The 75th Annual Orchid Show & Sale is almost here! Get your tickets here.

Our President, Dave Veach, was on Good Day Sacramento recently. Click here to watch.

20220216_141817.jpg

Welcome

Welcome to the Sacramento Orchid Society’s website. We hope you find the information here useful. We’ve made some changes recently so please explore the site thoroughly. You can check out our events page for information on upcoming events.

About the Sacramento Orchid Society

The Sacramento Orchid Society was founded in 1947 as an educational organization dedicated to providing information on the cultivation of orchids to the greater Sacramento community.

Members and non-members alike are welcome at our FREE Monthly Meetings that feature expert speakers from around the world, our members Show & Tell which is like a mini orchid show each month, opportunities to buy and sell plants, and a delightful measure of fellowship and good times. You will also find out about upcoming events and opportunities to support our society.

The Society's very active membership grows an almost unimaginable number of orchid species and hybrids on windowsills, patios, in yards, under lights, and in greenhouses.

 
20190805_132216.jpg

Orchid Of The Month

March 2024

Vanda Robert’s Delight ‘Renu Blue’
(Vanda Kasem’s Delight x Vanda Madame Rattana)
by Chris Bushman


Photo credit Orchids.com

From Google…
” Vanda is a feminine name for an adventurous munchkin. It's a Slavic form of German Wanda, meaning "shepherdess" or "wanderer." It may also derive from a German nomadic tribe called the Vandals, who managed to take over Rome in 455. Additionally, Vanda is the name of a vibrant purple orchid, symbolizing pure friendship.”

Robert’s Delight is a multi-layered complex hybrid with over 20 cultivar names. This one is ‘Renu Blue’. Most of its ancestors are from the vicinity of Thailand. Which means they prefer a medium to warm growing environment with high humidity and medium to high light.

The name V. “Robert’s Delight” is a good clue to the origin of this hybrid. Robert Fuchs, of R. F. Orchids in Homestead, Florida, is a legendary vanda hybridizer who registered it in 1984.

Hawk moths are a common pollinator of the species from which this group is derived so they usually bloom late Spring, early Summer when hawk moth adults are most active. The blooms last several weeks.

Since most vandas prefer to be grown in hanging baskets without potting mixture, I feed mine a urea free fertilizer applied with a sprayer. Urea is a very common and economical source of nitrogen but it’s nitrogen is in a form that is not readily available to plants. It undergoes transformation by soil organisms into more usable forms. Since my vanda has no soil, I feel that a urea-free fertilizer is best choice. Vanda’s are heavy feeders so I spray it once or twice a week with a weak fertilizer solution.

The humidity in my greenhouse is controlled with a humidistat to 50% or above. Since the roots are hanging free, I water at least twice a week, more during hot weather. I would probably water daily but the roots of my plant are interspersed with Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) which provides extra humidity in the root zone. There is so much of it (in the five feet of roots) that I should probably thin it out because I can barely see the roots. The Spanish Moss is from Gold Country Orchids. I think Alan Koch is single handedly responsible for making it endemic to greenhouses of Northern California.

My plant is about 8’ tall (so I have never brought it to “Show & Tell”). Since this plant likes high light, I usually grow it near the top of my 10’ high greenhouse. This leaves the roots near eye level and below but the flower spikes up about 9’. During flowering, I bring the spikes down to eye level with the help of a retractable plant pulley (from Amazon).

It’s sort of like the action of a roller blind, you can lock it in any position you want. It can hold up to 20 pounds. I think I’m about to max it out.

So why is ‘Renu Blue’ one of my most favorite orchids? Maybe it’s because of the relative rarity of blue orchids. Maybe it's because of the spectacular, long-lasting blooms. Maybe it's because it often sends out 2 or 3 flower spikes each season. Maybe it's because I’ve had it for a long time, and it's just a good, reliable friend.