NEWSLETTER - Orchid Societies Council of Victoria Inc

\
SOUTHERN SUBURBS ORCHID SOCIETY INC.
Reg.No.A0026662B
Corporate Participant in OSCOV
COYRIGHT NOTICE: Articles in this Newsletter may be copied and used in the interests of
Orchid Culture, with the proviso that their source is acknowledged, written permission must be
obtained for any other use in any media.
ALL Correspondence to:
The Secretary:
PO Box 230 Bentleigh East Vic 3165
SSOS web address: http://www.oscov.asn.au/ssos
email address: southernsuburbsos@yahoo.com.au
“Where Friends Meet”
Meetings at 8.00pm on the first Wednesday of each month (except January) in the
N.G.Wishart Senior Citizens Hall 964 Nepean Highway, Moorabbin
Newsletter No: 245 964 Nepean Highway, Moorabbin Next Meeting: Vic. 4 th February 2015
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015 2012
Best wishes from your Southern Suburbs Orchid Society for a wonderful 2015, with promise of
wonderful orchids, great company and many opportunities to socialise, learn and expand our orchid
collections. The main purpose of this January newsletter is to remind you all that next Wednesday 4 th
February will be the first opportunity to come along, show your plants and rebuild acquaintances. As
always, our early session will start at N.G.Wishart Hall at 7:30pm.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Hi all,
Our first meeting for 2015 will be held on the first Wednesday of February, so I have little to add, but to
welcome all back for the start of 2015. Hoping everybody had an enjoyable break and they remembered
to maintain their plants over the summer without the causalities through lack of watering. Be looking
forward to seeing you all at our monthly meeting.
Chris Seals
**********
If you all do not know John Portelli, you should get to know him really soon. John is a solid contributor
to our committee and helps Robert Harrison with most of the early sessions at our monthly meetings.
John also happens to be probably the keenest grower of
Stanhopeas in our club. If you are a Twitter follower, you
should check out John’s site as he has some wonderful
specimens on display. https://twitter.com/onlineorchids
I have included some photos on the following pages.
John also won our club’s 2014 Intermediate Annual
Champion award in his first year after promotion from
novice. I think he may have surprised some and it sounds
like the competition will be fierce again in 2015 (if showing
orchids can be considered fierce).
For all new members, John is really approachable and
always keen to assist, like many of our other members.
Say hello to him next meeting and turn up early with any
problem plants for some advice as to what your problem
may be or an introduction to the right expert.
Finally, John and Ingrid have kindly offered their family home for our first morning tea of 2015. This will
be on Sunday 8 th February. Start around 10am at 7 Agnew Street, East Brighton. You are asked to bring a
morning tea plate to share and an appetite for tasting everyone else’s produce. It would assist if you
could bring along a folding chair as well.
Chris Scerri (Editor)

Showing your plants
We really, really want all of you to bring as many flowering plants as possible for showing at our
monthly meetings. I know that I only started showing during the last year or so and I know it can be a
little intimidating when you start. Thomas Edison has been quoted as saying:
“I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will
not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
I assure you that you will not fail 700 times but even a genius like Edison recognised the importance of
trial and error. Here are a few hints about how you should label your plants but do not worry as
someone in the room will help you out. We all want to see your plants, starting this week.
Plant Name Tags When Benching Plants at SSOS Member Meetings
Make sure each plant entered for showing has a correctly labelled plant name tag
Blank plant name tags are available at the venue
Make sure completed plant name tags are readable
Completed name tag should be for relevant section
o Open: Pink
o Intermediate: Yellow
o Novice: White
For members showing in the Open Section:
o Missing, incorrectly labelled or unreadable plant name tags will result in the
plants not being judged
For members showing in the Intermediate and Novice Sections, the club is a little more
lenient as we want to encourage all to learn:
o Plants that have missing, incorrectly labelled or unreadable plant name tags will
be judged (at discretion of the show marshal) but you must put your name on the
tag if we are to allocate points to you.
Note:
o If not sure or need some advice on how to correctly fill out the plant name tag,
ask for advice from the Show Marshall or other members.
Front
o Any flowering orchid on show will still be appreciated by all the members but
missing, incorrectly labelled or unreadable plant name tags could mean no
flowering competition points being awarded
Where Friends meet
Example: Completed Plant Name Tag
Intermediate
Class: Intermediate Cymbidium
Name of plant: Sleeping Sarah “lovely” x
Paradisian Bullseye
Owner’s Name:
Date: 20 / 3 / 2013
Reverse
Andy Willwin

