Re: [OGD] Cycnoches culture
I was recently speaking at the Susquehanna OS, and in one of their little "culture corner"-type segments, Steve Male (Fishing Creek Orchids) had some tips on this class of orchids, stating that higher humidity levels seemed to be the way to keep them plump during the dry rest period. When growing in a drier environment, like the windowsill of a home, a very slight watering was recommended. Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info! ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Harpins
Quote: Mike Mazur >I have been using a product containing harpin proteins that has been a >tonic for all orchids in my hobbyist's collection of 600 - 700 plants. Harpins are derived from bacteria which attack plants, Erwinia, for example. They are the proteins which the bacteria uses to punch through the cell wall when mounting its attack. Plant cells have learned to recognise these and react quickly to their presence, which they do through what is called apoptosis, programmed cell death. Multicellular organisms have many strategies for managing invaders. Apoptosis is one of these. Cells that are infected or damaged are identified or self-identify, and this triggers a series of events which lead to cell death. Plant cells mostly keep apoptosis in house, as an unassisted suicide, so to speak. There are, however, various pervasive signals such as jasmonic acid, ethylene and, apparently, micro-RNAs which indicate the general presence of pathogens. All of these contribute to reducing the threshold at which the 'hypersensitive response' occurs, making the plant pro-active in dealing with bacterial invasion. Harpins trigger an immediate and local response, as discussed, but they are also reported to cause the affected cells to issue these more pervasive signals, preparing others in the plant to give their lives for the greater good. Whether it is a good thing to maintain a crop in such a state of nervous excitement is not really established. The harpins have been most studied in the Solanaceae - notably, tomatoes and tobacco - where there is good evidence that a pretreatment with harpins does help the plant to resist subsequent challenge with e.g. Pseudomonas. A gene (pflp) from one of these, the sweet pepper, accentuates the harpin hypersensitive response. It has been engineering into Oncidiums (and into rice, bananas, broccoli) to increase their resistance to infection. Earlier, I mentioned that soil contains an enormous number of micro-organisms, and that plants were under permanent attack from these. One person writing in response to this said that one should think of the poor human. We are an assemblage of around one hundred trillion cells. Only ten percent of these are human, and the rest are bacteria, fungi and so on that hitch a ride on us. __ Oliver Sparrow +44 (0)1628 823187 www.chforum.org ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] David Banks
I have just spoken to David Banks (telephone conversation) who has just been relased from hospital. David suffered a heart attack about two weeks whilst indulging in his other love, a game of cricket. The attack resulted in a small hole being torn in his heart, which must be repaired. He is currently at home with his family and will return to hospital in three weeks to have the necessary operation. Following the operation he will be out of action for a further six to eight weeks. David has asked me to place this message because he has been deluged with emails and phone calls, which have placed an added burden upon him and his wife Louanne and currently he is not able to respond to these concerns. He is well at this time and needs the next few weeks to concentrate on strengthening himself for the operation. If any messages need to be sent, he has asked they be forwarded through this address. I assure those who do this that the messages will get to him but I trust all will respect David's wishes until he is fully recovered. Alan W Stephenson ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] seized (Nepal)
"Kathmandu... seized 2,223 kg of orchid... Trade of Orchid... without... permission of authorised governmental officials contravenes the existing law. Convention on International Trade in Endangered spices[species] of wild fauna and flora (CITES) has banned [!!!] the commercial trade of Orchid. [Birkha] Lama was planning to take the orchids towards China across the Nepalese border for trading. The seizure... handed over to the District Forest Office, Kathmandu and the DFO is planning to destroy it[!!!] soon. "Lured by its high market value, orchid smugglers are known to be actively collecting the plant for the purpose of trade..." Brija Kishor Yadav, Kathmandu District Forest Officer said. ... Yadav said Orchid is used to prepare medicines and perfume. "As CITES has banned the trade of orchid, its price is not fixed," Yadav said. ... "This is not first case when the rare plant species was seized, Chinese citizens were arrested in Makawanpur and Dolakha district in the past," DFO Yadav said. He asked the government to take action against the smugglers mobilising security personnel in the highway." URL : http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=35152 * Regards, VB ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Everglades, Florida (US)
