Welcome to the Palomar Orchid Society Website!

The Palomar Orchid Society, incorporated in December of 1965 was formed when a few people banded together to talk about orchids. We then grew and bloomed into the roughly 200-member group of orchid enthusiasts that we have today. We represent everything orchid in North San Diego County! Come and join us!!

The Palomar Orchid Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the understanding and cultivation of both hybrid and species orchids. We welcome members of all levels to join us for orchid fun and learning! Our mission is to promote interest in the appreciation of orchids and to provide an opportunity for their display and the exchange and dissemination of information relating to their culture.

October 2012 - Alex Nadzan

An Amateur’s Attempt at Orchid Hybridizing

Alex NadzanAlex NadzanOctober’s speaker will be our own Alex Nadzan who has been collecting and growing orchids for over 20 years with emphasis on Cattleya, Oncidium and Cymbidium species and hybrids. Alex was first bitten by the orchid bug in the late 1980’s when he attended an orchid show at the Chicago Botanic Garden and purchased from Orchids by Hausermann, Inc. two orchids, a Cattleya and Oncidium, both of which he still owns and manages to bloom on a yearly basis.  His orchid collection, which now consists of a few thousand orchids, expanded after he and his family relocated to San Diego where conditions are favorable for growing outdoors compared to the Chicago area.  

Over the last 7 years, Alex has embarked on an orchid hybridizing program devoted primarily to creating novel, compact and cold-tolerant Cattleya hybrids.  He will discuss his attempts at producing new hybrids, providing an overview of orchid hybridization basics including pollination, seed production and germination, deflasking and raising orchid seedlings to blooming size. He also will show blooms of some of his first hybrids and share some of the novel hybrids in progress.

As part of his talk and in place of the culture class, Alex will demonstrate how to deflask and start out orchid seedlings for those members who may what to try their hand at it.   Read more »

Date: 
Wed, 10/03/2012 - 6:30pm - 9:30pm

October 2012 President's Message

Dear POS Members and Friends,

It's hard to believe that we are entering into fall, and that the holidays are around the corner.  Just yesterday it was 100 degrees in some parts of San Diego county, but we've now cooled off in many places.  Cymbidiums begin to need some attention going into the end of year and beginning of next year in the peak of their blooming season.  The POS also requires some attention as this time coincides with planning for holiday parties and the election of officers and board members.

Before I talk about this though, I want to thank Debra Funakoshi for her dedication in setting up member and vendor caravans during the entire year.  The caravan to Renate Schmidt and Merle Robboy with a stop at Sunset Valley Orchids was great fun for the members who attended.  Caravan attendance has skyrocketed since Debra began the new format of focusing on members' collections rather than just organizing buying sprees (nothing wrong with orchid buying sprees though).  By combining the two activities, members are hopefully learning something about how others grow orchids and solve common growing problems.

Election time is here again, and the nomination committee consisting of Cher Whelan, Maryanne Kind and Cathy Belt is assembling the slate.  I want to encourage members to talk to them, and if you have a little time to spare each month, consider running for a position.  They will go around the October general meeting talking to members attending the meeting to determine interest and perhaps get some fresh new talent for the board.  Several positions may be vacated this go around.  The slate will be announced at the November meeting for general voting and installation will occur at the holiday party again.   Read more »

