June 30 General Meeting Show Table

All Photos Courtesy of Keith T.

AOS Western Canada Judging Centre’s Results August 10th

At the AOS Western Canada Judging Center’s Monthly Judging on August 10, 2024, the following AOS award was granted

Dryadella aurea ‘Kittiwake’ AM/AOS  81pts

Exhibitor:  Leda Bower

CVIOS Annual General Meeting June 30, 2024

1. The meeting was opened by President Bernie Kespe at 11:30.

2. We had 23 members in attendance which met the quorum requirements of 15 members. There were no guests or new members.

3. Our membership stands at 64 members.

4. The Treasurer, Leslie Milne, was absent but submitted her year-end (2023-2024) report. We have a bank balance of $xxx.xx. The whole report can be viewed on request. Dusty Smith approved the report and Lynne Copeland seconded.

Old Business:

1. At the Regular Meetings, the 15% commission from sales of plants and plant-related products by members has been ineffective as a fund raiser, thus, a motion to drop this commission was put forward. Dora Glover moved that we drop this commission. Shirley McClare seconded it. The motion was passed unanimously.

2. Amended Constitution and By-Laws. Valerie Melanson moved that we accept the amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws, Ken McVay seconded. A discussion ensued over the definition of a household membership (By-Laws, Membership -Section 1b). It was decided by unanimous vote that the wording “except the right to vote” would be deleted from the document. With no further discussion, a second call was made to vote on the amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws. There were 21 votes in favour of the amended Constitution and By-Laws, 1 against, and 1 abstained. The amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws were carried.

New Business:

1. With a family member now being allowed to vote, a discussion followed that would require restructuring the membership fees to accommodate both single and family memberships, with a single membership entitling one vote and a family membership entitling two votes. There was a general agreement on this concept, and the executive will determine the fee structure to be presented at the September meeting. Membership forms will need to be amended.

Lunch Break: Elections.

The passing of the new Constitution and By-Laws means that Bernie Kespe and Nicole Ta can continue on in the positions of President and Vice-President for one more year.

William Law was acclaimed in the Secretary and Membership position. Leslie Milne was acclaimed in the Treasurer position.
No one ran for the Show Chair position.
The following people volunteered for these positions:

Library – Michael deLeur

Sales and raffles – Dora Glover, Darlene Rathwell and Sheila Wilson

Program co-ordinator – Lynne Copeland

Newsletter editor – Melanie Norris (she needs tech help and Shirley McClare offered to assist.)

Social Media Manager – Nicole Ta
Refreshment Manager(s) – Valerie Melanson and Sandra Lathrope

Show Table, Library Presentation and Draws:

1. Lynne Copeland presented the show table.

2. Michael deLeur did a short presentation on books available.

3. The 50/50 draw for $20.00 went to Sheila Wilson. The member’s draw was done with several prizes.

4. Bernie had brought many plants donated to us by a person who could no longer keep them and their sales made $165.00 for the Society.

5. The meeting was adjourned at 1:30. Minutes by Sheila Wilson/Bernie Kespe

Phalaenopsis for Beginners

fayl-eh-NOP-sis

If you are lucky enough to have a Phalaenopsis, you are about to enter the wonderful world of growing orchids! Phals are one of the easiest orchids to grow in the home. If you follow a few basic requirements, these plants will reward you with several months of beautiful blooms.

Water
How often you water will depend on the potting medium. Bark retains less water than moss. If your phal is potted in bark watering once a week is generally sufficient. If your plant is potted in moss, water when the top feels dry. The amount of light and heat your plant receives will also affect how soon your phal needs watering. Summer months will need more frequent watering, winter will need less. After a few watering, you will be able to tell by the weight of the pot whether or not it is time to water again. If in doubt, wait a day.

It is best to water in the morning. Place the plant in the sink and use tepid water. Do not use salt-softened or distilled water. Let the water run through the plant for a minute or so. Be sure to let the plant drain completely.

If any water remains in the crown (where the leaves join in the center) use a paper towel to blot the water to avoid crown rot.

Light
Phalaenopsis are ‘low’ light orchids. They grow beautifully in an east window and can be grown in a south or west window if protected by a sheer curtain. A phal’s leaves should be olive green. If they are darker it means the plant is not getting enough light; red tinged leaves mean the plant is getting too much light. Once the plant is in bloom you can place it anywhere in your home out of direct sunlight. If your plant does not re-bloom, increase the amount of light that it receives.

Continue watering and fertilizing while waiting for the blooming cycle to begin!

Temperature
Phals are easy to grow because they enjoy the same temperatures we do – above 60º F at night and a range of 70º F to 80º F or higher during the day. 95º F is the maximum temperature recommendation. Keep in mind that temperatures close to the window on a windowsill will be colder or hotter than your general house temperature. Fluctuating temperatures can cause bud drop on plants with buds ready to open.

Fertilizer
Any balanced orchid fertilizer (look at the numbers on the container, 20-20-20, etc.) can be used to fertilize your orchid. Feeding weakly (half strength) weekly works well. Once a month, use clear water to flush any accumulated salts from the potting mix.

Humidity
Use a shallow tray of pebbles filled with water to increase humidity around your plants. Be sure the pot does not sit in water as this will rot the roots.

Cutting the spike
When the blooms are finished, you can cut the spike down to the level of the leaves and the plant will bloom with larger flowers and a strong stem within a year. You can also cut off the stem leaving two nodes (those little brown lines on the stem below where the flowers were) on the stem. One of these nodes will then initiate and generally produce flowers within eight to 12 weeks. See the video on the AOS website: Where to Cut a Phalaenopsis Spike

Continue watering and fertilizing while you are waiting for the blooming cycle to begin again! Repotting is usually done every one to three years.