[OGD] lost mail (r/o info)
Hello everyone, First want to congratulate the Genesee Region Orchid Society, Rochester NY for having another nice show. Even had nice weather. I even found a polystachya tayloriana (syn. dendrobiiflora) that I'd been looking for quite awhile since a mad squirrel dug into and killed the one I had before that was quickly turning into a specimen plant. I'd like to ask if those of you who sent me private email info sources and conversation about r/o equipment and all could re-send me the posts you sent before. While trying to fix a disk problem I managed to erase my inbox and address book, so I don't have that information available to me. Luckily I had old mail and address book from about 1 -1/2 months ago on another disk. Moral of story? - always look twice before hitting the 'initialize' button. Also thanks to the Ellenbergers who dropped off a water-filtering and testing catalog for me at the Rochester Show. thanks and regards, charles phals philippinensis, bastianii, equestris peloric (2), sanderiana (2); phrag besseae in bud. 2 paph hirsutissimums, phal stuartiana, stuartiana var. nobilis, equestris and phrag Ecua-Bess in flower -- Charles Ufford Oriskany, NY USA IPA, Central NY and Southern Tier Orchid Societies www.cnyos.org www.geocities.com/charlesufford ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] bastianii or mariae
Hello all, I have a species phal I bought a handful of years back from a now former-vendor who at the time sold both phal mariae and the horticulturally-named phal deltonii (now bastianii). I had purchased one or so of the deltonii's and a few of the mariae's, and managed to kill both types. I have one that was labeled as mariae, and I've tried to tell before by using the various indicators (spike orientation, upright or horizontal; trichomes on lip, number of flowers etc) which species I had. I believe that one I had which is no longer alive was a mariae based on the color patterns and comparing that with pictures I'd seen labeled as mariae. I had another plant that I had bought as deltonii, and when it flowered, it seemed to match the characteristics of bastianii. It has since died, but one of the plants I had purchased as mariae has flowered twice on the same inflorescence and started a new one with some flowers on it. The first spike was semi-upright but since the plant had tilted sideways I thought maybe it wasn't a good indicator to use and with-held judgement until the next spike came out. This one looks very upright. It also has three flowers open, three more very soon to open; a description between mariae and bastianii states that mariae usually has pendant spikes, and usually not very many flowers open at the same time. The initial spike also has a branching, if that makes any difference. Also the description stated that mariae often only has 2-4 leaves, and this plant has about 8 or so. The one point that has me slightly confused is that another description I've read states that mariae has lots of trichomes on the lip, and bastianii has very few. These flowers are not lacking in trichomes in any way, shape or form (lots of them). I'm not really asking for definitive identification as that can only be done by examining structural exam of flowers, and a glance at general plant form possibly to assist (spike orientation, length etc), but the number of these flowers which I think are bastianii's with many trichomes has me a little confused. If there are any of you that have viewed plants that have definitively been identified as bastianii but still had numerous trichomes, I'd be happy to hear about it. I can't send a closeup picture for awhile as my cheap digital camera can't get in that close, and it will be a little while before I'll have my present roll of film developed (0 pictures taken of 36 exp.). Maybe if I get overly curious, I'll send a preserved flower to Eric C. along with some pictures when I get some developed. thanks in advance for your help, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] water quality report
Hello again, I found a copy of our local water quality report online, which points out that we have very good quality water which is nice to hear. Only things that raise flags is the level of sodium resulting from using soda ash to raise the pH of the water. Lime is also used, and chlorine not chloramine is used to kill bacteria and other critters. The average level of sodium in the report is 18 mg/liter. Fluoride is also listed at 1.25 mg/liter, sulfate is at 14 mg/liter (no odor detectable). Chlorine averages are 1 mg/liter though they can be as high as 1.9 mg/liter. I'm just wondering if anyone has found these sodium or fluoride levels to be bothersome to sensitive orchids, and if these chlorine levels have been known to cause problems. I just got a tds meter, and the ppm level of the water is only about 63ppm, which I know is very good. I'm wondering if the frequent watering from a wand directly from the kitchen tap of many of my mounted orchids is what might be causing some of the problems I've seen. Only problems I could see at all from this water would be the high pH and the possibly bothersome chlorine/fluoride/sodium levels. There are actually no contaminants found of the organic chemicals related to synthetics and volatiles (organic compounds), and other metals and compounds are much lower than the standards allow. If the filter I was using before (chlor-gone) was using water-softening agents, the sodium levels may have been even higher. I would think the plants would be jumping for joy at water this clean, but the small mounted ones consistently show funny things going on. One other point someone made when I was asking about water filtration systems before, was that plants on tree-fern mounts could often show decline which they attributed to the eventual decline of the pH of the mount. Regular dunking of the plants in a higher-pH solution was suggested to try and keep the mount pH higher. I have seen some problems on some of the plants that are on cork mounts, so don't know if that is all of the possible problem. Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions? If the plain chlorine can be removed by using a carbon-block filter, then I'd be likely to try that just to get some of it out. Don't know about the sodium, or if that level is even a problem remotely. Anything else would require me to set up more water storage, pumping and all that which would just take up alot more room in an apartment which already has too much 'stuff' in it ; ) thanks for your help, charles ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Charles Ufford's water
>The level of fluoride does not seem to be excessive, especially if >the water is alkaline. See http://www.schundler.com/florides.htm for >more information. Adding calcium helps if the fluoride level is high. > >The amount of chlorine is negligible. It is a myth, often repeated, >that chlorinated water is bad for orchids. I surmise that this comes >from the perception that chlorination is an artificial process and >anything artificial is bad. It is a practice of many excellent >growers to spray their growing areas with 1 or 2% chlorine bleach, >inevitably getting some on the plants. I did this regularly when I >grew in a greenhouse. No ill effects. Some growers tell me that >they actually spray their plants with 1% bleach to combat rot. > >Likewise sodium at this level is not a problem. When I grew in a >greenhouse the sodium level started out at 15 ppm (mg/l) in 1981, and >reached 37 ppm in 2000. I started to see leaf tip burn in some thin >leafed orchids in 1990. Of course this does not mean that sodium was >the cause. BTW, sea water contains about 33,000 ppm sodium. > >In his studies of the effect of salinity on Phalaenopsis hybrids, >Yin-Tung Wang found that much higher concentrations of sodium were >not detrimental. See http://primera.tamu.edu/orchids/paper3pg1.htm > >Of course hybrid Phalaenopsis are not thin leafed orchids. In a >private communication to me he indicated that high levels of calcium >help overcome the effects of sodium. > >pH is another issue. The EPA recommends raising the pH of municipal >water to about 8 (if memory serves me correctly). This reduces the >amount of dissolved lead and copper in drinking water. At least one >overzealous community that I know of raised it to 9.3. They used >potassium hydroxide, though I am told that many communities use soda >ash. A pH of 9 can cause problems in absorption of trace minerals. >So, Charles, what is your pH? > >In short, I don't believe that the quality of your water is the cause >of the deterioration of your mounted plants. > >Mounted plants dry out more quickly than those in pots, and low >humidity could aggravate this. Perhaps watering the mounts more >often would help, as would placing a pad of sphagnum moss around the >roots. Try misting them at least once a day. > >Martin > Hello Martin, Thanks for both the new info you sent today and the info you provided again included in your last posting to me. I was most concerned about the sodium levels. I tried looking over the water quality tests a few times to try and find what their target pH levels were where they discuss the additives they use to try and prevent leaching of pipes, solder etc, but it wasn't present. I don't have a pH meter yet but will take a sample to work tomorrow. It turns out that the water at work is the same provided to the village of oriskany, and since the tds levels here match at work, I'll assume for tonight that the pH is probably the same. We've had it tested and the pH usually never goes below 8, so assuming that ours here is also 8, though a test will show. Many of my mounted plants do have a small pad of sphagnum, though I had been told that many of the chinese phal species would resent this treatment. My humidity does often get pretty low, despite efforts to keep it higher, group plants much more closely together plastic around the carts and the like. Quite a few of the roots on my phal taenialis plants have died back though at one time the roots were growing like crazy. Other plants that I had in lightly placed sphagnum in around roots in pots the roots above the sphagnum would die back, but under the sphagnum would look fine. I'll try misting more, and more watering of calcium nitrate on the mounted plants. I may even have some of those mystery mites that you don't see until later one (flat mites?). One thing that may point to the humidity issue is that I moved my phal parishii to an aquarium and I removed some of the moss around the outside of the roots. I found a long flower spike that had grown down into the moss, and was perfectly healthy and had buds on it which are getting larger now. The first spike I saw a few weeks back was growing quickly but the buds yellowed on formation, then the spike yellowed and died back quickly as well. Maybe I just don't mist with clear water and get a mini injector and get the calcium/pH issue taken care of, as that was an issue we had at work as well, when we would spot water seedlings (annuals perennials in plug trays) with clear water the pH would drop in some and disease would emerge from the other problems with incompatible pH/plants, and it would leach out nutrients in some cases since the water was so 'empty'. Another observation question: when the newest roots on an orchid, in this case phal species, that are the latest ones to come out of the plant, sort of stop growing and get a very crusty white look to them, is that a reaction to pH or ove
