WOS_News

"W.J.O.S. NEWS"

June 2017
Wanneroo/Joondalup Orchid Society (Inc)

Website: http://members.iinet.net.au/~emntee/

President - Tony; Phone; 9342 3799 EMAIL

Secretary - Lynne; Phone; 9448 5840 EMAIL

Treasurer - Charly; Phone; 9206 4589 EMAIL

Registrar - Chris; Phone; 9246 3189 EMAIL

Editor - Tony; Phone; 9342 3799 EMAIL

P.O. Box 236, Kingsway, WA 6065.

Please Note!!

Change of meeting venue & start time

Next Meeting

Will be held, Thursday June 15th, 7.30pm, at the St. Lukes School at Woodvale. This is on the corner of Whitfords Ave and Duffy Terrace, Woodvale.

Visitors and New Members always welcome

Also.... The meeting will start at 7.30 as agreed to at the last general meeting.
Please let other members know of these changes.
For further info you can call me on 9342 3799
The reason behind this change of venue, has to do with the high cost of the currently used hall at Wanneroo. There is a vast saving by using the St Luke's School Hall.
It is intended that the Society use this hall for the June meeting and then decide if we should continue with it for the rest of the year. It is up to you, the members to make the decision so please come along.

Visitors and New Members always welcome.

Topic of the evening
Thinking Outside the Pot with Tony W

Membership Fees- Couple/family $40. Single $27. (Includes Badge)
Renewal - Couple/family $25. Single $20. Junior $7

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Results of the May Popular Vote:

George Webber Trophy :

Bulbo. Rita Lai - T & S Budrovich

Popular Vote Open Section:

Gomesia Ingot - Bruce

Popular Vote Novice Section:

C. Unkown John

Floral Art , Theme: Autumn Colours Gillian

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Wanneroo/Joondalup Orchid Society Calendar for 2017
Please note that the time for set-up of displays between 8 & 9 am on the Thursday morning of the display. Plants can still be brought in after that time if it is more convenient.

July 1st - Bus trip to Tropical Colours & Flora Plant

July 23rd - Bus Trip to Mandurah & SEOS Shows

August 5 - 6 WA Orchid Spectacular @ Rendezvous Hotel, Scarborough

August 20th Sausage Sizzle @ Bunnings Joondalup

August 26 - 27 NDOS Show Aranmore College

Sept 8 - 9 WJOS Northlands Show (No2) (Judging 7pm on 7th)

Oct 1st - WJOS Workshop, Warwick Hall, Dorchester Ave Warwick

Oct 7 - 8 NDOS Show St Patricks 1st Ave Mt Lawley

Oct 20 - 21 WJOS North Beach Display

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Floral Arrangement

For June - A broken pot of orchids
For July - Orchids with wood
For August - A reflection of orchids

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CLUB NEWS

Don't Forget
Don't forget to register for the Conference. Registration gives you entry to the Conference at any time, entry to all the Lectures from our interstate and overseas guest speakers, the Opening Ceremony and first look at the finished displays and sales area. You get to rub shoulders with the speakers and our orchid sellers from all over the world. Registration forms on the Raffle Table.
Also be aware of the wonderful trips to see WA's beautiful orchids in situ with the 4day Orchid Tour of the Midwest which will be displaying them in all the flowering glory at that time of the year.
Talk to Tony Budrovich about the tours.

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Don't Forget

Our Secretary, Lynne, has arranged for the Society to host a Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings Joondalup on Sunday the 20th August. We will need members to rally round to assist in this project as it is a great way to raise some necessary funds. Our hall hire is always on the rise and is one of the great drains on our resources. We would be grateful if you could please make some time for this

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And Don't Forget
The bus trip to Tropical Colours & Flora Plant on the 1st July. Only 2 seats available due to cancellations. Be quick, first in best dressed. leaving from Brewer Place in Mirrabooka @ 9am

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Also
Saturday July 23rd Bus trip to Mandurah & SEOS Shows. Bus leaving from Giles Ave Padbury

WA Orchid Spectacular

At the coming WAOS in August, each orchid society will be asked to take on responsibility for various areas in the setting up and running of the Spectacular. This is so that everyone will know who is in charge of what.
WJOS will be in charge of the show judging, entry registration and the Lecture Room. We hope that all members will rally round and assist in this endeavor to make WAOS a big success.

