"Cleveland, Fla. Carl Powell of Powell's Nursery... His collection dates back to his first purchase in 1972... a purple Cattleya...
there exists an informal fraternity of plant people whose only membership dues are a love of growing things and a willingness to share both knowledge and plants. ... orchid collecting... he still actively pursues at the age of 91. In the shade house attached to his home, there are dozens of Phalaenopsis... Three still display ribbons awarded at the recent orchid show in Englewood. Another stack of ribbons several inches thick hangs from a nail over the desk in his workshop. Photograph albums meticulously document each purchase, propagation, bloom period, repotting schedule and fertilizer regimen. ... A neatly organized potting bench contains the media he prefers for the different varieties of orchids.. Tubs of bark chips, charcoal, coconut husk and sphagnum moss are within easy reach. Empty handmade orchid baskets awaiting new tenants dangle in front of a window. They are trapezoidal, triangular and other non-standard shapes. Most are of redwood... Orchid lovers used to drop by frequently... They often went home with a jar of honey from his bees as well as an orchid from his greenhouse. ... He points out the node... on a Phalaenopsis flower spike. He says to scrape off the covering bract and rub some keiki paste... on the spot to produce a clone of the parent plant... pearls of his orchid wisdom. 1. Vandas want their daily shower, and they will sulk if the temperature falls below 60 degrees. 2. Damp sphagnum moss will protect the exposed roots of a Phalaenopsis if you have to delay repotting. 3. A pinch of crushed oyster shells once a year is a tasty treat for some Paphiopedilums... 4. Never use a new product on more than one plant until you see how it performs. (A bad batch of insecticide almost wiped out his collection once.) 5. They don't make keiki paste like they used to. If any of you go to Delray, stop by the Green Barn and buy some of theirs. It works wonders." URL : http://www.sun-herald.com/Newsstory.cfm?pubdate=040908&story=tp11ch14.htm&folder=NewsArchive2 ***************** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