POS Caravan at Renate Schmidt's and Merle Robboy's

September 2012 Meeting

Fred Clarke and audience
Fred Clarke and his favorite topic — Fredclarkeara After Dark
Fred Clarke
Blc. Bold Step
Blc. Nobiles Ambar – Anita Spencer
Lc. Varut Startrack 'Rainbow' – Anita Spencer
Blc. Susan Fender 'Nutmeg' – Anita Spencer
Pot. Haw Yuan Gold – Anita Spencer
C. guttata – Anita Spencer
Renate Schmidt admiring the scent of Gil Ho's Stanhopea oculata x pozoi
Stanhopea oculata x pozoi – Gil Ho
Stanhopea oculata x pozoi – Gil Ho
Lc. Mariner x Lc. Mini Purple – Anita Spencer
Lc. Elegans – Anita Spencer
Blc. Malworth 'Orchid Glade' – Anita Spencer
Vanda Paki – Phyllis Prestia
C. relutina – Phyllis Prestia
L. pacavia x C. leopoldii – Anita Spencer
Prostechea cochleata – Gil Ho
C. pumila coerulea – Phyllis Prestia
Paph. pinochio – Gil Ho
C. longipes – Phyllis Prestia
Paph. Makull 'SVO' – Bill Wong
Lc. Netrasiri Classtar – Renate Schmidt
Osmentara Elisabeth Hamilton – Renate Schmidt
IMG_8609
Vanda coerulescens – Renate Schmidt
Blc. May Liu Gon (?) – Alex Nadzan
Paph. Neptune 'Mars' AM/AOS – Merle Robboy
Encyclia prismatocarpum – Merle Robboy
Encyclia alata – Merle Robboy
Paph. Magic Lantern – Nico Goossens
Neofinetia falcata – Alex Nadzan
Bl. Jiminy Cricket 'Gee Whiz' – Alex Nadzan
C. loddiglossa "Blues" x C. leopoldii var. coerulea – Alex Nadzan
Trichocentrum microchilum – Merle Robboy
Stenoglottis woodii – Merle Robboy
Stenoglottis woodii – Merle Robboy
Dendrobium aggregatum – Sandi Sandquist
Stenoglottis Bill Fogarty – Gil Ho

Fred Clarke gave a presentation on how to grow orchids well. His presentation, peppered with humorous anecdotes and illustrated with many beautiful pictures of orchids was both entertaining and informative. Find out more about the Palomar Orchid Society at www.palomarorchid.org

Source: Flickr

August 2012 POS Virtual Show and Tell

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, the August 2012 VST is a little late.  Here is it!  Below is the description for the lineup from left to right above.

 

Catt. Hawaiian Wedding Song X Lc. San Diego Variable - from Gil Ho

Prosthechea cochleata ? "Green Hornet" - from Gil Ho

Dendrobium victoria-reginae - from Helge Weissig

Masdevallia floribunda - from Helge Weissig

Masdevallia veitchiana - from Helge Weissig

Lc. San Diego Surprise 'Billyb' x Sc. Batemaniana 'Hawaii' - from Helge Weissig

Lc. Tropical Pointer 'Cheetah' HCC/AOS x Blc. Mark Jones 'SVO' HCC/AOS - from Helge Weissig

Laelia Zip - from Helge Weissig

September 2012 - Fred Clarke

We are fortunate to have return one of our favorite speakers and long time member and supporter of the Palomar Orchid Society, Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids, who will speak to us on “Growing the Best Orchids”.

Fred’s talk will cover multiple aspects of growing orchids including general orchid culture, repotting, potting materials, lighting, fertilization, what orchids grow best together, etc. Fred’s power point presentation will review the ‘best practices’ for growing a variety of orchids and include pictures of some of his novel hybrids and species.  The presentation should be of considerable interest to both the novice and advanced orchid hobbyist.  As many of our members know, Fred is an excellent, highly sought after lecturer in the orchid world so his presentation should not be missed.