"Jim Miller, a Tallahassee videographer... to film... for a DVD project. He speaks with passion about his childhood tours of the Everglades, where he would often spot a dozen varieties of orchids in a day's journey. Now, during a recent three-day venture into the Everglades, he found 20 plants total. One day, he found none at all. A multibillion-dollar project to restore the fast-shrinking Everglades and preserve the remarkable variety of plants and wildlife that inhabit it, including... orchids, has come to a near standstill as federal funds lag and officials re-evaluate how to move forward. ... he talks about the swampland that's been cleared for subdivisions and big box stores. "I don't understand," he says." URL : http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jNxgBnSy4PiQ_Lozgd7G7Q16Z-Hw * Regards, VB ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Cycnoches culture
Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids (i.e., the guy the "nothogenus" Fredclarkeara honors, the breeder of the unbelievably black Fdk. After Dark 'SVO Black Diamond' and Fdk. After Dark 'SVO Black Pearl') spoke to our local group last year about Catasetinae, and talked at some length about that, as he seems to feel overwatering during dormancy is the main reason people have trouble with this group. The way I understood his comments was to watch the pseudobulbs during dormancy for signs of shriveling. If at any time you see that starting to happen, water a little, to plump them back up, otherwise wait for new growth. Steve > Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:24:36 +0100 > From: Anders Hjelmencrantz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [OGD] Cycnoches culture? > > Dear OGD readers! I have been growing som especies of genus Cycnoches > for about 1? years. As always when it comes to the Catasetinae-group you > always hear that these species shoudl have a strictly dry resting period > and no watering until the new growth sends out roots of its own (right?) > My problem is that some of my plants seem to shrivel into nothing but a > dry empty shell during the rest period! I keep them in a green house -- Steve Marak -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] WOC Catt changes
Cassio van den Berg, who I believe was part of the team that shook up the Laelias, was scheduled to speak on Cattleya and Sophronitis classification, but there was so much to do and so little time I didn't attend (and, if I dare admit it, I'm just not that into cattleyas). I did attend a talk on that subject by Thomas Mirenda of the Smithsonian at another show within the last couple of months. He talked with van den Berg & team while putting together the talk to keep his information current. At that time, although there was at least one alternative scheme proposed by another group (involving, if my memory and quick search are correct, Dungsia, Hydrolaelia, Microlaelia, and Hoffmannsegella), most people still favored van den Berg & Chase's moving the Brazilian Laelias to Sophronitis (if they really had to go somewhere else), as that both made sense taxonomically and resulted in less(!) confusion than the alternatives. Most breeders, I think, are still crying over the idea of "Sophronitis purpurata" (or "Hydrolaelia purpurata" in the other scheme) ... Sorry I don't recall more of the details. Steve > Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:33:43 + > From: K Barrett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [OGD] WOC Catt changes > > Supposedly the Brazilians were going to present comments on the recent > RHS changes in the Cattleya alliance at the Miami WOC. Maybe present > their own analysis or tree based on genetics or cladistic analysis. > (?) Anyone have any further information? AFAIK there had been some > discussion of renaming the genus for the Brazilian laelias to one that > honored Brazil, but it was hinted that a more in depth assessment or > taxonomic realignment was coming. -- Steve Marak -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Toledo, Ohio (US)