Re: [OGD] Merit and Marathon
Len wrote: > Regarding the recent discussion of the Bayer Rose and Garden insect > spray, Merit and Marathon are now illegal in a number of counties in > New York State state my nearby plant nurseries. I don't know the > reason for this, but assume it may get into the ground water. > Len Henschel I know that there have been a number of chemicals that have been deemed unusable on Long Island (but still can be used in the rest of the state), for just the reason you point out. Being fairly sandy in composition, the soil of Long Island permits fairly rapid transmission of 'stable' chemicals and it's been determined that imidicloprid can travel into water supplies. I don't think it is banned from use by nursery or greenhouse (among other types of growers) but the restriction may just be for home use chemicals. I think the volume of use of products containing imidicloprid was found to be quite high so that there needed to be a use restriction. It is definitely allowed to be used by 'upstate' wholesale greenhouse growers, since we are allowed to purchase and use it, but I had heard that home use products weren't going to be allowed to be sold anymore (except for maybe the pet products which have very limited quantities) because of the risk of the large volume of potential runoff. Like all or at least most other chemicals that have been placed on 'banned' lists, if you still have it or can get it legally from a source, you can still use it until it's gone. Imidicloprid itself isn't really 'dangerous' in comparison to many other chemicals in relation to safety during proper usage, just that it can migrate to water supplies under certain conditions more easily than other chemicals. regards, charles -- Charles Ufford Oriskany, NY USA IPA, Central NY and Southern Tier Orchid Societies www.cnyos.org www.geocities.com/charlesufford ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] slope question
Hello phrag growers, I'm wondering if there are any of you out there that have observed certain species growing in the wild, and if they inhabit sloped areas what they average degree of sloping might be. I know that some species can grow on vertical faces of rock, but if there are other areas that they normally are found on what that might be. This is also a question for disa growers, about what degree or lack of sloping might be found in their natural habitat, and if there would be tolerability for a species to grow on a slightly sloped surface, or if it is 'almost always' found on a relatively flat area. If there is little to no perceptible sloping to an area usually, then that is useful information as well. This might be better asked if I put forth that I'm mostly interested in how much sloping a person might generally find for besseae species habitats in nature, and what perceived angle that most besseaes seem to take in elevating themselves out of the pot. Many people would like to know how to keep their plants from climbing out of the pot, so I'm wondering about addressing the issue in a certain way. thanks for your help, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] phal lindenii
Julia wrote: > >Hi everyone, > >I have owned a Phal lindeni for several years and it has never had more >than 2 or 3 leaves on it, although it blooms every year. I grow it >mounted on tree fern with a sphagnum pad, and as it has been on that >tree fern since I bought it the roots are fairly well integrated in the >fibers. I keep it in about intermediate temps in my basement under >fluorescent light. It annoys me that this plant always looks like it >wants to jettison its leaves. Can anyone offer some advice on getting >better results with this plant? Do you grow yours in pot/basket, cork, >or TF? I sort of think my problem might be the tree fern as I've had >problems with other species on tree fern in the past, but I know plenty >of people use it with success. > >Thanks, > >Julia Hello Julia, A long time ago I had a lindenii that had been grown in a large pot of fir bark. It was pretty happy until I let someone else care for it while they watched some seed pods on it ripen; it sat in some water during the Winter and it rotted. I think I had one other I tried to grow in a pot, and at some point during a Winter it got too wet and also rotted. Now, I grow only on pieces of cork bark, with loose sphagnum around the roots. They are hanging from shelves in my kitchen window where they never get bright light unless during Winter the angle of the sun gets low enough to shine in late in the day. During the Summer a fan moves air out a bedroom window and vacuum pulls it in the kitchen window. In Winter my kitchen is only 65F at warmest, and much cooler by that window. I try to water every other day, but sometimes it is 3-4 days between full waterings with a spray attachment from my kitchen sink. Humidity is never very high, but the plants usually look pretty good. This year all my adult plants coordinated their flowering and are now all in flower, this after a few years of very scattered flowering all year 'round. Problem will be that one of them always flowered around the time of our Fall Show, but this year will be long out of flower. I have no idea how I pulled this off (hah, I had nothing to do with it I'm sure), and am wondering if some of them will in turn flower in less than a year and be out of phase with the rest. In the past, I've had problems with things on tree fern except for a trichopilia maculata that was pretty hardy to start with. Of my phals, many of the small ones have died while being grown (poorly) on tree fern. Fertilizer I think often collects too much and they burn, so remaining phals on tree fern get alot of plain water and weak fertilizer. I've been told that these mouns can get acidic over time and using calcium nitrate or a basic fertilizer is necessary to keep the substrate pH from getting too low, though have no idea if this works or not. Maybe the plants are too close to the light; if they are getting strong light maybe they feel they don't need more leaves? Mine are pretty dark but get new leaves right along and though dark don't have a problem flowering. They do flower more when I remember to fertilize more when I see flower spikes starting. hope this helps, charles ps Someone in tennessee told me that the way they get lindenii to grow in their greenhouse is to put the plant into a pot that is just big enough to hold the roots folded into it, and no potting mix. they just water when the roots look dryish -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Bond Movies/Science
> When Bond finally tracks Drax down, he finds the billionaire in the Amazon > jungle. It's here that Drax has located a poisonous orchid whose dust kills > humans but leaves plants and animals unharmed. Drax has already loaded his space station with bombs filled with the stuff. He intends to spread the dust all over the world and watch mankind perish. Needless to say, Bond stops him. But why bother? Life scientists know there aren't any orchids with poisonous pollen." Article URL : http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=4071 * > Regards, > VB Well, they may not kill anyone, but there are some bulbophyllums whose fragrance might make someone a little ill,... -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] species culture for under lights
Hello all, I have some old and new plants of phal javanica, and an old plant of phal micholitzii. Plants of javanica I've had struggle at time and usually die off after a while of trying to keep them going. I had one other plant of micholitzii, which struggled and died, and my present one that I've had for a few years was extremely healthy when I got it, but got some sort of crown disease which I stopped by covering the crown with 'stoprot' paste, but it has been at a standstill since then. Does anyone on these lists have experience growing these species under lights? I have culture sheets for both of these, but some practical observations by some other growers would be very valuable at this point, I think. I have a feeling micholitizii needs to be warmer than what I have for it, but don't know if it is just that it is sensitive to being dried out, to the point where it takes very few times of being dry to make it suffer greatly. There are troublesome species I've found keys to help keeping them alive growing them under lights, but these I don't have good clues, and could use some help with them. Other Chinese species I need much more variable conditions than I can provide under lights in my apartment at this time, and they suffer. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Observations about the growing conditions in native habitats would be very helpful. thanks and regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Phalaenopsis javanica / P. micholitzii
