack for $7.

Plantacote K® is a coated controlled release fertiliser which releases nutrients by a natural membrane

process. Potassium pronounced coated NPK-Mg controlled release fertilizer with micronutrients.

Controlled nutrient supply suited to plant requirements over a period of approx. 8 months for flowering

plants and perennials. See the Plantacote web site for more details.

Re - International Guest Speaker

International orchid hybridizer Fred Clarke will be guest speaker at the general meeting of the Ipswich

Orchid Society at 7.30pm on Wednesday 7th June. Anyone wishing to attend this meeting should contact the

Ipswich Orchid Society secretary for details as per the email forwarded to all members from Kathy our

secretary.

Fred Clarke will also be giving a lecture at the Tropical Queensland Orchid Conference and Show at

Townsville in June.

The Influence of C. dowiana var. aurea on Hybrids

Background

Cattleya dowiana var. aurea or C. aurea as it is now known is the only yellow flowered species of the unifoliate (or single leafed) cattleyas. It is (or was) found growing on the western slopes of the Andes mountains in Western Colombia at altitudes between 300 and 1000 m. This is lower than the than the other unifoliate cattleyas of Colombia such as C. trianae, gigas and schroderae and hence is a little more warm growing but this does not appear in its hybrids.

Since its discovery in 1850 it has been collected almost to the brink of extinction in nature. So much so that the Colombian government has outlawed any collecting and now only nursery grown plants are available

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for sale (good thing for all orchid species). C. trianae which grows at above 1000m was so overcollected as well it was reduced to just 40 known plants in the wild. But due to conservation it has bounced back.

C. aurea is reputed to be a difficult plant to keep alive and the writer can vouch for that from personal experience. But this trait is not carried through to hybrids derived from it.

Early Hybridising

From its discovery in the mid 19 th. century the hybidisers thought the possibilities seemed endless using C. aurea. Hybridisers could see a way to produce large yellow flowers with a purple lip and beautiful gold veins in the throat of the lip.

But when they crossed C. aurea with the other big cattleya species and hybrids not all the results were what they expected. Plants flowered with a whole range of colours. From white with purple lips to various shades of yellow, pink and a much darker shade of purple

If we look at these results

Yellow X pink gives

White, yellow, pink and dark purple

This gave rise to the very dark cattleyas, semi albas (white with coloured lip), yellows (in conjunction with some of the smaller flowered bifoliate cattleya species) and various other colours. Also the magnificent purple lip with gold veining seems to be dominant and is evident in a lot of hybrids today.

One of the major defects when using C. aurea as a parent is the crippling effect that can affect the petals and sepals. This has largely been eliminateded today by selective breeding

So next time you look at catteyas at home or at shows please think of how one plant from the western slopes of the Andes mountain range could exert such a major influence on a group of plants that are so prized today.

Courtesy Bill Letcher

LIBRARY

An orchid book library is available at the Girl Guide Hall for all members to use. Please

ensure borrowed books are signed out by our Librarian, Joe Merieca.

IF YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING ARTICLE TO SHARE IN THE NEWSLETTER PLEASE

CONTACT THE EDITOR

Disclaimer: While the Editor endeavours to ensure the reliability of this newsletter, neither the Editor nor the Maroochydore Orchid Society Inc.

can assume any responsibility for the information or advice given to readers of The Observer.