BAY NEWS

Newsletter of the American Gesneriad Society of San Francisco

Volume 26, No. 10, October 2004

 

 
Next Meeting: Sunday, October 17, 2004

Program: Display and Sale

 

 

 

Message from the President

by Terri Campbell

 

This is just a reminder to "save the date" for our one-day display and sale on Sunday, October 17.  The actual sale will begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 3:00 p.m.  However, as many members as possible should plan to arrive at the Garden Club Room at 8:00 a.m., when we will begin setup. We will need to price the plants, post signs, cover tables, and set up a display.  There will be a lot to do before the sale opens at 10:00.

 

Please bring your sale plants with you, gesneriad and non-gesneriad.  If you have a blooming gesneriad, or a gesneriad with attractive foliage, for the display table, please bring it.  We're trying to display a good variety of gesneriads.  "Show quality" is not necessary for this event.

 

As you know, our sales are always enjoyable and a good opportunity to socialize.  They're also a good opportunity to educate the public and to earn some money for our chapter.  I hope that everyone will be able to be there on October 17th.

 

 

Show and Tell and Raffle Table

by Lorah Gross

 

David Waugh brought Paliavana Prasanta x Sinningia Macropoda for show and tell. Harriette brought Chirita cournea for show and tell and donated two Sinningia Semenole and two Chirita Aiko to the raffle table. Terri Campbell brought Nematanthus ‘Bijou’ for show and tell and donated two “pincushion” plants and one bee to the raffle table. Gene and Dotty Sussli brought Strepocarpus cuttings for show and tell and donated a “Costco” Greenhouse and perlite and vermiculite to the raffle table. Jon Dixon brought the following plants for show and tell: Nem. ‘Black Magic’, Nem. ‘Orange Nugget’, Nem. ‘Sorocaba’, Sinn. Schiffneri ‘Red Leaf’, Petrocosmea ‘Momo’, Petrocosmea forestii, Anna Molifolia, and Alsobia sp. ‘chiapas’. He donated Strep. ‘Helene’, Col. Purpusii, and Saintp. ‘Celery Sport’ to the raffle table.

 

 

Fertilizing (September 19, 2004 Program)

by Jon Dixon

 

Many of us forget to feed our gesneriads or, maybe, do not feed them enough.   They seem to survive best with constant light feeding.

 

The use of granules like Osmocote can be a trouble free way to do constant feeding.  The granules are about the size of a pepper corm and gradually dissolve into the soil.   They need to be replaced every two or three months.

 

Another way is to add fertilizer to the water each time you water.   This is usually done at half the usual strength shown on the fertilizer label.

 

Yet another way to constantly feed your plants is to set up a siphon system on your watering hose.  This consists of a bucket of fertilizer containing an extra strength dilution of the fertilizer (usually 16 times the strength) and a siphon apparatus attached to the watering hose.    The siphon apparatus (one name is Syphonjet) has a small hose for dipping into the bucket.  This draws the liquid from the bucket and dilutes it at the hose end to the proper strength as you water the plants.   If you use the siphon system it is important to regularly check both ends of the small hose dipped into the bucket fairly to ensure the tiny outlets do not get clogged.

 

There are various kinds of “instant” couplers that can be used instead of threading the siphon to the end of the hose.   This way you can easily and quickly disengage the siphon for watering certain areas without fertilizer. 

 

 

 

Pictures from the September Meeting

by David Waugh, Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes of The American Gesneriad Society of San Francisco

September 19, 2004 Meeting

by David Waugh, Secretary

 

President Terri Campbell called the meeting to order at 1:17pm.   Members present were David Waugh, Larry Williams, Jon Dixon, Terri Campbell, Kevin Daly, Irene and David Fey, Harriette Poss, Gene and Dotty Sussli, guest Pat Olsen.

 

The minutes of the August meeting, printed in the September Newsletter, were accepted without amendment.

 

The Treasurer advised we are in good financial condition 

 

The October 17 Display and Sale arrangements will be finalized this coming week.  The number of tables and chairs needed, and items, like table covers for the tables and the bookshelves behind the display plants, riser shelf for the display plants, etc. will be lined up.

 

We then did ‘Show and tell’.  There was a discussion about how to root streptocarpus during this period and how some methods do better than others.

 

Jon Dixon did a short lecture on fertilizing gesneriads

 

The Raffle took place just before the meeting adjourned about 3:40pm

 

 

 

2004 Officers

President:  Terri Lynn Campbell

Vice President:  Jon Dixon

Secretary:  David Waugh

Treasurer:  Irene Fey (please request Irene’s address from Lorah Gross)

Newsletter Editor: Lorah Gross lorah@lorah.net

 

Meetings: Usually third Sunday of each month, 1-4 p.m. at Library of County Fair Bldg., Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.  (Enter from parking lot North side of 10th Avenue and Lincoln Blvd., turn right through gate next to building, go to third door) 

2004 meetings: 1/18, 2/15 (in the Recreation room), 3/21, 4/18, 5/23, 6/20, 7/18, 8/22, 9/19, 10/17, 11/21, no meeting in December.

 

Dues: $10 single, $11 family. Make checks payable to AGS SF, mail to Treasurer.

 

Website: http://www.agssf.org