Thanks Viateur for the info, If anyone has the documents mentioned I'd appreciate it if they could scan me a copy. thanks and regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] CNYOS Annual Fall Show and Sale
Hello all, Just to let you know that the Central NY Orchid Society will be holding it's Annual Fall Show and Sale this Saturday and Sunday (October 14th and 15th) at the Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, NY. There will be club and vendor displays, vendors of plants and supplies, paintings and photographs of orchid related material, educational displays about native orchids, speakers talking on various topics, raffles, AOS judging, orchid culture sheets and more! Our main web page is www.cnyos.org and clicking on the main show page and then clicking the link to the Beaver Lake Nature Center can get you directions and more details. The show will be open to the public Saturday from 12noon to 5pm after judging, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Beaver Lake does have a $2 parking fee, but the show is free (not counting expenses for buying lots of plants! ; ) ). hope to see you there, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] phal primary hybrid name
Hello all, I tried the rhs hybrid name finder page with no luck hoping to find if there is a named primary hybrid between phalaenopsis pulchra and phal (doritis) pulcherrima. I tried searching also using the above reversed, with genus only for one or other, using doritis instead of phal and lueddemanniana instead of pulchra (previous naming of phal pulchra was phal luedd. var. pulchra). I put pollen from a bright red/purple flower of phal pulcherrima on a completely red flower of phal pulchra and am curious to know if there are images available of the cross, name and all of that. thanks and regards, charles from chilly and depressingly gray upstate ny, though paph spicerianum, phal pallens and stelis mystax flowers are brightening my apartment! -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] micranthums and hybrid names
Gerry wrote: > >Does anyone have suggestions for growing P. micranthums? > >We currently grow it under lights. > >Jerry in IN > Hello Jerry, Well, I've never gotten one to bloom though my present one is slowly getting larger. An orchid retailer named Jim Marlow who sells near Rochester, NY recently gave me a tip about how he grows them in his greenhouse (I know, not under lights). He said to use very clean water and flush out the pot for a few weeks, let dry a little between waterings, then give it a moderate feeding. Then go back to clear water for a little while in a cycle. Also mentioned that it was important to have a calcium source in the media to allow trickling of calcium. I checked a culture sheet I got from the Baker's website, and it states that even in the Winter when it is the dry season there is a fair amount of moisture from dew and condensation, and that it grows in an area of weathered limestone (in some localities) and that there are commonly seeps where they grow. So, it looks like the clean water thing is helpful along with trace moisture in the media at all times. Also indicates that it can be much cooler but brighter in the Winter months. For under lights that just might mean it might need to be closer to air movement to cool it off more, or whatever means you can come up with to cool it off a bit. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >Both Wildcatt and OrchidWiz show it as unregistered. You get to name it. > > > I tried the rhs hybrid name finder page with no luck hoping to find >> if there is a named primary hybrid between phalaenopsis pulchra and > > phal (doritis) pulcherrima. thanks for the check; hopefully all will go well and I'll have some seedlings to check out and name. should be a bright red/purple thanks and regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] dry ice for CO2, and other paph news
I had a thought about co2 production, I remember in chemistry class that if you had acid and you dropped shells or limestone into it, you would get carbon dioxide and I think water vapor (not sure about the latter). Also think that when I was a kid there was a cereal box (cap'n crunch) once in a while would have little plastic submarines that you could pack baking soda into a little cell on the bottom and drip some vinegar or something like that into the pocket, set it in the water and the reaction would make gas (I believe co2) and the sub would sink, get some gas, rise up, get to the top, release the gas and then go down and up over and over. Point being that I think both could be alternative ways to possible cheaply get co2 for your plants. Other thing you might want to look into is finding out where there are coal and fuel burning plants or such nearby that are starting to collect the co2 peeled out of the energy creation reaction and are looking to inject it underground or under water to get rid of it to possibly offset global warming. I know probably no big corporation will likely want to sell relatively tiny amounts of co2 gas here or there, but it they are alternative thoughts to getting co2, and hey, my job is really boring and I need *something* to think about! There may be other places that have co2 and want to get rid of it. Also glad to hear that someone has been growing p. micranthum and having good luck at it under lights and with lots of patience. I'll keep mine from drying out and just not expect fast results. One happy note paph-wise is that when the late Jim Rice was closing up his orchid greenhouses I had bought a good handful of paph armeniacum seedlings. One by one over the last few years they would die from various things, but the last one hung on and lately has thickened up considerably, and a runner had gone underground and was looking for a place to get out of the 2 1/4' pot it was in, and has a nice shoot on the end of the stem. Looks like it will survive and prosper. Also noticed a few days ago that I had a bud emerging on a yellow phrag besseae that earlier this year I had almost given up on. There was some discussion earlier about some phrags and keeping them in water, and someone pointed out that either they or someone else had had problems with their yellow besseaes that were sitting in water and they took them out. Also may have been a point of discussion that the plants may have been a little too cool I had the plant in large diatomite that the red ones I have love to be in (well, smaller diatomite but they love diatomite in general), and sitting in water in clay pots; the yellow kept dying back, so I took it out of the water and set in it my phal species shelf which is brighter and stays much warmer and it doesn't sit in water anymore. It was still in the clay pot, and it dries out much more than the other plants, but a few months back a previously aborted shoot started growing out of the center again, and looks good and hopefully the bud will stay and open. Can't wait! regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] gas and madness
Hello all, seems like a few people have been breathing a little too much co2 lately and are getting a little light-headed as a result! (wink) Our greenhouse site (max. of 18 acres under glass, usually 14 acres used solely for plants) used to supplement co2 at night (houses vented during the day even in winter so co2 wouldn't help) to try and get increased growth. We have a wide mix of house types from loose double poly hoop type houses, polycarbonate sides with loose plastic tops, to hard sided glass topped old houses. I believe our horticultural consultant or some literature passed around the greenhouse community stated to us that if you could control factors at night (no venting) then co2 could help for a short-term crop with quick turnover. The only problem we were told was that the plant would 'get used to it', so the growth would stabilize again at the rate it was before the increase. So, continued growth wasn't possible and continued introduction of co2 was wasteful of the natural gas unless we needed the heat in the house anyway. Most of our crops were/are around for longer than the most beneficial time, we were venting at night during warm times so it wasn't really feasible. Many of our houses were very leaky anyway and most of the plants were up on benches with relatively dead air underneath the benches so the gas wasn't where the plants were, and air was leaking out and in at many spots, so it was very wasteful. Fuel is extremely costly, so all of the co2 makers were removed except for where they were needed for supplemental heating. Seems like in these conditions, orchids of some types in closed environments could see a boost for a little while if they were in a closed area, but then it seems that the boost would stop. Maybe there is some other effect with orchids (?) where if they have gotten a jump start from the co2, they may continue via inertia if there is enough other things being taken in to the plant so that they are happy... it seems alot like what happens when a person is training at high altitude - their body makes more red blood cells to get more oxygen, the athlete goes back down in elevation and they have a boost in stamina and all that from the increased oxygen and red blood cells. The body then decreases the red blood cell production and eventually the extra boost is worn off. 