We were all shocked by the sudden passing of Holger Perner who, with his wife and partner Wenqing, ran Hengduan Mountains Biotechnology in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, and was to have been one of our main keynote speakers in the WAOS Lecture Program. Our thoughts and well wishes go out to Wenqing and their two daughters in this most trying of times.
Wenqing, has been in touch with the WAOS Committee and has expressed her intention to continue the great work with Chinese orchid species that she and Holger have accomplished and has offered to replace Holger at the WA Orchid Spectacular & Conference in August. We are delighted and humbled by her offer at such a demanding time for her and her family, and are happy to accept. The details are yet to be worked out, but it is wonderful news that the great legacy of Hengduan Mountains Biotechnology will be continued. Wenqing has been an integral part of the H.M.D. partnership with Holger and has broad international experience and facility with languages. Orchid flasks from Hengduan Mountains Biotechnology will still be available at the WAOS 2017 and pre orders can be made. (See under Marketplace)

Parking
There has been much discussion and angst regarding the work being done along the beachfront due to the Scarborough Redevelopement Plan, which will impact visitors to the WA Orchid Spectacular in August 2017. Much of the previous free kerbside parking is now gone even though there is still some to the north end of The Esplanade, within walking distance of the venue and in a parking area to the north side of Reserve St. The good news is that there are 200 free parking bays from the 6th floor and up at the Wilson Parking Station in Manning St. There are 13 floors in the building so free parking is on 8 of those floors, with a people lift to take you down to the beach level once you have parked your car. There are no barriers going in or out. The venue is about 100mtrs via The Esplanade on the beach side (which is where the lift is) of the Rendezvous Hotel. The beach side of the hotel has escalators and a people lift and the front entrance has steps and a lift. You can see the mud maps of the free parking areas here… http://www.waorchids.iinet.net.au/Parking.htm (Copy & paste the url into your browser)

Local Volunteers.
WAOS is a non profit organisation, run for and on behalf of the orchid growers and orchid societies in WA. It cannot run without the assistance of the WA societies and their members. We call on these members and groups to volunteer their services to help in making WAOS 2017 a great event to be remembered. All WAOS volunteers will receive our wonderful WAOS shirt in black with orange trim and with the WAOS logo attached.
But we must understand the difference between assisting in your clubs display, and helping to run the WAOS Conference itself.
Volunteers are indispensible to assure that all sectors are running successfully at all times. Some orchid societies will be asked to take on the role of managing various sectors of the event in their own right. This does not mean that volunteers can only come from that society, volunteers can be welcomed from any quarter, but that society will have full control of the running of that sector. For instance, the NDOS will be in charge of the door and raffle sales. If you feel that you can assist in that area, talk to one of their members. WJOS will assume responsibility for organising the orchid judging and for the set up of the Lecture Room.
Other sectors of responsibility will be the societies plant sale area, (OSWA) and another, the logistics of bumping in all the props and plants from the loading dock on the day and removing them after the event. We look forward to club members offering their services

Marketplace
WAOS Vendor Update - Pre Ordering
In addition to Orchid Species Plus, and Hengduan Mountains Biotechnology, we now have catalogues from Ching Hua, Orchidup, Bill Thoms and Woolfe OrchidCulture for your pre ordering on the WAOS web site.
http://www.waorchids.iinet.net.au/Pre-Ordering_Orchids.htm (Copy & paste the url into your browser)

The Orchid Show
The Show Schedule and all the accompanying information is now on the WAOS web site at…
http://www.waorchids.iinet.net.au/Show_Schedule.htm (Copy & paste the url into your browser)
Entry cards have now been printed and are available from the registrars table at our meetings. Please try to fill in your entry cards before coming to the show as this will help to expedite things on the day.

