Probably works the same way as various Botanical oils where the main ingredient is Canola oil...smothers the bug. Might be fine if you only have a few orchids.

Speaking of which - I haven't been to our society meetings for a few months and didn't renew my membership - no job at the time. Last I knew, "we" had 300+ members and were looking for a larger meeting space. The age spread is weighted toward 40+, but there are a couple of teens and some members in their 20s & 30s. We meet on the 3rd Sat. from 1-3 with an hour of business, including results of the judging, a break with coffee and non-homemade cookies, then often a speaker from the outside who's usually selling their own plants, then plant raffle results. There's no meeting during one of the summer months - forget which. Most members are local, but one hobby Paph breeder and his wife drive 6 hours round trip to be there. Another active member lives at least an hour away. When an outside speaker isn't selling plants, members can sell theirs. Some people join just for inexpensive plants. Dues are about $25. Visitors and new members are introduced during the business part and receive a free copy of AOS's basic orchid handbook. Our current space is the community room in the main store of a local, upscale garden center chain. It has a nice deli, with the eating area out in the indoor plant section. Most people walk through the indoor plant area to get to the meeting room. Before and after the meeting, you see members having coffee in the dining area and browsing and buying indoor/outdoor garden supplies. The store sells orchids, too, although nothing exotic. It's a feast for the senses, esp. in MN winter. If we move to a library, say, it won't be the same. There are 6 main events during the year: - a holiday meal at a local restaurant, and people go home w/ a free plant. This serves as the Dec. meeting, I think. - a big display and AOS judging during the St. Paul Winter Carnival. The display is in a well-known conservatory in St. Paul, and the last few years, we've had vendors there. - an all-day, spring symposium at an arboretum. Experienced society members talk about various aspects of orchid culture. - a display during the State Fair. Society members are generous in their judging, and the numerous ribbons look impressive. Some members who are vendors have their own displays in the same room, but no sales. - the September orchid sale to the public. It's at a garden center on a Sat. Of course, society members who are selling plants get first choice before the show opens. There's a business meeting just before, and this is the Sept. meeting - I think. - the September bus tour during the Chicagoland orchid festival, or whatever it's called. There are a couple of commercial growers between Minneapolis and Chicago, and all the growers roll out the red carpet and offer our members good deals. The trip goes from a Friday afternoon to the following Sunday evening, and people come back loaded with plants to replace those they just sold! I'm not aware of any specific recruiting/marketing efforts. It could be that the 1 million people in the 7-county "Metro area" kind of "yield" a society with about 300 members. But - with the economy what it is, the MN society may be having hard times, too. If there's a current MN society member here, chime in. Whitecat8

Hi Eric, It was so great to finally meet you and Crystal! I totally agree with everything you said about the PSI meeting. I'm a free bird myself, but we could have had some more organization. The trades as you put it, were not thought out or organized. There were too many interruptions during the meetings and we didn't get to hear some people speak, which I really looked forward to.I'm not sure if the PSI meetings have been like this for years, or if this just an unorganized year. The rain sure didn't help though. By the way, the orange/red unnamed passiflora in your photos is P.Glandulosa. Quite the beauty isn't it? I'm currently trying to root one, but not sure it will make it. I want to thank you and Crystal for giving me all those goodies to take home. They are all doing great! I hope yours are doing good too. My P.Cincinnata finally bloomed. I'll have to post some photos, so you can see what yours will look like. I wish we got to hang out more. We ended up relaxing/sleeping that last night, since my hubby didn't feel well. We had to work and then travel out of state again later in the week, so it was a much needed break. I look forward to another PSI meeting. It was the people that made it special. A P.'Royale' from BW:

Should I cut the spike off my Phalaenopsis or Doritaenopsis Orchid now that the flowers are nearly all spent?This question has been asked numerous times on many forums, and the answer you will mostly get is No! "The plant may grow a new spike from a node on the old spike ". "I never cut flower stalks off unless they turn brown" and "No one cuts the flower spikes plants growing in nature".Not bad advice really, especially if you are a new grower and want to see flowers and gain experience. BUT, If you ask this question of long time orchid growers, you will get a different answer. There are other orchids apart from Phalaenopsis that flower again from the original spike or form keikis on the flower spike. Some species orchids also bloom sequentially. Some specific examples: Doritis pulcherrima x Phal. decumbens. This is a miniature that blooms sequentially and will also form side branches. Plant started flowering in December and was then benched at three Society meetings. Still flowering at the end of March but flowers were getting smaller and there was a long naked spike with many flower scars. So I chopped the spike off at the base and the new leaf that is growing is larger than the existing leaves, so perhaps the next flowering will be even better. Large Standard Pink or White Phalaenopsis. Once the flowers are spent cut the spike off at the base so that the plant can use resources into growing new leaves and produce a better flowering next time. Species Phalaenopsis orchids. Depends on the species. Some flower for years from the same spike and should not be cut. Hybrid Equitant Oncidiums. Cut the spike off. Sure they may throw a side branch but the flowers are always smaller and few in number. Epicattleya Nebo. I left some of the flowering heads on last season. Keikis have grown there that if left will bloom and there will be flower spikes on growths from the top and bottom of the plant. My object is to put this plant in a show so I will cut those top flowering heads off. This advice applies to all reed stem Epidendrums, but if you want the plant as a garden subject the plant should be left to do its thing. Anonymous Long Time orchid Grower The Phal shown in the picture is Phal. Nancy Gordon "Dave's" (Phal. Deventeriana x Phal. venosa), an evergreen spike showing several years of growth. The photo is provided by Charles D. Moulton Image by: Charles D. Moulton Phal. Nancy Gordon "Daves"