'controlling for' certain factors just means that you know exactly what each thing in a tested system is, and when you change one thing while the other things are stable, you can tell if the one changed factor is responsible for any reaction. Many different factors could be limiting and causing a slow down of growth. There are a few good reasons why growth may slow down in winter, and it may or may not have anything to do with co2. In our production houses growth often can slow down mainly because of the much decreased light, and the fact that the high temperatures reached during the day are much lower in winter than in summer. Also if venting is needed in winter because of it getting too warm, the air coming in is much cooler and can shock the plant, making it slow down greatly. Also a big factor is that often the water being put on the plants is much cooler in winter than summer, so exposure and evaporation really cools the plant down. If your pots are cooler in winter and the roots are alot cooler than in the summer season then the plant can slow down greatly as well. If there is a much slower metabolism in the plant because of lower temps and less light, it won't matter so much if the co2 is low, because the plant doesn't need as much anyways. If you can get the pot temp, leaf temp, air temp, light amount, all other things the same in winter as in summer except for the venting (air exchange possibly creating a co2 deficit), then you have controlled the conditions to know if sealing up the house is responsible for slowing the plants down. You would have to know also what the co2 levels were day and night in summer and in winter, and then you would know if it were co2 loss/growth reduction. It doesn't matter if you are a 'pro' or an 'amateur' these things can be tested the same by both (well I don't know how to test for co2 though there is a box in one of our large ranges that says 'co2 sensor' on it that is hooked to a computer; don't have any idea if there is a cheap or portable sensor for home use. Iris and Tony wrote: >CO2 must have some effect. I breathe on my orchids every day, and some of >them bloom. >Iris >I hope you are controlling for your breath. Is that two breaths per orchid? Or three? I breath on mine too and have a good percentage that bloom during the winter. Even so I feel sure (how un-scientific is it to 'feel') that additional CO2 during the winter would result in even better flowering. Happy growing >Tony I think there is contradictory testimony here! You would think that 'breathing on your orchids' would
[OGD] lindenii pollen
Hello everyone, I'm wondering if anyone who can ship to the U.S. has any phal lindenii that will be flowering in the next few weeks? My phal schilleriana is going to be flowering soon (quite a bit earlier than usual) and I'm still trying to recreate phal Baguio (lindenii x schilleriana) and my lindenii's this last year all flowered at the same time this Spring and I don't have any pollen to use. If I could use some pollen from one of your plants, I would be happy to reciprocate with future seedlings, or other trades of seedlings/pollen. I have had no luck so far getting pods to set with viable seed from any of my lindenii's, either with schilleriana or lindenii pollen. I did send some pollen to someone else and they got some seedlings, but so far the seed in any forming pods has been blanks. I have some seed in green pods of lindenii that I just sent out from different plants, and I'm hoping that those will have viable seed. thanks and regards, charles from unusually warm upstate ny ps phal lamelligera is once again flowering after about a two-year hiatus, and bud is continuing to form on my yellow phrag besseae -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] den falcorostrum
Hello all, Wondering if anyone in the shopping vicinity of the U.S. knows where den. falcorostrum can be purchased? I did the obligatory google search, and spots listing it were not in stock except for a site in Australia, which is a bit expensive to ship a few plants from given the fees involved. I will contact the vendor I originally purchased it from, though his website doesn't list it and the original tag in the pot lists a vendor in New Zealand where he likely got it from. I would love to visit their greenhouse, but not likely to do so in the near future! thanks and regards, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Shopping charles phrag besseae flava in flower; really glad I didn't kill this plant -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Conservation
Gerald wrote: > Oliver, > 1. I think I read that Bird Flu is coming back. > 2. The only reason biofuels are so big in the US is because Senator Lugar > of Indiana (along with a few others trying to get re-elected) are stroking > the CORN farmers. > And of course the Norte' Americano is too egotistical to > drive a small car that actually meets her/his needs. hey, HEY! I drive a Saturn SL2. and this after convincing several people at work that "no, I don't want my next vehicle to be a truck. no, I'm not a truck person. no, if I need to haul something I'll go to UHAUL and rent a van. no, I still feel cool driving a Saturn and not a GMC Denali or a Hum Vee." Gas mileage is for me. I'm an average north american,... (well, maybe not). ; ) : ) and another point is that from what I've read or heard, biofuels are trendy but they use more energy than what they create. What is the point? Another one of those things that seem great on paper or in the boardroom. Of course, we in the horticultural wholesale business know that the best way to get rid of a weed is to domesticate it. I think we can propagate oxalis, dandelions, golden rod and other plants notable as invasives and make great biofuel out of them. Just about the time those plants get domesticated they will get all sorts of pests and diseases, people will dig them up, and they will become rare. (tongue slightly in cheek) to make this an orchid post, my yellow phrag besseae is in flower again (with even a third bud on the way). Phals sumatrana, schilleriana, stuartiana, several equestris' and venosa all in flower. Phal sanderiana flower spike still growing into lights and burning back, and last but not least fragrant Burrageara Kilauea 'Hawaii' is in flower after benign neglect after acquiring at orchid club raffle table (neglect because I didn't know what to do with something that wasn't a 'phal', wasn't a species and was probably a box store orchid). Despite all of those points, I've decided I like it and will keep it. Winter has decided to make a comeback, I just hope it doesn't decide to stick around as long as Rocky Balboa. regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Saturn SL2 fuel consumption
Peter wrote: > Charles Ufford protested "HEY! I drive a Saturn SL2" > I always thought that was the rocket the USA used to launch the Apollo > series. Fuel consumption is round about 10 feet to the gallon, isn't > it ? > :) Peter O'Byrne (smile) I wouldn't mind that sort of mileage if I could go that Fast, and I was allowed to fly over the cars in front of me on the highway instead of driving behind them. My employer also probably wouldn't mind if I could go that fast since I was 15 seconds late (time card punch) arriving for work in snow storm which meant I would not receive first 15 minutes of pay. charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] books for sale
Hello all, CNYOS Club Member Tom Daily has some orchid books he would like to sell. He has the 'Native Ecuadorian Orchids' (5 vols) set For Sale $430 + any shipping. They can call him at 315-687-3449 if they are interested or need further information. (I'm not sure if he will ship internationally, need to ask him to find out. If you are outside U.S. and don't wish to call him reply to me directly as he isn't comfortable in releasing his email address). If calling please note that he resides in the Eastern Standard Time Zone of the U.S. and plan calls at decent waking hours. regards, charles paph delenatii is finally in bud after three years; bought in flower. phal stuartiana, sumatrana and venosa in flower, yellow stuartiana and lamelligera in bud, dracula mopsus in bud. doesn't look like we are having that early Spring after all! -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] AOS decline and alternatives
Rick wrote: (among other points) > The AOS judging system has serious flaws that only become >increasingly apparent over time. Many growers feel that the fees >associated with > receiving an award are both excessive and extortionate. Pay the >price or lose the award. What are the costs associated with adding a >line to a> database and printing a certificate on a word >processor? The costs associated with producing slides were hardly >substantial, but even these > costs could have been reduced had the AOS not so tardily joined the >digital age. > Judging venues throughout the country are dominated by the decrepit >who have long since lost their enthusiasm for orchids, but who can't > resist playing the authority in spite of their apparent >incompetance. Many judges, who should be constantly on the alert for >superior plants, > disregard all plants lacking a formal request for judging. So many >judges seem to be in a hurry, as if their time is too valuable to >waste on > plants that don't measure up to their own (supposedly impeccable) >standards. Yet they don't hesitate to dish out awards to their >fellow judges, > even while pretending that they don't know who grew >the plants. How does a judge bring a plant in for judging without >being seen by all those > already present? Many judges even travel to judging in the same vehicles. Although there were a few good points, I can disagree with the statement about the judges at least in respect to those that have come to our shows in Upstate NY. For the most part, they are genuinely enjoying their being there and there really doesn't seem to be any rush in getting around. Though most of the judges are not young, there are only a few that you could say are 'old' by any means, and at least from what I've seen they are happy to be there and often are including clerks and others in the general decision making for ribbon judging and asking opinions and things like that. We don't really have formal requests for judging, all are open for it unless someone clearly asks for a plant not to be judged (rare) or it has no name. Most