And don't forget to register for the Conference. Registration gives you entry to the Conference at any time, entry to all the Lectures from our interstate and overseas guest speakers, the Opening Ceremony and first look at the finished displays and sales area. You get to rub shoulders with the speakers and our orchid sellers from all over the world. Registration forms on the Raffle Table.

Also be aware of the wonderful trips to see WA's beautiful orchids in situ with the 4day Orchid Tour of the Midwest which will be displaying them in all the flowering glory at that time of the year.
Talk to Tony Budrovich about the tours.

The Report from the

Inter Society Display and Workshop
"Flowers, Fairytales & Fantasies"

A Note To Novice Growers
Please don't be afraid to bring along to the meetings, any orchids that you have in flower. Members will be more than willing to assist you in understanding how to improve your orchids. That is what the Society is all about. Our purpose is to help orchid growers, to help orchid growers
We are not there to ridicule or embarrass our newer members. Quite the opposite. We want to help you improve your orchids so that you can become better growers yourselves.

The Western Australian Regional Orchid Organisation has agreed to pay the $50 cost of all future AOC awards that are granted by the Orchid Judges Panel of WA. Our Society used to pay this but there were very few takers in recent years.

If you have an orchid that you think may be of award quality, talk to one of the judges in our Society. Tony W & Chris.

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Meeting Results May 2017

Open
Laelinae Alliance
1B

1st Rlc. Ballandean 'Bett' John

2nd Rlc. Chai Lin 'New City' John
Paphiopedelium
3a

1st Paph. villosum Tony & Sandy
3b

1st Paph. Crossianium Mike & Jill
Oncidinae
6c

1st Gom. Kulnura Ingot Bruce
6d

1st Onc. Ursula Isler 'xx18' Gillian

2nd Onc.Aztec Toni Phil

3rd Onc. Super Spot Everglades Gillian
Dendrobeae
8a

1st Den. bigibbum 'Top Hat' Mike & Jill
8b

1st Den. Bellinger Valley x Aussie Victory 'Castle Creek' Phil
Hybrids
11a

1st Prag. Calurum Phil
11b

1st Bulb. Rita Lia Tony & Sandy

2nd Hmwsa. Bali Quest Gillian
Seedling
12

2nd Rlc. Spring Dawn 'Top Row' x Rlc. Burdekin Delight 'Dream Time' Phil

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Understanding the importance of water & fertilizer for your orchids;
By Bruce

Starting point; Healthy Roots
Your orchid's roots are vital to your orchids health, providing nutrients and other necessities as the plant goes through its lifecycle.
Orchid roots go in search of food, light and moisture, Sometimes they stick out from the pot, which can help them absorb moisture, but most roots stay hidden within the orchid pot, if well drained and in a good potting mix.
Healthy roots have vibrant green ends while roots that are grey or white may require more water
Roots that are brown or mushy have been over watered and are a sure sign your plant is not healthy.

Water
Water is vital to plant life. Plants are predominantly composed of water.
Water is important to nearly every physiological process ongoing in living plant tissue.
Carbon dioxide and water are combined in photosynthesis to make the food necessary for plant survival.
Water performs another essential function in plants by acting as a vehicle for the uptake of minerals through the roots, as well as for the distribution of minerals, food and other substances within the plant itself.
An orchid grower need only provide too little water, or too much, to realize how crucial it is to orchids
Water is vital to plant life. Plants are predominantly composed of water.
Water is important to nearly every physiological process ongoing in living plant tissue.
Carbon dioxide and water are combined in photosynthesis to make the food necessary for plant survival.
Water performs another essential function in plants by acting as a vehicle for the uptake of minerals through the roots, as well as for the distribution of minerals, food and other substances within the plant itself.
An orchid grower need only provide too little water, or too much, to realize how crucial it is to orchids

The term pH is used to describe the activity of the hydrogen ion in a solution. It measures the relative acidity and alkalinity of the solution.

