The Orchid Society
of Western Pennsylvania
May 16 2021 Zoom Meeting
Our May 16 meeting will be all Zoom.
Mini Class
Topic: Habenaria and Related Genera - Timothy Choltco
Time: 1:15pm
Please join myself and the O.S.W.P. for the mini-class for May. The topic Habenaria and some of its related genera. The presentation will be a discussion of culture. Habenaria is a wonderful genus of about 880 species found in tropical and subtropical areas of every continent. Related genera that grow similarly are Bonatea (13 species), Cynorkis (60-70 species), Pecteilis (8-9 species), Stenoglottis (8 species), and others. Cynorkis, Habenaria, and Stenoglottis species and hybrids have become increasingly popular for their colorful flowers produced in late summer through early winter. While the first Habenaria hybrid was registered in1910, the majority of hybrids were produced after 2010. Recently hybrids between Cynorkis, Habenaria, and Pecteilis have added additional colors, shapes, and sizes. The future of this group is NOW. Work is being done by several growers and breeders, including myself, to bring more to the orchid buffet. These plants, unlike the majority of other orchids REQUIRE a warm (or sometimes cool to cold) dry dormancy. Not a rest period. These plants lose their leaves and become completely dormant like spring Narcissus and Tulipa or summer Dahlia. Failure with these plants is often with the misunderstanding of the dormancy period. Some species are forgiving of watering at the “wrong time”. For some species it is a death sentence. But, in the end it is a matter of listening to your plants and being patient. Though I did a similar presentation in 2020, over the past 2 months I have received many emails, texts, etc. concerning what, when, and how to treat these orchids now that they are waking up from their 3-5 month dormancy. This will be a truncated culture only presentation.
Main Meeting
Topic: Intrergeneric Oncidiinae
New Earth Orchids, Santa Fe NM
Time: 2:00pm
For our May meeting we are welcoming back a member from long ago. Ron Midgett was a member of the OSWP from 1974 to 1976 and served as one of our VPs in 1975 and 1976. He will be speaking to us about Intrergeneric Oncidiinae, which is a wonderful group of colorful orchids that are fun to grow. Ron began growing orchids in 1969 in the orchid-rich environment of Southern California. Since then, he has grown orchids in many different regions of the US and in the Caribbean. Ron currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is the owner of New Earth Orchids. He is a breeder with an emphasis on Cattleyas, Paphiopedilums, and Oncidinae. Several cultivars from his crosses have received AOS awards.
Ron is an accredited AOS judge currently serving in the Rocky Mountain Region. He has served as chairperson for AOS judging for the 2011 and 2012 New Mexico Orchid Guild Shows. In 2011, Ron was invited to participate in judging at the Taiwan International Orchid Show. Ron has authored articles published in Orchids and most recently in the Orchid Digest. He was given the prestigious Ernest Heatherington award from the Orchid Digest for his article, “Beyond Sc. Beaufort-A 25 Year Odyssey in Cattleya Breeding”. Ron feels a special honor in receiving this award because Ernest was one of his first mentors.
Ron has spoken in many venues across the country. He has twice been an invited speaker to the prestigious Cattleya Symposium held each summer in Florida. He has done speaking tours in New England, Central Florida, Mid’ Florida, California, and The Texas Circuit. We are pleased to have Ron joining us for our Zoom meeting and continuing our run of great speakers that are not to be missed.
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The meeting proper will begin at 2pm - the Zoom link, which will come in an email from Brooke Decker, our Zoom host, will be active around 1 pm to help with technical difficulties.
If you are an OSWP member with an email address the Zoom invitation should already be in your inbox. If you can not find it, you may contact kikidecker@gmail.com, quail1@verizon.net, or msnsan@gmail.com for a repeat mailing.
Thank you to all who responded to our poll. The overwhelming majority were in favor of continuing to meet via Zoom. When we feel safe meeting in person, we'll assemble at Botany Hall. For now, this is definitely the safest option.