often it is the commercial vendor entrants that win AOS awards, but lo and behold they are most often the best plants entered. I think that most of the judges (especially those that travel down from Canada) enjoy the shows they are at, and for the most part we enjoy having them as well. Now, if we could only find a way to lower the cost of feeding the judges, (brown bagging from now on, and no wine!) ; )I'm sure there are places where politics is the rule, and the statements made are accurate. Just doesn't seem necessary to place all in the same boat when we all know it is usually a small number of people in a group that can spoil things for the many. I agree about fees, and since I take awards pictures, I know firsthand that slide duplication is extremely expensive, and am happy that the nearby judging center is now going mostly digital. I also don't subscribe to the Orchids magazine, but from a cost viewpoint. If it were inexpensive I would probably buy it to see photographs of flowers. Now if there does seem to be hurrying judges, it may be that since they don't get paid directly, and they may be taking time from work to travel to shows the adage 'time is money' would definitely apply, especially if they are doing multiple shows throughout the year. Their work may make heavy restrictions on their travel and show time. I know I'm trying to figure out how to do a few orchid club speaking presentations here recently, and since where I work they have a 6 month no vacation restriction, if the meeting is during that time, there is only one day a week the presentation could happen and the rest of the time would involve driving like mad to and fro, and I would likely be in a rush as well. regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] greenhouse ventilation
Hello Tom et al, One way of bring in a little cooler air might be to use some Jet Fan tubes and a fan from the outside. Typically the fan is overhead in the middle of one far wall. When cooling is needed, a solenoid pulls open the metal louvers, the fan just inside kicks on and blows outside air into a plastic tube usually about 1 1/2 feet in diameter with two rows of holes near each other to direct where you would like the air to go. You could also have a low power motor open a solid louver outwards as another option. The latter version would seal better where there are cold, strong winds. One negative of setting this up as we have them at work, is that there would be a large open area in the wall where cold wind could blast in as the fan is mounted a few feet away from the louver (for air mixing) and really cold air does drop down when the vent is open (you can see the fog dropping right down and can see the crispy plants right where this air hits). Our setup with fans/large tube might be too large, but there may be smaller systems that can be had for smaller houses. If the fan were mounted and sealed directly on the wall in front of the louver, then only the air coming out of the vent tube would get in. If you wanted to pull down heat from above but didn't want to cook things below, it might still be good to have a tube pulling air down from above and be directed underneath, but have a small vent from outside be pulled through another tube and mix with the above air. A thermstat of sorts could be placed in the air stream coming from above (after the mixing zone) that could open or close the spot that allows the cold air in, keeping it from getting too hot. Otherwise maybe putting some cold water through pressurized mist right in with the hot air might help in keeping it from getting too hot. If a vent tube were put on the floor just inside the wall, then water could be misted or cold air mixed right inside this tube, and the adjusted air could be sent down the length of your house, moving up from the floor. hope this helps, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] aos fees
Lisa wrote: > I'd rather see the AOS retain the higher judging fees and lower the cost > of membership. If the goal is to expand, the way to do it is by recruiting new members--few of whom would be interested in the lower judging fees, but many of whom would benefit from a lower membership fee. I do hope this is not a harbinger of the "new direction" the new leadership has chosen. The leaders of tomorrow will come from today's new members. The organization needs new members, and this is NOT the way to encourage them! > --Lisa Thoerle, pleurothallidiot (Let's see, I have an asbestos suit > here somewhere...) Hello Lisa, Just conjecture here, but the judging (awards) fees alone may have been lowered since there will be less processing and mailing of awards slides. Since they are going to allow digital images, or just two or three slides that will be scanned and disseminated, that will lower that particular cost (I think at least, it can be hundreds of dollars to make duplicates of just two or three awards slides to be then sent to all the awards centers). I do agree, though that a lower membership fee would likely attract more new members. just a thought! charles I never thought I would be saying that I have a dracula (bella) in bud and flower! Also after many years again have a phal bellina in flower; phal corningiana in flower, with buds of phal pantherina, floresensis, fimbriata, a handful of p. pulcherrimas and celebensis and maybe a few others on the way. phal parishii flower spike blasted again. Recently purchased coelogyne cristata in flower and bud, smells very nice! -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Orchids Digest, Vol 9, Issue 186
Max wrote: > >Hi Folks, >Has anyone else been missing any of the digests recently? I missed a couple >of odd ones then last week I have missed 182 and 183. As I have been with >the same ISP for several years without any problem and also as I have all >the digests from No.1 saved I wonder if something is going wrong somewhere. ... >Cheers from down under, >Max > I have noticed the same thing, and am on the other side of the world. Seems to be a source-server problem or something instead of individuals. Currently phal fimbriata and floresensis is flowering along with phal bellina plus the continuing equestris plus a last flower on phal corningiana. regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] help with dendrochilum i.d.
Hello again everyone, A few days ago I noticed that a dendrochilum species that I bought at our recent orchid club auction had a flower spike on it. I was quite pleased because I have a dendrochilum cobbianum that has grown for many years but never flowered for me. At least I know that a dendrochilum will flower on my property, even if it got the energy and inclination to do so from someone else! ; ) It seems people thought the plant that came from Rice's Orchids was a trichopilia, (the tag had been lost at some point) so no-one knows what it is, though I was fairly positive then and definitely now that it's a dendrochilum but just not which species. For size comparisons, this plant has the general shape of my cobbianum plant, but much smaller in dimensions. It has been grown well for a number of years and shows no inclination to get larger, like my cobbianum had as well. Pictures can be seen at http://cnyos.org/virtualshowtable/thumbnails.php?album=2 Views are of whole plant, view of flower 'chain' and two flowers close-up. I appreciate all comments, input and ideas. I don't have a general pic of my cobbianum at the moment, but can get one of both plants side-by-side fairly quickly if someone would like. thanks in advance, charles phals bellina, 2 phal violacea albas, dendrochilum sp., 2 phal cochlearis, phal violacea, 2 peloric, one albescens and one standard phal equestris, 2 phal lindenii, phal sanderiana, 2 phal pulcherrima in flower -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] dendrochilum pangasinanense
Thanks to those who replied to my i.d. request; I concur with the majority after viewing some pictures online of dendrochilum pangasinanense that it matches my plant and flower habit. I've never heard of this species and am pretty sure I had never heard the original vendor say that name. Now if my huge dendrochilum cobbianum could follow the example and put out some flowers, then well I wouldn't have as much to complain about at orchid club meetings! ; ) (I'm pretty quiet, really) It's nice to be able to see the flowers on this species, others have nice chains, but the flowers are fairly small. thanks and regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Orchids Digest, Vol 9, Issue 255
> >---end quote. One wonders how this actually happened: Protea branches bobbing >in the ocean, and rooting on a foreign strand? It works for so-adapted palms >and mangroves, but proteas? Or more likely, therefore, seeds ingested by a >wandering, migrating bird? Applied to orchids, however, one truly wonders... >Theoretically, an orchid seed could blow many tiems round the world before >settling. But if so, and gioven the vast number of seeds that are dispersed, >why is the worlkd not uniformly covered with them? Darwin's famous calculation >about what would happen if all of the seeds from an Orchis plant were to >germinate in ideal distribution: in the first generation, they would cover a >large field, in the second, the Isle of Wight, in the third, they would carpet >the whole planet. >__ > >Oliver Sparrow Hello Oliver, It's possible that they did cover larger or different areas but with many climate changes they just aren't found there now. I saw a public television program about migrating birds a few weeks ago, and with the numbers of birds that move large distance back and forth (including butterflies as well) It isn't that unlikely that tiny seeds could hitchhike to different continents within days, which is very much within the lifespan of an orchid seed. One thing to consider is that the climates found generally north or south of any particular area are likely to have very different climates seasonally and non-terrestrial orchids might have a tougher time of finding a spot with the same weather. Also tropical areas that are covered in plant life might make it very difficult to start up where all of the likely niches might already be taken up. Darwin's calculations are likely correct if they fall in perfect conditions for that plant (like a hillside full of trees covered with tissue culture agar that doesn't mold), and microclimates abound that are very different one from each other. regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Fossil Orchids - goodyera
