CLUBS
Orchids are maintained a bit differently than your general house plant. They
have different sets of guidelines based on their environment.
Lawson has been a society member for 15 years and has
been working on orchid hybridization for more than 30 years.
He has a contract grower in Hawaii to whom he sends plants
and seeds for growing.
“Next to Florida’s, Hawaii’s weather is the most consistent
and has very pure rain,” Lawson said. “They have the proper
temperatures and sunlight for growing orchids well.”
Members can also learn about dividing and repotting, fertilizing,
watering and using insecticides and fungicides that
are right for each orchid. Before cold snaps, there is always
much discussion about orchid handling and what to do
during those tough times. The monthly newsletter is always
an excellent resource for members and goes over upcoming
events, seasonal tips, meetings and member recognition.
For the month of February, members were provided average
temperatures, encouraged to begin treating for mites and
given a tip on how morning dew and fog can lead to Botrytis,
gray mold.
“We endeavor to be good citizens of our community,’’
DeMarco said. “We have partnered with the Treasure Coast >>
42 Port St. Lucie Magazine
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