Summer is the time for Stanhopeas
As promised, I have included a few photos here of just a few of John Portelli’s beautiful Stanhopeas.
You have to admire
the wonderful
Stanhopea
nigroviolacea in
these photos left and
right. Aroma of
chocolate and vanilla
just adds to the
senses invaded by
this orchid.
Below left is S. lietzei
and S, hernandezii in
the background.
Below right is John’s
Stanhopea Corner in
his East Brighton
backyard.
OSCOV operates a wonderful website with a wealth of information. I found this article which might
surprise some of us about the ability of cymbidiums to flower at different times of the year. I thought
this to be a good article, despite its vintage, for the start of this year so we can really plan ahead.
From OSCOV website, written by Stephen Early in 2000. http://www.oscov.asn.au/articles.html
CYMBIDIUM SPECIES -MONTH by MONTH by Stephen Early
I have often heard cymbidium hybridisers claim that they will soon have cymbidium hybrids that will
flower all year round. But this is possible now with a collection of cymbidium species, so where is the
big change? All the plants I describe in this article are ones that I grow and that are available in
Victoria. Unless stated otherwise, they will grow and flower without heat in Melbourne.
In January and February not many orchids are in flower but several of the thick-leafed cymbidiums
are usually in bloom. One is Cymbidium aloifolium, the type species for the genus (which means that
it was the first cymbidium described). It is appropriate that it should be the first species to flower,

together with Cymbidium finlaysonianum, C. bicolor, C. atropurpureum and C. rectum. All of these
species require heat and we therefore grow them with our cattleyas. Their need for heat is not
surprising because they grow in the lowlands of Asia, often in full sunshine. However, C. suavissimum,
which can be grown without heat, also flowers at this time. It is closely related to C. floribundum but
it has upright spikes and produces its flowers about three months later than C. floribundum.
In March and April C. lancifolium comes into flower. Also known as C. aspidistrifolium, it forms a
small plant with tapered leaves. Growing in leaf litter on the forest floor, each bulb develops on an
ascending rhizome so that the plant is continually raised above the accumulation of leaf litter. Due to
the altitude at which this plant grows in nature (up to 2300 m) it will grow cold in Melbourne.
In April and May a number of cymbidium species are in flower. One of my favourites is C. dayanum,
which grows cold and is often still in bloom in July. It makes a good specimen in a 125 - 150 mm pot
and produces a series of spikes over several months. Another species that flowers in April and May is
C. erythraeum, its smaller plant size and flowers resembling those of C. iridioides.
The distinctive bell-shaped flowers of C. elegans, a strikingly different species, appear in May and
June. C. erythrostylum also flowers at this time - it's an outstanding species with white flowers and
makes a charming specimen plant. It is an important parent in the breeding of many early-flowering
standard cymbidiums.
In July C. tracyanum begins to flower and continues to produce its twisted, reflexed and highly
scented flowers in light and dark brown shades until August. Its flowers have about every fault the
judges would penalise in a cymbidium hybrid. C. iridioides (often known as C. giganteum) also flowers
at this time. It is sometimes confused with C. tracyanum, even though both the plant and its flowers
are quite different.
Come August and September and one of the gems of the orchid world, C. hookerianum, often known
by its synonym, C. grandiflorum, comes into flower. It has celery-green foliage and large green
flowers. Unfortunately many plants labelled as C. hookerianum are early hybrids but once you have
seen the real species then the impostors are easy to pick. C. insigne flowers in September. Its flowers
vary from pink to white; you can easily recognise its influence in many early standard cymbidium
hybrids.
In September and October we see the flowers of C. sanderae, often also called C. parishii, although
this is now thought to be a different species. C. sanderae has large spikes of cream - white flowers
with heavily marked lips.
From September through to November you can see C. lowianum in flower. This is a large plant with
long, arching spikes carrying many flowers, which are usually green, although a yellow form has been
found. I have purchased many plants and later discarded them because of questionable leaf markings.
Finding disease-free plants can be difficult because most plants of this species have been in cultivation
for many years.
In October we have C. floribundum in flower. Also known as C. pumilum, this miniature species has
been used to breed most miniature and intermediate cymbidium hybrids. Because of its small plant
and small flowers, it makes an excellent specimen plant. At this time of year C. devonianum also
flowers. It is also used to produce miniature- and intermediate-sized hybrids. It has large strap-like
leaves and produces small flowers on pendulous spikes. In my experience C. devonianum grows best
with a little heat in winter.
During November and December the Australian
cymbidium species, C. suave, C. madidum and C.
canaliculatum begin to flower. Only the first of these
three species grows well in Melbourne without winter
heat.
As you have seen, a collection of species
cymbidiums will provide flowers all year round. With
the exception of January and February you can do
this with cool-growing plants. All of the species
mentioned in this article have been collected in
Melbourne by us over the last few years and are not
uncommon. I have not mentioned those species that
we have as yet to grow or flower successfully.