Oliver wrote: > >The authors (Ramiriez et al) attribute the pollen to Meliorcis caribea which >they promptly name in the paper. (Why Meliorchis - an orchis stuck to a bee, >melis: honey. Botanical crosswod puzzles.) Thye also publish a cladogram based >on plastid DNA sequences of 55 orchid genera and 5 Asparagales. This places >Zeuxine, Goodyera, Ludisia, Kreodanthus (new to me) and Microchilus - plus >this new thing - in Goodyerinae, within Orchidoideae. However. all of the >above are (I think) restricted to Asia whilst the ancient oddity came from the >New World. There are a few Goodyera in North America, possibly some in Central or South America depending if some follow the Rocky Mountaina South into these regions. I know in general of Goodyeras repens, pubescens, tesselata, oblongifolia and a few varieties. Three grow in New York State alone. I did quick search for goodyera in central and south america but didn't find any hits. charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] orchid fossils
Dalton wrote: > >Dear Charles, > >Microchilus is a genus present in almost all Latin American countries, I >believe only Chile doesn't have any. It is exclusively neotropical and >we have 10 species in Brazil. It has been accepted lately and revised in >a recent work by Ormerod. All species were subordinated to Aspydogyne >for a while. > >Dalton Hello Dalton, I didn't understand at first, then I realized that Microchilus must be part of Goodyerinae. I was thinking really only of the genus Goodyera and species included with it. I have no real knowledge about other goodyerinae in the americas, and thank you for sending your post. So, how do you pronounce ' Aspydogyne'? (smile) regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] active oxygen
Cody wrote: > >Hi, > > I've recently purchased a bleach substitute that I intend to use for > cleaning pots and possibly getting rid of algae in some of the pots that > have orchids in them. What the label on the jug says is that it uses > hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching agent, with no chlorine added. > My question to the group is this: can I use it in my fertigation system >to > control the algae growth in the pots that have orchids and algae growing >.. > Any advice or comments will be greatly appreciated. > >Cody Cruise >Wee-Gro Orchids >Abbotsford, BC > Hello Cody, There is a horticultural product called Zero-tol on the market that breaks down and becomes H2O2 (basically, this is not exact science so please don't correct me with formulas, I don't have a barrel of it in front of me (smile)) when used. It can be used in constant misting (actually intermittent misting to be exact) systems when rooting cuttings and we use it heavily on poinsettia cuttings under mist when the sun isn't out or very cloudy. It can be used on plants, and is often used on solid surfaces to do much of what you would like. I believe that food-grade h2o2 is used in the same capacity for people who are more organically inclined for growing plants. You could try a search for food-grade h2o2 and plants, and I believe you should get several hits that should also include what rate they suggest for different applications. I'm not sure if you would want to irrigate with zero-tol or h2o2 when it is bright or sunny, though the label may say otherwise and I have no idea how much you would want to use with orchids. I have used pharmacy h2o2 for spraying on mealybugs and I have used it on some orchids that didn't show ill effects, though I think some of the more tender ones I would spot-treat and maybe avoid using it on them at all, unless a very low rate is used. Pharmacy h2o2 is reported to have trace amounts of contaminants you wouldn't want in food or oral use, and food grade quality must be used for that. I don't know if the pharmacy grade trace contaminants would adversely affect orchids; again there may be some online articles that could explain that better. regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] NAVAN
Viateur forwarded: > NAVAN... > notes of honey, butterscotch and vanilla bean. > ... oak characteristics with hints of dried fruits detectable on the nose > combine... with... > honey and vanilla ice-cream with pronounced dried apricots." Oh, man, I had to read this right before dinner! Now I'm going to have to make a milkshake. So much for the diet,.. charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Rands Aircone Pots
Hello everyone, I was wondering for a friend if anyone knows who the present producer/wholesaler of Rand's Aircone Pots? I know there are vendors who sell them at wholesale at a not-so-cheap price, my friend would like the contact info of the present producer of them. thanks and regards, charles oncidium ornithorynchum, phal pallens, phal amboinensis, phal pulcherrima coerulea and two phal sanderiana in flower; phrag dallesandroi and besseae in bud -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] speakers for upstate ny, usa orchid club
Hello all, I'm sending out a general invitation to anyone who might be interested in giving presentations to upstate and central ny usa orchid clubs to send me what they might be interested in presenting and when they would be available (plus all other pertinent info). This includes all areas related to orchids, including native orchids found in our area, and art-related topics like painting, photography, jewelry-making or anything at all orchid related is of interest to our club. There is also the possibility of giving talks to other orchid clubs in the state nearby during the same visit as some have been changing their club meeting dates at times so that more well-known speakers can be accommodated. Anyone with interest can send me their details, I will be happy to receive them all. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about our club and possibly direct you to other program chairs in this area. thanks and regards, charles ufford cnyos program chair -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] sterilizing benches
>The recent discussion about virus infection raises an issue I have >long wondered about. If I find some infected plants in my >greenhouse I can move those plants out of the greenhouse, but isn't >there some danger of the bench surfaces retaining some latent virus >that could then infect new plants? Orchid roots have a habit of >growing through the bottom of pots and adhering to bench surface, >and then being torn open when the pot is moved. If that plant was >infected, could the infection spread from that bit of root on the >bench to a new plant sitting on that same spot? And how does one >sterilize the surface of a bench, especially one made of wood? Any >comments or suggestions would be much appreciated. > >Giles Smith >Santa Monica, Ca. > Hello Giles, There are many sterilants that could be used, but one that can foam and get into holes in benches is either hydrogen peroxide or one of the products that is very much like it; they will soak in and foam into the crevices. After a while they will evaporate and you will have a clean bench, no chemical residue unless you want a product that will remain behind and deter more growth of bad things. regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] hybrid on stamp
Viatuer forwarded: >"blossomed for the first time... in a Spruce Grove-area greenhouse 11 years >ago... > >The hybrid flower grown in 1996 by... Gordon Heaps... >is one of four Canadian hybrid orchids featured on a set of Canada Post >stamps... > >called... Potinara Janet Elizabeth Fire Dancer... illustration for the >96-cent U.S.-rate stamp. Happy New Year tomorrow! Just an FYI for people who really like to show off their orchids; in the US you can have any picture you want printed onto a US postal stamp. I don't know the exact details other than I think you access the usps web site and upload a picture, pay the fee and then very soon printed stamps will be sent to you. If you'd like to immortalize a flower you *finally got on one of your plants, you can have some stamps printed and sent to all your friends. No, I don't work for the post office and I won't make any money by telling you this! A co-worker had his dog put onto a stamp. Just shows that pets are big money in North America or at least in the US (people really do spend money on other things than suv's, cell service, fancy coffee and hi-def tv) regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] global warming or cooling (yes)