Fred has been growing orchids for 34 years and has been hybridizing for 26 of those years. With over 26 years as a professional grower and manager in the horticultural industry, Fred applies these skills at his orchid nursery, Sunset Valley Orchids, located in Vista, California, just north of San Diego. His nursery’s website is http://www.sunsetvalleyorchids.com/ 

Fred is a passionate orchid grower whose curiosity in orchids is wide and varied. Although developing new Cattleya hybrids has been his sustaining interest, he is also actively creating new Bulbophyllum, Paphiopedilum and Aussie Dendrobium hybrids. Moreover, his pioneering work in Catasetum intergeneric hybrids led to the development of several notable hybrids, most recently the grex, Fredclarkeara After Dark, which produced “the closest flower color to black ever witnessed”. This grex received seven FCC’s and three AM’s on the first flowers shown for judging.    Read more »

Date: 
Wed, 09/05/2012 - 6:30pm - 9:30pm

2012 POS Orchid Auction Pictures

2012 POS Orchid Auction Details

Our annual auction will be held on August 18, 2012 at the Pavilion at Lake San Marcos. Preview starts at 11:00 am and the auction begins at noon. This annual orchid event celebrates Palomar Orchid Society with hundreds of flowering orchids (many rare) and other items to be auctioned off. Learn about orchids and their cultivation with numerous orchid experts on hand for questions. Free to the public.

Javascript is required to view this map.

Directions: The auction is held at the Pavilion at Lake San Marcos Resort (1105 La Bonita Dr, San Marcos, CA 92078). The entrance to the Lake San Marcos Resort is from Rancho Santa Fe Road where there is a large sign. See the interactive map to the right for details.

To reach the resort's entrance on Rancho Santa Fe Road:

  • From Highway 78 traveling East
    Take the Rancho Santa Fe Rd. exit and go South. Continue through the intersection of Rancho Santa Fe Rd. and Palomar Airport Rd./San Marcos Blvd. Turn left into the resort after about 1/4 mile.
  • From Highway 78 traveling West
    Take the San Marcos Blvd. exit and travel West/South to Rancho Santa Fe Rd.. Turn left on Rancho Santa Fe and turn left into the resort after about 1/4 mile.
  • From Interstate 5 traveling South
    Take the Palomar Airport Rd. exit and head East for about 7 miles (Palomar Airport Rd. turns into San Marcos Blvd. about 5.8 miles East of the I-5). Turn right on Rancho Santa Fe Rd. and turn left into the resort after about 1/4 mile.
  • From Interstate 5 traveling North
    Take the La Costa Ave. exit and head East for about 4 miles. Turn left on Rancho Santa Fe Rd. and turn right into the resort after about 3.9 miles.

Once in the resort, proceed downhill. At "T" intersection, turn left on San Marino Drive. At the next 4-way STOP, turn right on La Bonita Drive. Proceed ahead for one block on La Bonita. The pavilion will be on the left and there is parking in front of the pavilion.

Date: 
Sat, 08/18/2012 - 11:00am - 4:30pm

Note from the President about the Virtual Show and Tell...

Hi POS Members,

Since there are a lot of items for the virtual show and tell, we will take submissions until the 25th of each month, on which day they will be posted once for that month.  Because of the quirky nature of Flickr, each addition requires a redo of the whole set.  This saves my fingers from having to post and change the show and tell many times during the course of each month.  Pics after that will be rolled to the next month's show and tell.  Thanks for your help!

 

Gil Ho

The New POS Virtual Show-N-Tell for July 2012

 

 

 

Welcome to the new POS Virtual Online Show-n-Tell.  I have been wanting for some time to setup a virtual place to show off POS member plants in bloom or with something interesting to display, that for one reason or another, couldn't get to the regular meeting show-n-tell session for all to see.  From now on, Members, if you have a plant you want to show everyone, just send me the photo (giho@ucsd.edu), and I will put it up.  Not every month will have a virtual show-n-tell, but if there are pictures, then they will be posted up.  Please also send me a short description of the plant.  Send feedback to me if you love the idea or hate it.  I start us off, with my Maxillaria chrysantha in full bloom, a surprise for me this morning (7/21/12) stepping outside to check my plants. 16 flowers!  Following are an Encyclia, my Neofinetias, and Alex Nadzan's first Stanhopea oculata in bloom!  Excellent!  At the end, more of Alex's wonderful Catts and other gems.
 
Enjoy and Happy Growing!
Gil Ho,
President, POS