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.

November 2012 - Gil Ho

Gilbert J. HoGilbert J. HoStanhopeas are the upside-down jewels of the orchid world. They are not often cultivated but fairly easy to grow in our Southern California climate with a few basic rules. These plants are highly fascinating as their pendant flowers are among the most highly evolved and specialized of all orchid flowers. The flower spikes emerge through the bottom of the growing basket to hang freely like birds in flight.  With an emphasis on the roughly 70 species currently recognized, Gil's talk will cover basic information about different Stanhopea growing conditions in nature and the origins of Stanhopea collecting and identification. Hybridizing stanhopeas will be mentioned briefly and the talk will conclude with an overview of cutlure conditions for growing Stanhopeas in our Southern California area. This section will serve as this month's culture class.   Read more »

Date: 
Wed, 11/07/2012 - 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Member of the Year 2012

Who do you think has made an outstanding contribution to the club this year?  Nominate him/her for Member of the Year.  Send the name of the individual, along with a description of their contribution, to Debra Funakoshi by Friday, October 26.  Her email address is dlf_3144@att.net.

All current members are eligible except last year’s honoree, which was Debra.  

We will vote at the next meeting to determine who will receive the honor and the name of the honoree will be revealed at the holiday dinner in December.

San Diego International Orchid Show - October 2012

Blc. Toshie's Magic – Alex Nadzan – Best of Section "Cattleya Hybrids", HCC 78
Lc. Schloat's Fancy x L. Lookalike – Phyllis Prestia – Third Place
Pot. (Slc. Golden Wax "Lone Star II" x Blc. Lone Sound "Dogashima") – Alex Nadzan – Second Place
Lc. Tropical Pointer "Cheetah" – Anita Spencer – First Place
Blc. Kathy My Love – Alex Nadzan – Third Place
Lc. Amethyst Star "Purple Flame" – Alex Nadzan – First Place
Ootaara Island Flare "Fragrance" – Alex Nadzan – Third Place
Cymbidium Chen's Ruby 'Gold Digger – Gil Ho – Second Place
Den. blue – Renate Schmidt – Second Place
Amgraecum Shooting Star – Renate Schmidt – First Place
Habenaria medusae – Renate Schmidt – Third Place
Anita Spencer and Dennis Mackewicz
Merle Robboy, Elf Mitton, and Dennis Mackewicz at the booths

These are the orchids exhibited by members of the Palomar Orchid Society that were awarded at the San Diego International Orchid Show October 6 & 7, 2012.

Source: Flickr

October 2012 Meeting

Alex Nadzan speaking on Orchid Hybridizing Basics
Cattleya hybrid seed pod
Newly germinated orchid seeds
Close-up of newly germinated orchid seeds
Orchid seedlings before replating
Seedling flask of L. tenebrosa
Deflasking orchid seedlings
Rinsing the roots of the orchid seedlings
Discussing flasking and orchid hybridization
Paphiopedilum Primechild – Merle Robboy
Cattleytonia Jamaica Red 'Sentinel' HCC/AOS – Alex Nadzan
Dendrobium limpidum – Helge Weissig
Dendrobium convolutum – Merle Robboy
Cymbidium Chens Ruby 'Gold Tiger' – Gil Ho
Unknown Cattleya hybrid – Janice Krause
Vuylstekeara Pacific Passion 'TOW' – Warren Stehle
Slc. Circle of Life 'Trailblazer' x Lc. Magic Melody – Alex Nadzan
Blc. Toshie's Magic – Alex Nadzan
Blc. Horizon Flight x Slc. Circle of Life – Alex Nadzan
Slc. Golden Wax 'Lone Star' x Blc. Love Sound 'Dogashima' – Alex Nadzan
Lc. Canhamiana v. coerulea 'Azure Skies' – Alex Nadzan
Neofinetia falcata – Alex Nadzan

Alex Nadzan gave a very educational and informative introduction to orchid hybridization from an amateur's perspective. As part of his presentation, he demonstrated the de-flasking and first potting of seedlings. The selection of plants brought in for the Show and Tell portion of the meeting was a little smaller as our attendance was below normal as well, possibly due to the Presidential debate. However, there were several very beautiful flowers to be admired.

Source: Flickr

September 2012 Show and Tell

Lctna. Zip Knot – Alex Nadzan
L. Interceps aquinii coerulea – Alex Nadzan
Kir. George 'E' – Alex Nadzan
Ctna. Capri 'Lea' AM/AOS – Alex Nadzan
Pot. (C. Chocolate Drop 'Kodama'  X Pot. Rubesence 'SVO' AM/AOS) – Alex Nadzan
Blc. Mari's Glory – Alex Nadzan
Neo. falcata (White Tara  X Crystal Palace AM/AOS) – Alex Nadzan
Slc. Naomi Kerns 'Fireball' AM/AOS – Alex Nadzan
Lc. Ann Akagi 'H&R' – Alex Nadzan
Bepi. Dave Wallace – Alex Nadzan
Lc. Mackie's Flare – Alex Nadzan
Ctna. Jamaica Red 'Sentinel'  HCC/AOS – Alex Nadzan
Neo. falcata (White Tara  X Crystal Palace AM/AOS) – Alex Nadzan
C. Chocolate Drop 'Volcano Queen' – Alex Nadzan
Blc. Oconee X Blc. Sanyang Ruby – Alex Nadzan

This month's Show and Tell has some wonderful plant photos contributed by Alex Nadzan. If you would like your orchids featured, please submit them by email before the third Wednesday of each month. This is a great opportunity to show off your collection and exhibit plants that were not quite ready or otherwise didn't make it to the monthly meetings' Show and Tell.

Source: Flickr

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