Category: Potting Demo

Orchid Society of Santa Barbara – October 11, 2023 Meeting, 7:30 pm

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Our speaker for October 11th will be Donna Ballard!

Donna Ballard:  The Difference Between Seedlings and Meristem Orchid Cultivation,
Plus a De-Flasking Demo

Donna will explain the methods used to produce orchids by sowing seeds vs. tissue culture and then demonstrate how to de-flask seedlings for growing on in community pots.

Donna is a native Californian, is studying to become an American Orchid Society judge, and hopes to earn her accreditation soon. After over 30 years of loving, caring for and studying plants, she went on to work as a professional interior house plant maintenance technician until 4 years ago. She has since retired and works as a part time volunteer at the Huntington Botanical Gardens Thornton Estate Orchid Conservatory in San Marino.

She currently has approximately 460 sq feet of greenhouse, shade house and interior growing areas where she has over 1300 Cattleyas, Paphiopedilums, Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, Sarcochilus, miniature Vanda and novelty Phalaenopsis orchids as well as several other genera.

Orchid Society of Santa Barbara – September 13, 2023 Meeting, 7:30 pm

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Frank Methmann:  Cattleya Culture and Repotting Demo

If your cattleya orchids have ever looked like this, then you MUST attend the meeting.  Frank will present his tips and techniques for how he grows healthy cattleya orchids. 

Cattleya species are native to the American tropics and along with their hybrids are very popular due to their spectacular flowers.  Considered to be easy to grow, cattleyas tolerate less-than-ideal conditions rewarding growers with beautiful flowers.

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.

Opportunity Plant Table from Cal-Orchid

This month there will be a plant table from Cal-Orchid.

There will be Two Speakers at the April 12th meeting!

Posted on by moflo
2023 SBIOS Phalaenopsis

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.

Monthly Meeting: February 8, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Posted on by moflo
Remove the old pot, decide where to divide
Carefully pull apart the roots and pseudobulbs
One plant has become two!

This Month’s Program

Potting Demo and Hands-on Workshop!

Spring is just around the corner and your orchids know it. If you look closely, you will see new light-colored roots and flowers in sheath preparing to burst forth when the days get a bit longer and the weather warms up. February is the perfect time to start repotting your spring blooming orchids.

Our expert member growers will demonstrate how to divide and repot common types of orchids, then it’s your turn.  We will have some donated plants ready to pot up along with potting mix, pots, mixing trugs, tools, tags, and gloves.

The goal is to prepare several flats of freshly potted plants to sell in the society booth at the upcoming SB International show.  Here is your chance to learn some tips and tricks plus contribute toward your society’s income.  100% of sales from the plants will be donated to the society to fund speakers throughout the year.

Do you have overgrown plants to donate? Bring a plant that can be divided into more than one pot and learn how to repot it!  Plants need to be in good condition and free of pests. Please limit the number and size of cymbidiums.