The Central New York Orchid Society

Our February meeting will be Club Member Rick Braue giving a presentation on semi-hydroponic orchid growing. Rick has adopted the S/H method generally originated by Ray Barkalow of First Ray's Orchids down in southeastern Pennsylvania, and often brings his flowering orchids to the Show Table.

Semi-hydroponics involves the use of a tall pot with a small reservoir of water in the bottom. The pot holds a quantity of uniform usually non-organic media pellets so that water/nutrients can be wicked up to the roots. There is a trick to doing it right, and once you know the details and grow plants that can handle this system, it can be fairly easy and rewarding. Charles and Judi will also bring water hardness testers to the meeting, so be sure to bring a water sample that you use for your orchids to be checked out (either fresh water or the fertilizer water you use for irrigating your plants).

Please note that there will be both a Beginner's Session and a Club Show Committee meeting at 1:30 p.m. The previous Show Committee members need to be in attendance with all details of the previous plans and operation of the last shows.

Lori Hoffman was very generous in volunteering to be our next President! A very hearty thank you to Lori for volunteering. Charles Ufford volunteered to be the program chairperson until someone could be found to take over that position. Charles would like to step up and help with the show details since both show directors would like to step down, so if you think you could do the program calendar, please let one of the officers know. There still need to be a few volunteers to take over show tasks as well. Any small assistance is always helpful and appreciated and you don't have to have been a member for any length of time (just enthusiasm!)

A note that this Spring there will be two orchid shows in the month of April (GROS and STOS). Now is the time to inspect your orchids that may be flowering then, and properly stake and groom them so that they are the most presentable should they be flowering during one of these shows. We will be discussing other show-related details during our upcoming meetings and in the newsletter.

Our website now hosts three photo galleries. One is our Virtual Showtable page, which also has a section for you to display your growing areas. The second is the Show Pictures page where images from our orchid shows can be viewed, and the third gallery is the Native Orchids page (still in planning stage). Several members and friends go on orchid treks each year, and this is where they can post and you can view their pictures. Sometimes they also take pictures of other interesting plants they find along the way.

Also a reminder that our newsletter and website have a section where Members can post a list of orchids or orchid-related items they wish to sell/buy/trade. If you are a neighboring orchid society (including Canada) and will be having an orchid auction, these can be listed there as well as on our events calendar. Send requests to Newsletter Editor Eva Galson and your list will be put in the newsletter and on our website. Please submit your request at least two weeks before the next scheduled meeting - Thanks!

Hope to see you at our next meeting or event!

See the CNYOS calendar for other regional orchid-related events!