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.

January 2012 - Barbara Rudvalis

Submitted by Helge W. on Sat, 12/31/2011 - 6:16pm

Hybridizing  and Selecting Cymbidiums for the Cut Flower Business

Our speaker for January is Barbara Rudvalis , owner and operator of Rudvalis Orchids, Inc., located in Carlsbad, California, less than 30 miles north of the San Diego airport. 

Barbara will speak about hybridizing for cut flowers, how she selects stock for this, the difference between this and what hobby and growers look for in their crosses. She will have actual flower examples instead of pictures and will supply plants for the POS opportunity table. This is a presentation not to be missed by anyone who has interest in Cymbidiums.

Rudvalis Orchids has been a major supplier of premium quality commercial cut Cymbidium flowers for over 40 years and potted flowering Cymbidium since the early nineties.  Barbara’s late husband, Joe, began the business in the early sixties when he began selecting and hybridizing his own varieties. Joe noticed a lack of early blooming varieties and focused mainly in this area, creating the most stable, high quality and productive standard cut flower Cymbidiums on the market today. In the late seventies, Barbara began helping Joe breed mini's and intermediate Cymbidiums. Since Joe's passing, Barbara has continued with all aspects of the business.   Read more »

Date: 
Wed, 01/04/2012 - 6:30pm - 9:30pm

November 2011 - Betty P. Kelepecz

Submitted by Helge W. on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 2:15pm

Betty P. KelepeczBetty P. KelepeczThe Orchids of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary in Peru

Betty has been an orchid hobbyist in Southern California for over almost 30 years.  She has grown orchids in Long Beach and Huntington Beach, and, since 2003, in the Point Loma area of San Diego.  Betty started raising orchids in the early 1980’s when her husband and co-orchid grower Steve brought home a discarded cutting/keiki of a red Epidendrum he found in a trash bin in the alley beside their home in Long Beach.  He planted the unimpressive and bloomless cutting on a moss-covered rock and confidently predicted that it would bloom beautifully in no time.  When the Epidendrum actually did bloom and, in fact, never since has stopped blooming, the disbelieving Betty became an orchid enthusiast and both of their collection of orchids has since grown with the unwavering passion so often accompanying that first orchid discovery.

Betty and Steve grow a large selection of predominantly species orchids. Their more than 800 plants grow outside in a small greenhouse and in a recently constructed shade structure. Betty enjoys the challenge of replicating the demanding  environments required by species orchids and particularly enjoys the challenge of growing pleurothallids.  Over the last few years she has become a successful Masdevallia and Dracula grower.     Read more »

Date: 
Wed, 11/02/2011 - 6:30pm

October 2011 - Mary Gerritsen, PhD

Submitted by Sandi S. on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 6:01pm

Borneo, Land Beneath the Wind

Discover orchids in their native habitats on the island of Borneo. Mary visited the states of Sabah and Sarawak (Borneo) for nearly a month in November of 2009, and this talk will feature a travelogue of her treks on Mt. Kinabalu, Mt. Alab, Long Pasia, Mulu National Park, Fairy Cave, and Bako National Park. Her trek to Long Pasia was featured in the October 2010 issue of Orchids magazine

Speaker Biography:   Read more »

Date: 
Wed, 10/05/2011 - 6:30pm - 10:00pm

September 2011 - Paul Gripp

Submitted by giho on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 9:44pm

Our speaker for the general meeting on Sept 7, 2011 at 6:30pm will be Paul Gripp from Santa Barbara Orchid Estate.

Here is a description of him from the Newport Harbor Society:   Read more »

Date: 
Wed, 09/07/2011 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm

Getting Ready for SDCOS Show

Submitted by Debra F. on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 11:12pm
Date: 
Wed, 03/11/2009

POS members met at the Woman's Club to collect and register orchids to be used in their SDCOS display at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in San Diego.

Shigeru and Satomi Kasahara of Seed Engei

Submitted by Debra F. on Wed, 07/27/2011 - 7:11pm
Date: 
Wed, 10/01/2008

Pictures show repotting demo done by Mr. Shigeru Kasahara of Seed Engei.
His daughter, Satomi narrated demo and showed a very interesting video of a neofenetia falcata conference in Japan.