"Lance Wehrle, president of the Toledo Orchid Society, says he likes... "... to collect wild orchids. I've spotted over 20 species that grow right here in Lucas County." ... has grown about 35 types of orchids in his home for more than 40 years" URL : http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080130/COLUMNIST33/801300317/-1/NEWS10 * Regards, VB ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] A cup of sahlep ? (Turkey)
"Istanbul...One of... favorite ways to escape the chill is... clutching a cup of hot, thick sahlep topped with a sprinkling of... cinnamon love at first sip... ordering sahlep at cafes all over town in an attempt to stay warm... sahlep is... restorative... sometimes touted as a treatment for a cold or a sore throat and, since Ottoman times, as an aphrodisiac. Basically sahlep is a milky beverage... Its secret ingredient is a flour ground from the hand-harvested roots of Anatolian mountain orchids. These starchy tubers provide a consistency somewhere between hot chocolate and lump-free tapioca. ... You ... might find street vendors selling it from large copper urns on the streets of Sultanahmet or at the beverage stations inside the... ferryboats crossing the Bosporus to Asia. ... You may find that you like sahlep so much that you want to take some back home. You can buy presweetened sahlep packet mixes at just about any grocery store in Istanbul (think Swiss Miss a la Turka), but the most adventuresome method is to venture into the Egyptian Spice Bazaar in Eminonu to buy the pure ground orchid root powder... ... a... simple recipe... Preparation time: a few minutes Yield: 4 cups (1 liter) 4 cups (1 liter) cold milk 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon sahlep powder sprinkle of cinnamon powder Combine the sugar and sahlep powder in a 2-liter/quart saucepan. Gradually add the cold milk, mixing to dissolve the sugar and sahlep. Bring the milk to the boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, or until it thickens slightly. Pour the sahlep into 4 individual cups, sprinkle each with cinnamon powder, and serve hot. [and enjoy !!!] ... Comment there is no equivalent to sahlep... in France. If you want to drink a hot thick beverage, you have to ask for a chocolate at Angelinas, on rue de Rivoli, facing the Tuileries garden... you have to go very specific places to drink this beverage" URL : http://blogs.iht.com/tribtalk/travel/globespotters/?p=289 photo : [caption : Hot sahlep at Pia Cafe in Beyoglu, with dried chick peas on the side.] http://blogs.iht.com/tribtalk/travel/globespotters/images/uploads/sahlep469.jpg [Viateur's recipe for a hot Colombian chocolate : get both sweet and sour chocolate (Sol, Luker or other brands) for a large cup, use 1½ tablet of sweet chocolate and 1 tablet of sour chocolate 500 milliliters (2 cups of milk) In a high pot[olleta] pour in the milk and chocolate tablets heat. Stir to help dissolve the chocolate evenly, and once it has come to a boil move the pot from the fire. Beat the mix energetically [with a molinillo], then place the pot back on the heat. Let it boil two more times, beating the mixture in between. Serve. You can add diced cheese (mozzarella, cheddar) when serving the hot chocolate : delicious !!!] * Regards, VB ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Cycnoches and Banks
Simply crushed to hear about David...a dear friend...Will wait to send message to him...as for the Cycnoches..I too have failed with them...Strangely they used to grow find for me up until a few years ago...and as said..I likely have over watered them,,,As I grew them in moss and wet like my Stanhopeas..which thrive for me..never killed one..So apparantly watering infrequently must be the charm..who knows what they think is their dry period here in Hawaii..but Jeff Parker grows them superbly on Maui...I guess we should talk to him...Bill Bergstrom ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Be irresistible (smile...) / California (US)
"Rocket Farms, a Salinas-based grower... announced their Be A Babe Magnet Campaign... which focuses on promoting orchids to men for Valentine's Day... senior executive, Marc Clark... was walking through the airport one day carrying a potted orchid... many women kept smiling and saying hello to him. Some even came up to him to chat... the potted orchid was the magnet. ... at Rocket Farms... they grow hundreds of thousands of fifteen different varieties in their greenhouses... Rocket Farms ships the orchids to the customer right from the greenhouse... The orchids are planted in mulch rather than bark... Rocket Farms... has been in business for over 25 years and is one of the largest growers in California" URL : http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/372467.html Regards, VB ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