Stephen wrote: > >"Global cooling could develop on Earth in 50 years." What's the third word >along - "could"? > >So it's as least as much an unproven hypothesis as the current global >warming one is. And given that this info is over a year old, I don't see >much publicity about it, Surely if this is true, it would be a cause for >more immediate concern. > >Global warming may not be as bad as we think. I'd be happy for it to be >wrong. But at least thinking about it has us trying to use less of our >limited resources, developing better technology and maybe even polluting >less. Hello all, I think in general both are probably right in a way (global warming and cooling). I've seen lots of articles (sorry I don't read peer-reviewed articles, just articles that take highlights of reviews) that have stated that with increased warming in the general North Atlantic, ocean currents become disrupted; these currents help to keep warmish water in the vicinity of Western Europe and North America. Stop or slow these currents and the jet stream which keep the arctic air way up North dip down and you have localized cooling. We saw that very vividly last Winter; it went from very warm winter to extremely cold even down to florida. If that happens a little longer each year and there is an increased snowfall then that can lead to an increase in areas that could have longer winters, longer snowpacks; there was a year in the 1800's where it snowed every month of the year. So it seems even in a time when it could be much warmer in many places it could trigger localized changes which could make it colder. This is important orchid-wise because our native orchids could be drastically affected (just keeping it a little orchid-related) with changing weather patterns, whether they be warmer or cooler, or a mix of both. Not trying to be offensive in any way, but the amount of publicity something receives has no bearing whatsoever on the amount of reality that is involved. It could be that nobody likes the direction those studies suggest, and it won't empower somebody politically to espouse them. We are still basically guessing on what could happen with specifics, other than stating that if certain conditions remain constant everywhere could have certain problems; heck weather people can't tell what is going to happen three days from now! I think I would not be buying land in low-lying areas but would not discount anything else changing quickly around the North Atlantic either. The new developed countries aren't going to stop using energy that will increase pollution (not saying they shouldn't use it, not my call) and that will continue to cause problems very quickly. just my opin, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] art show/florida
Viateur wrote: >It took Rod Wiley hundreds of hours, 68 miles of walking, 28 days of work >in thunderstorms and mosquito-infested areas and $15,000 in new camera >equipment to capture the... photo of the... ghost orchid [Dendrophylax >lindenii]. I can attest to his degree of dedication just based on the willingness to persevere through the mosquitos. There are two places where I've taken people to photograph some native orchids in upstate ny where either the mosquitos or deerflies were so bad that despite having bug clothing on and covered with bug spray the onslaught of bugs was enough to drive us to distraction. Not to mention the side-effects from having strong DEET on you,.. it's very difficult to deal with and I'm sure the mosquitos down there are even worse than they are up north (they have a full-time job year-round and have lots of experience chasing people whereas the ones up north only have part of the year to get after people. charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] cycnoches culture
Anders wrote: > >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 with a realtive humidity >of 70% and a temp of 20-25 deg. cent. (68-77 deg. Farenheit). I was >given the advise to keep them much cooler during the winter >rest...does anyone have any good experience with this. I would >really hate to loose any more plants so any good advice is most >wellcomed! RegardsAnders Hello Anders, Now, I am anything but someone knowledgeable about cycnoches; but, I have talked with people who have tried to grow the species the way you are 'supposed to', meaning not watering them at all, taking them out of the pot and things like that. They killed their plants, as I did. One peruvian orchid club member said that he very lightly waters his plants during the winter dry period and the plants did much better, meaning they lived and went on from there. I think the very important key is keeping moisture from sitting for any period of time at the base of the plant. In nature there is likely long roots that get to where there is moisture and pull it in, but probably at the base of the plant there is little to rot the plant. Maybe if you take some of the media away from the direct bottom of the pseudobulbs before winter would help this or just put the plant where there is a fairly strong breeze will help keep the base dry. About the cooling, I would check out http://www.orchidculture.com and find a culture sheet for cycnoches to download and that will give you some good info about the temps in the area the plant grows in winter, along with other good cultural and such info. Something similar happens to some phalaenopsis that like to dry somewhat in winter if they are watered too much or left standing in water. Water evaporating during times of cool air like in winter can drop the temps too low for the base of the plant and it will start rotting. If the plant base is kept dry but the roots can be watered, say from the pot being set in some water but not being watered from the top, this might be able to happen. hope this helps, let us know how things work charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Orchids Digest, Vol 10, Issue 37
Barbara wrote: > >I have been reading with much interest the different bark mixes used >for paphs and phrags in the new Tropical Slipper Orchids book by >Koopowitz. The mixes seem to use many different materials to keep >the bark mix open, such as lava rock, perlite, charcoal and aliflor. >It got me wondering what the difference is between spongerock and >perlite. What are the different characteristics of aliflor, lava >rock, diatomite to make one more desireable in a mix than the other? > Hello Barbara, I don't know of any chemical or structural differences between perlite and sponge rock, I've always been lead to believe the pellet size is the difference. Perlite is the tiny pellets that will swirl in a windstorm and the spongerock is usually much larger. The only differences I can really comment on for aliflor, lava rock and diatomite are the general sizes for each. Usually aliflor or clay pellets are reasonably near the same size though there can be a few tiny pieces here and there. Lava rock from what I've seen when you open a bag most of them are pretty much (from what I've seen) smaller particles than aliflor but are fairly regular in size. Diatomite can be very variable in size; the small is pretty small and usually all are small, but if you get 'large' you often get many sizes mixed together. If you wanted even 'pellets' of any of them, a screen to even out size would be helpful. I don't think either aliflor or lava rock degrades very much though I have read on a tree fern list to use it for 'nutrients' in a mix. hope this helps a little, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Orchids Digest, Vol 10, Issue 110
Oliver wrote: > > >The whole thing is interesting, from two angles. One is 'how' and the other is >'why'. > >Taking the 'why' first, the presumed object of scent release is to attract >pollinators. If a plant releases a scent in the evening alone, one suspects >and evening visitor. However, if it smells thus during the dry afternoon and >so immediately after rain, is it attracting two separate pollinators: one that >is present in dry conditions and another which only flies when humidity is >high? If so, then this is a considerable evolutionary leap. Or perhaps normal, >quotidian pollinators get 'bored', and need the equivalent of sexy knickers to >raise their interest. In which case, why only after rain? > >In respect of the 'how', plainly the flower responds to higher turgor. The >speed with which it does so implies that it secretes or exposes pre-prepared >scents, rather than making them from scratch. I know of no record of organs >which do this in flowers of any species, but perhaps readers can correct my >ignorance. However, I wonder the could not be a chemical reaction between the >existing odorant and water which falls physically on the flower, rather than >being taken up by the roots. I will try the experiment as soon as we have a >warm day, but right now Britain is celebrating April with several inches of >snow. >__ > >Oliver Sparrow One thing I remember from botany/organic chemistry classes long ago was that certain fragrances are discerned differently at different concentrations. One of our professors said that the normally killer stink of the north american skunk (in it's very high concentration after the animal releases it) is actually a nice, floral-type fragrance when releases in much, much lower concentrations. Maybe with the orchid(s) it's a case that the scent released when wet is it's 'normal' intended fragrance when it's pumping out scent at high volumes, but when conditions aren't optimum and the speed at which scent release is possible is much 'slower' or lower and not having enough of the water component changes the perceived scent. Of course, a floral scent researcher would be able to tell if it is a case of different chemistry or different amounts of the same (which could have already been stated here and I have already forgotten -smile). regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] phal robert w. miller
Hello all, I was again thinking about trying to find phal schilleriana pollen in hopes of recreating the phal primary hybrid phal Baguio (lindenii x schilleriana) since many of my lindenii are in spike. I realized that my phal sanderiana was flowering and that a cross between phal lindenii and phal sanderiana might resemble phal Baguio or be even nicer. I did the rhs search and found that this cross was named phal robert w. miller, but an internet search turned up no images. Has anyone ever seen this cross or pictures of it? Also as a side note, I am also interested in pollen from really nice phal lindenii's, with exchange of either pollen or seedlings upon completion. I did have successful pollination and germination of two of my lindenii's, but the seedlings were at the Applied Science Center owned by John Ewing who recently passed away. I have recently sent his wife an email asking about status of any replates but have not heard back yet, so may still not have any phal lindenii seedlings. : ( Anyone know what phal robert w. miller looks like or know if it is very similar to phal baguio? thanks and regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Hoosiers
