Category: Potting Demo

Our June meeting will be a live demonstration of orchid repotting by Phil Watt (and others)

“Orchid Repotting Demo“

Regular repotting of your orchids gives them the boost they need to continue to grow and bloom.  Over time, potting media breaks down and roots can become root-bound or die.  Repotting allows fertilizer and oxygen to reach the roots and prevent root rot and disease.

OSSB member Phil Watt is an orchid expert with decades of experience growing and repotting orchids.  He has spoken to thousands of people during his demonstrations and talks during the annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show.  Phil will share his tips and tricks to help you successfully repot your orchids at home.

Location Reminder

At Maravilla on the 2nd Wednesday of the month (except March and August). 
Directions:  From Calle Real, enter Maravilla and bear left.  On the right is a lawn with a flagpole.  The meeting rooms are to the left of the lawn/flagpole.  To park, continue to drive around a loop that will lead you to the parking lot.  Additional parking is available to the right as you drive in, any parking space without a number is available. 
Meeting Rooms:  AOS Judging (7:00 pm) in the Galleria Room, Orchid Society in the Valencia Room.

Upcoming Orchid Events

July Meeting:  At Maravilla on July 9.  Details TBD.
July Orchid Sales at Nurseries:  Santa Barbara Orchid Estate https://www.sborchid.com/ open July 18, 19, and 20, Cal-Orchid https://www.calorchid.com/ open July 18 and 19 only (closed Sunday July 20).
August Potluck:  Summer Potluck Picnic and Silent Auction on a Saturday or Sunday.  Details TBD.
September Meeting:  At Maravilla on September 10.  Details TBD.

Our speaker on June 12th will be Jack Zhu!

Jack Zhu: “Form and Color of Asian Cymbidiums

Jack Zhu is an orchid hobbyist from the Los Angeles area of California. He grows many varieties of orchids, focusing on Asian cymbidiums. Jack is also very interested in the culture and history of Asian cymbidiums. Jack is currently an Associate Judge in AOS Pacific South Judging Region and has more than thirty AOS awards for Asian cymbidiums.

With more than one thousand years of cultivation history, the Asian cymbidium community has developed some unique appreciation criteria for Asian cymbidiums, including several major flower forms. These appreciation systems are very different from the AOS point score system. Understanding of these differences allows us to appreciate the beauty of Asian cymbidiums more.

During the talk, Jack will go over the flower forms and colors of various Asian cymbidiums. Within each category, he will present multiple examples, especially with plants from his own backyard. Jack will also do a short demo of how to select bare root Asian cymbidiums and how to pot them.

Conejo Orchid Society is having a sale

Jerry McRoberts:  You Can Have Orchids Blooming Every Day on a Small Budget

Jerry McRoberts’ interest in growing plants began with vegetable gardening as a child in rural Minnesota. He was introduced to orchids by a friend while living in Menlo Park, California about 30 years ago. Visits to the Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco sealed the deal. He moved to New England in the late 1990’s and began his adventure with growing orchids indoors. Always a bit of a “techie-tinkerer” he applied his tech interests to the challenge of indoor orchid-growing in New England, with the goal of having orchids blooming every day. Jerry moved to Santa Barbara about four years ago and now grows orchids both indoors and outdoors. At the meeting he will discuss how to have orchids blooming every day on a shoestring budget.

Frank Methmann:  Phalaenopsis and Cattleya Culture and Repotting Demo

Frank has lived in Santa Barbara County most of his life. His interest in plants started at Carpinteria High School when he had a vegetable garden, then a bonsai collection and collected a few orchids. Around 1997 he decided that he wanted to get more involved in orchids, so he sought out the local orchid group in Santa Barbara and joined the Orchid Society of Santa Barbara. His collection quickly grew from winning plants at meetings and purchases. Some members gave him some orchids as a gesture to welcome a new member. He continued to obtain more orchids and learned more about them. He learned how to breed them, which has now gotten out of control! In 2002 he became the Vice-President of the Orchid Society of Santa Barbara and served one year. A few years later he became the Vice-President of the Santa Barbara Cymbidium Society and went on to serve two terms as President. He has served in other volunteer roles in both societies, including about 10 years as the Orchid Society of Santa Barbara’s Fall Orchid Show manager.