Note from Barb Pollock 4/8/08: Barb has confirmed our outing to Fantasy Orchids on Saturday the 26th of July. Kent will do a presentation on Dendrobium orchids. He has a slide show on them and has done presentations before so it should be pretty good. We can meet at the parking lot of the Academy Hotel, 8110 N. Academy. This is the same area we always meet for carpooling to the Denver Orchid shows. It used to be the Radisson Hotel. As of now, we tentatively will meet at 9:30 a.m. and carpool/caravan to Fantasy Orchids, 830 W. Cherry Street in Louisville, CO, (www.fantasyorchids.com). We will have a sign up sheet at the next several meetings. .It would be appreciated if the riders would contribute money for gas to those driving. It is estimated the program will last forty-five minutes to one hour. We may want to bring a sack lunch or dine somewhere close by as we will want to have time to shop for orchids also. Members will be given a fifteen to twenty percent discount on purchases. We probably would not be arriving back in the Springs until 4:00 p.m. Those wanting to be back sooner could take their own cars. We would like to have many members attend to represent our Orchid Society. It would be very disappointing to have only five or six people attend, so check your calendars and plan to support your club for this program. Details will be worked out at the next meeting.

Robin stated that Orchid Digest thanks everyone for their support. She stated they are making available a Diamond Award of Excellence paper weight that costs $15.00 plus postage and handling which can be given to a member of our society if we so choose. Orchid societies can choose one person a year to receive this award.

Jack Mahay brought in a neofinetia falcata for repotting by the Fuukiran method (see Orchid Digest Magazine, Vol. 70-2, April, May, June, 2006). He said cheaper pots can be had from Orchids Limited for about $18.00 or plastic ones for $3.00- $4.00. Jack stated that neofinetias need a lot of air; they like to dry out. He got his plant from Oak Hill and it is growing in coconut fiber. To demonstrate this method of planting, Jack borrowed Lois’s plastic water bottle and began placing sphagnum moss over and around the top of the bottle. He then placed the plant on top and spread the roots around it and began to wrap long fibers of the moss around the bottle top to hold the plant in place. The moss should be damp for easier handling. The roots of the plant should be pliable. Cover the plant roots with moss, then trim the moss being careful not to cut the roots!! You can then lift the plant from the bottle and set it into the pot. There should be an air pocket which is why you use a bottle to create the mound shape. Tuck the moss edges into the pot. Thanks to Jack for this very informative and enjoyable demonstration.

Another discussion and reminder regarding care in using sphagnum moss as it can have fungus spores in it which can be transferred to your skin when handling. Use gloves or what Bob Steele does is after using the moss, rinses his hands in apple cider vinegar, followed by a 3% hydrogen peroxide. This should kill the organisms. You can also use a 10% Clorox solution. Mark said that Ricks Nursery stocks New Zealand moss, but it may not be the long fiber. Jack purchased his moss from Orchids Unlimited. Bob ordered Chilean moss, but it wasn’t as long a fiber as New Zealand but had the same texture and was a good alternative - it comes in a block.

Show and Tell: As usual, many beautiful orchids were displayed.

Lois D. stated she was having some trouble with spots on paphs and spoke with Glen from Piping Rock Orchids. He suggested she spray her plants with ¼ tsp to ½ tsp of 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with one gallon of water. As hydrogen peroxide breaks down, you must mix it when you are ready to spray.

Magda has a seed pod from an Ansellia Africana, (dwarf variety) which she will give to anyone who is interested in trying to grow it.

Tom Dewar brought in a Hawkinsara that he tried to grow in lots of different plant mediums, but finally in desperation planted it in shredded tires. Low and behold it is doing great. Be careful of those steel belted tires!!

REQUEST FROM BARB POLLOCK: I am closing on my new house next week and I would like to divide and take along as many of my perennials as possible. If club members have 1 gallon or 5 gallon plastic pots from their previous plant purchases that they would like to donate, I could sure use them for my divisions. If you could bring them to the meeting that would be great.