I am sorry to see that Hoosier Orchids is going out of business, as they had very many interesting plants. I think one factor that may have hurt them was that they often sold very small plants that weren't inexpensively priced (0ften quite expensive). Oak Hill has grown species and often has very small plants, but the price reflected the size. A note that Oak Hill also has much larger plants also available, and they often flower very quickly for me. I ended up buying more from Oak Hill than Hoosiers because of this, and others may have done so as well. I hope true species lovers can take over Hoosiers collections of very interesting species and keep them alive. Best to all who worked at Hoosiers and hope for success wherever they go from here! regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] tag errors at shows
Gerald wrote: > >Idle question please. > >It is my understanding that a plant entered for judging (Award and Show) >must be correctly identified > >What happens when a plant is entered under the 'old,' 'older' or even >'oldest' name? > >Jerry in IN > Hello Jerry, Well, it depends on the helpfulness of the show registrars and the judges involved in the show. If you have very nice registrars and judges like we usually have at our CNYOS show (which will be October 4th+5th at the Beaver Lake Nature Center, Baldwinsville, NY), if submit a plant with a certain name and for sake of discussion it is two name changes old, the registrars will use online and computer resources to research the name to make sure it is correct, to the best of their knowledge at that second, and if there is an error it will be adjusted and entered with the proper name and the entrant notified. It will then be seen by judges, and if a name has changed again and a judge knows that the tag is wrong, then usually they will point it out and go ahead with judging. Especially if at the moment at hand all that is at stake is ribbon judging, then they want to encourage the general orchid populace to enter plants in a show, then there is often more forgiveness towards an incorrect tag. To be a jerk and bounce a plant at that point from any sort of judging would be a bit counter-productive to having someone feel good about their encyclia mariae (euchile?) getting a blue ribbon and deciding to put more plants in a show next time. If it is a species epithet (or genus) that is entered under an old name then it isn't really someone trying to misrepresent what a plant is, it's more of just the whole rolling genus name problem with new names being designated. What are the problems are people representing hybrids as species, or one hybrid similar to another but looking nicer than the named one and maybe more likely to get a real award, or just an error or misplaced tag in a nursery that says it is one but is really another, and no sort of misrepresentation at all. This is what I have gathered from listening to judges at shows while clerking and assisting with other details and awards photography. In the other direction, I guess there have been times and places where a show may be operating under the assumption that the plant owner must and has researched the name, and if they have it wrong then it is or can (or automatically will) be refused for any sort of judging, because it isn't listed as what it should be. In this case 'the rules' are determined to be the most important thing and if someone doesn't do their homework properly, then they fail and the plant is refused. Different shows can operate under different rules (some don't have AOS judging), and different personalities can affect what the outcome might be. 'It depends', is what it boils down to... I think it also can depend on how big the show is as well. If you have a large showing or are at a regional center and only AOS or large societies' awards are being given out and there isn't as much time for extra research or changing labels (or the people doing registration aren't concerned with the feelings of the entrants) then maybe there could be a 'tougher stance' towards errors. hope this helps, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] pecteilis susannae
One of the Monks wrote: > >Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:07:45 EDT >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [OGD] Pecteilis susannae > >An in that vein, does anyone have any info on this plant? I have one >rapidly approaching bloom, and am willing to trade pollen with >ANYONE with this >species. I would really like to perform an outcross. Supposedly, >the plant is >not common, and may be endangered. > > >Blu Llama, Inc. >Fine Art Photography and Unique Orchids > >Fine art begins with a fine subject > > >Brian and Mary-Margaret Monk Hello, I just saw a post on the slippertalk orchid forum http://www.slippertalk.com under the pictures of non-slipper orchid flowers; the submitter posted a picture of just such a plant in flower. He may be willing and able to trade pollen, unless he is in a different country, but then maybe still might be willing to trade. It was definitely an interesting looking flower! http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9013 regards, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] *&^%%$ thrip
> >From: K Barrett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [OGD] "Don't call it Taiwan virus' > > >Barbara Andrewski provided the link to this article about Phal >viruses. In it the author mentions that the Capsicum chlorosis >virus (CaCV) is spread by the Asian thrip Thrips palmi which is kept >out of Europe by phyto-sanitary inspections. That the virus is >limited threat because it is localized rather than systemic, >affecting only the area of the insect's bite. > >Any plant pathologists out there? > >Why wouldn't the common thrip pass along CaCV? >Can a virus be limited and not systemic? > >And finally, wow! 33% of the crop had OSRV and/or CymMV present. > >Let's be careful out there. > >K Barrett >N Calif, USA> > A while back someone mentioned diseased orchids that >came from Taiwan. > Here is an article that showed up recently in >one of the Grower trade > magazines. Here it is:> > >http://floracultureinternational.com/> > Barbara Hello K, I know that virus can only be transmitted by western flower thrip by the larvae, not the flying critters. Feeding habit and the mechanics of their feeding could make a difference in whether or not a particular bug could transmit a virus. Other thrips could also spread the virus as well, but if the author doesn't know about it or is only providing details about that particular bug, they wouldn't include that information, possibly. All I know is that thrip are a giant pain the whatoosie when they get resistant at one point there was a population that was resistant to orthene fogging luckily they are not resistant to a greenhouse that has had the heat turned off and winter temperatures allowed to clean things up. -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] orchid seeds found on mars
The following is a cross-post from Troy Meyers of the Meyer's Conservatory of Poulsbo, Wa. He is asking people who have purchased from him in the past (or anyone who would be willing to help) if they could donate to his business, which is one of many firms having cash flow problems because of the very down economy. Originally intended for current customers, he was happy to have his message cross-posted wherever acceptable. If this is not acceptable on this list, then I humbly apologize. It's not an open advertisement, just asking current customers of his if they would be willing to help in a time of financial stress. Since we have seen a fair number of orchid retailers go out of business recently, maybe this can be a way to avert one more source of flasked seedlings from going out of business. More details can be found by following the link below. and I am not employed or affiliated with Meyer's Conservatory in any way. From: Troy Meyers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Orchid seed discovered on Mars > > > Not true, but would you have opened this email if we'd said, >"Bad economy is bad for orchids"? > > The truth is, after producing more than 36,000 flasks in the past >nine years, Meyers Conservatory needs some help to continue offering >our unique service. > > We're not a hobbyist organization -- we have employees supporting >themselves and their families. We've never asked for donations before >and are doing so now because the need is critical. Anything, no matter >how small, will go to the good cause of saving orchid species. > > Want to know more? >Visit http://troymeyers.com/flasking/donate-funds.php -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Adventitious keikis on trichopilia
Tennis wrote: I noticed two keikis atop neighboring pseudobulbs at leaf axils while gathering up the trichopilias into crates as I try to finish the year's repotting before winter sets in (I repot outdoors in the back yard because I have more room and I don't have to worry about the mess). ... I have seen such things develop on the tops of pseudobulbs before on a few oncidinae, but they usually don't mature and eventually die back. These seem to be becoming viable plantlets, growing roots and even a second growth on one of them. I'd be interested in hearing from those in the know about these adventitious growths - why they happen, how to encourage their formation. I'm particularly happy to see these as they are on an extremely rare and hard to obtain plant, T.eneidae, the flower of which can be seen on my homepage at: ... Tennis Maynard Hello Tennis, I usually noticed them on a few trichopilias when I had them potted in coconut husk chips that were being kept too wet. So, it may not be a desirable thing to see them, as it might be a response to too much water. The pseudobulbs that had these keikis weren't growing to the proper size so maybe the plant was trying to grow up out of the offending condition. hope this helps, charles -- charles ufford oriskany, ny usa ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
