Peninsula Orchid Society Speakers Schedule: May 25, 2007

Masdevallia Mary Staal
Photo by Ron Parsons

The Science of Orchid Pollination

Gerardus B. Staal

Gerardus is a Dutch native who for much of his adult life specialized in entomology (the study of insects). He worked for several Bay area companies, developing novel selective pesticices such as ENSTAR and MAVRIK. Retiring from entomology in 1990, Gerardus began a full-time obsession with a hobby that he became interested in nearly 25 years earlier-what else but ORCHIDS!

His orchid interests developed into a hybridizing and propagation effort that continue today, and flasks of his hybrids can be purchased under the Peninsula Hybrids label. He has specialized in cool growing orchids, and has registered many novel hybrids in the Odontoglossum, Cattleya and Pleurothallid alliance. His hybrids have been recognized by many AOS awards, including 3 (joint) Awards of Quality for Masdevallia hybrids (Masdevallia Southern Sun, Masdevallia Mario Ferrusi, and Masdevallia Paul Martinrod). One of his better known and most beautiful Masdevallia hybrids is Masdevallia Mary Staal, named after his wife (and fellow POS member) Mary. He also has a hybrid genus and grex named after him (Staalara Gerardus) , as well as one of the elegant Spilotantha (aka Masdevallia) species, Masdevallia staaliana.

Behind the genetics of what you get when you cross one species with another is another science altogether. How do you pollinate an orchid? How do you know you have been successful? What do you do with a seed pod? How are "baby orchids" grown? What kind of growing conditions do they need? What do you do with a flask of orchids? How many years before that baby orchid will bloom? What are the special care and feeding recommendations? And why do hybridizers do what they do? We will learn all of this and more when Gerardus tells us about "The Science or Orchid Pollination". This is a wonderful opportunity for members both new to orchids and experienced in their culture to learn about how to make hybrids and what to do with them when you have them! Please join us on Friday, May 25 at the San Mateo Garden Center.