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.

June To Do List

General

  • Continued increases in day length and drastic changes in light levels this month may require repositioning of plants to avoid overexposure to sun. Although cattleyas, dendrobiums and cymbidiums thrive in high light levels, phalaenopisis, miltonopsis, masdevallias and other lower light plants can easily burn. For most orchids, optimal light levels are indicated by light grassy green leaves. Dark green leaves suggest too little light, while yellow colored or red tinted leaves usually indicate too much light.
  • Increasing winds may result in additional dust build up on your orchid leaves. This provides the perfect environment for harboring mites. Treat accordingly. During warm weather, pests and diseases can proliferate very quickly and spread throughout the collection. Carefully inspect plants for scale and aphids and treat early to minimize spread. As always, follow good hygiene practices to minimize transmission of pests and viruses.
  • June continues the growth and repotting season for many orchids (cattleyas, oncidiums, dendrobiums) as new roots emerge from pseudobulbs or fans. Try to repot when roots are small and just beginning to emerge in order to minimize damage to soft tissues and avoid transplant shock, giving plants a head start in the growing season. Also repot when orchids have begun to over grow their pots and/or when media has started to break down.  Consider repotting plants that have been in pots for 2 or more years and are existing, but not thriving. Repotting can revitalize and provide new vigor to such plants.
  • As you repot and divide many of your plants, set aside the extra divisions  as donations for the POS auction or for silent auction at the meetings. It will prevent overcrowding of your benches and make someone else happy to get a piece of your prized plant.

2013 POS Orchid Auction Details

Our annual auction will be held on August 3, 2013 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.   Read more »

Date: 
Sat, 08/03/2013 - 11:00am - 4:00pm

May 2013 General Meeting

May To Do List

General

  • Increases in day length and drastic changes in light levels this month may require repositioning of plants to avoid overexposure to sun. Although cattleyas, dendrobiums and cymbidiums thrive in high light levels, phalaenopisis, miltonopsis, masdevallias and other lower light plants can easily burn. For most orchids, one wants to have light grassy green leaves.  Dark green leaves suggest too little light, while yellow colored or red tinted leaves usually indicate too much light.
  • Increasing winds result in additional dust build up on your orchid leaves. This provides the perfect environment for harboring mites. Treat accordingly.
  • As your flower spikes grow taller avoid changing the orchids orientation to the light to avoid flowers being twisted on the stems. For paphs, do not stake to early or the stems will not be as strong and flower will be in "nodding" position.
  • May should be the height of growth and repotting season as new roots emerge from pseudobulbs or fans. Try to repot when roots are small and just beginning to emerge in order to minimize damage to soft tissues and avoid transplant shock, giving plants a head start in the growing season.
  • Repot when orchids have begun to over grow their pots and/or when media has started to break down.  Also consider repotting plants that have been in pots for 2 or more years and are existing, but not thriving. Repotting can revitalize and provide new vigor to such plants.
  • The repotting process can be overwhelming so set aside plants and repot a few every day to ease the process.
  • As you repot and divide your plants, set aside any extra divisions as donations for the POS auction or for silent auction at the meetings. It will prevent overcrowding of your benches and make someone else happy to get a piece of your prized plant.

May 2013 - Miki Batchman

Patterned and Peloric Cymbidiums

We are pleased to welcome Miki Batchman as our speaker for May. Miki and her brother Karl took over responsibility for Casa de las Orquideas in 2011, which was founded by their father, the late Loren Batchman in 1976. As many of you know, Casa de las Orquideas is a small family-owned orchid nursery specializing in cool-growing genera such as cymbidiums and zygopetalums, located in the coastal Solana Beach. Miki Batchman has been doing the lab work for the business, as well as display design, for several years, while Karl has managed the general aspects of the nursery. Miki will be speaking about patterened and peloric cymbidiums, which is a specialty of the nursery as a result of her father’s extensive hybridizing efforts. It should be a very interesting talk. She also will provide plants for the opportunity table.

Date: 
Wed, 05/01/2013 - 6:30pm - 9:30pm

April 2013 General Meeting

April 2013 - Harry Phillips

Harry PhillipsHarry PhillipsPerceptions and Realities of Growing Orchids

We are excited to welcome back Harry Phillips, of Andy’s Orchids fame, to speak to us on ‘Perceptions and Realities of Growing Orchids’. This is a very new presentation from Harry that will address the perceptions that hobbyists have about numerous aspects of orchid growing and the actual realities of experiences that he and his brother, Andy, have had in their many years of growing orchids.  This talk should be very informative and of value to novice and advanced orchidists alike.  Harry also will provide for the opportunity table their ever popular plants from Andy’s Orchids (http://www.andysorchids.com).

Harry Phillips is a native San Diegian, whose father taught him to appreciate plants at an early age. In January of 1963, Harry's younger brother, Andy (of Andy's Orchids fame), was born and six years later is when it all started. They were both exposed to exotic plants and flowers at an early age, but when Andy became interested and, later, obsessed with orchids, Harry somehow resisted becoming involved with them for as long as he could. He assisted Andy in his passion by building his first two greenhouses and Andy would reward him with a hybrid that was in bloom, tell him to bring it back when it goes out of bloom, and exchange it for one in bloom. Well, this would only last about a year until Harry decided that he wanted to keep one and get it to re-bloom, the beginning of the end.    Read more »

Date: 
Wed, 04/03/2013 - 6:30pm - 9:30pm

April To Do List

General

  • Review and continue to follow recommendations for March since continued cool temperatures throughout March, particularly on the coast, has delayed Spring flowering and onset of growth for some species and hybrids.
  • Fine tune the shading of orchids as heat and light continue to increase.
  • Remove with sterile utensils any dead flowers or leaves that were damaged by bacterial rot or fungal rot, being careful not to contaminate clean plants.
  • If not done yet, spray benches and growing areas with Physan to decrease possibility of bacterial and fungal diseases.
  • April brings on new growth for many orchids and the opportunity to repot and divide those orchids that initiate new root growth at this time. Try to repot when roots are small and just beginning to emerge in order to minimize damage to soft tissues and avoid transplant shock, giving plants a head start for the upcoming growing season.
  • Repot when orchids have begun to over grow their pots and/or when media has started to break down.  Also consider repotting plants that have been in pots for 2 or more years and are existing, but not thriving. Repotting can revitalize and provide new vigor to such plants.
  • It is helpful to thoroughly rinse and soak all media prior to potting. Dry media tends to wick moisture away from plants.  Then keep plants relatively dry to encourage root growth.  If you prefer to repot using dry bark mixes, water newly potted plants thoroughly (2-3x), then keep on dry side to stimulate root growth.

POS 2013 SDCOS Spring Show Display

March 2013 General Meeting