Rain water;
Pure water has a pH value of 7. This value is considered neutral - neither acidic or basic/alkaline. Normal, clean rain has a pH value of between 5.0 and 5.5, which is slightly acidic.

pH adjustment

The pH can be raised by feeding soda ash (sodium carbonate), caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), sodium bicarbonate, or potassium hydroxide into the water. Calcite (calcium carbonate, CaCO3)
Lowering pH can be accomplished by introducing a variety of acids. Both sulphuric and hydrochloric acids will work, but weaker acids are usually preferred. The most commonly used are phosphoric acid (H3PO4), acetic acid (CH3COOH), and citric acid (C6H8O7). Vinegar can also be used to lower pH.

Best option; Purchase specific pH chemicals from a hydroponic shop

Fertilizing
Watering and fertilizing are similar activities with orchids, since both involve the application of abundant water.
As with watering, fertilizer should only be given when an orchid can use it.
Temperatures should be moderate at the time of application.
If they are too low or too high, the roots will not be able to properly absorb the nutrients.
Water/fertilize in the mornings.
Orchids are comparatively slow-growing plants. But like most plants, they are composed of more than 90% water.
For these reasons, orchids do not require high amounts of fertilizer.
Logically orchids have a greater demand for nutrients when in active growth. Conversely, during periods of little growth, less fertilizer and water are needed.
If the orchid's roots are damaged, applying fertilizers will make the problem worse. If roots aren't functioning well, they can't absorb the fertilizer, and if the fertilizer isn't used by the orchid, it can accumulate in the orchid potting material. This buildup of fertilizer salts can further dehydrate and damage the remaining roots.
Flush pots regularly, rain water is ideal for this.
The following suggestions apply to most orchid-growing situations:
Choose a fertilizer that has the words nitrate nitrogen or ammoniacal nitrogen, not urea: Although all forms can be used by plants, recent research shows that the nitrate and ammoniacal forms, not urea, are most beneficial to orchids.
Look for a fertilizer with 20 percent or less nitrogen: High amounts of nitrogen, much more than 20 percent, are not necessary to grow the best orchids no matter what media they are grown in. Too much of any nutrient cannot be used by the orchid plant and, as a result, merely ends up as a pollutant.
In most cases, a fertilizer with supplementary calcium (up to 15 percent) and magnesium (up to 8 percent) is a real plus:
For most water sources, adding trace elements, including sodium, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, iron, and molybdenum, has been found to be beneficial to orchid growth.
I fertilize with just trace elements 1-2 times in Feb each year, on mild summer days.

How much fertilizer to use?
Fertilizer combined with water, either it be bore, rain or local supply, should not ideally exceed;
500 ppm (total dissolved salts) or 0.8 EC; for best results
Our home tap water is 0.9 EC (580ppm) & 7.4pH
Bore water is 0.3 (190 ppm) & pH is 6.0
Rain water (in Perth) is 0.0 EC; pH 5.5
This is a simple look at a somewhat complex issue, so do not be afraid to ask questions, after-all we pay good money for our orchids and we should endeavour to look after/grow them as best we can.

Optimal pH for orchids 6.2 - 6.5

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Our Sponsors

1/45 Stockdale Road, O'Connor,WA 6163
info@growthtechnology.com.au
Phone (08) 9331 3091

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Ezi-Gro Orchids
76 Evandale Rd, Darch
Western Australia
6065

Ezi-Gro Orchids are now CLOSED on Sundays

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201 Amelia Street | Balcatta WA 6021 | Western Australia
Phone +61 (0)8 9345 2033 | Fax +61 (0)8 9345 2012
northlands@helloworld.com.au www.helloworld.com.au

Your committee recommends Helloworld Balcatta for all your holiday travels. Just ask for Rod or Lyn and tell them that the Wanneroo/Joondalup Orchid Society sent you.

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Boisduval Scale - possibly the world's worst orchid pest

See all the pictures HERE

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Meeting Results May 2017

Novice
Laelinae Alliance
15b

1st C. Unknown John
15c

1st Pot. Burana Angel 'Hsinying' John
15e