The meeting started off with some interesting 'show and tell' plants. The first one here is a Petrocosmea minor grown by J.N. It's wonderful symmetry and shiny leaves (not to mention it's abundant blooms) make it a really attractive plant.
There were two Sinningia iarae plants brought in for display. One was an older plant that has been growing for many years and produced the seeds that the bottom plant was grown from. The S. iarae is a nice, easy to bloom Sinningia that is not necessarily considered a 'compact' plant but stays a nice size and will grow and bloom either under lights or in a sunny window. If growing the Sinningias in the window, it is helpful to remember to turn them frequently to ensure even growth.
This is a rather new and interesting Charutemsia calcicola. One of only a few to be in cultivation so far, it's a charming small plant that seems to like high humidity. It grows quickly and has lovely little flowers that have some yellow color to them.
This is another Petrocosmea. it's being grown with a 'double pot' to ensure excellent drainage but to keep the moisture and humidity around the plant so it doesn't dry too much.
This is a bowl of Sinningia pusilla. Because of the wide spread of the greenery, is this one plant with a tuber, or seedlings that have sprouted and are all growing in a tiny colony?
After the 'show and tell' portion of the evening there was the annual "Night of the Dead and Nearly Dying" competition. It is a fiercely competitive event with contestants preparing for months to prepare just the right entry! Some of the best entries for one of the three categories - (Closest to Dead Without Actually Going Over, Most Unusual, and Most Artistic) are shown here.
A 'Spin Art' Strep presented by S. J. was the most nearly dead, as seen in the small black, square pot in the photo to the right.
The most unusual was that trailing brain (uh, sorry violet) to the right and the most artistic entry of the evening was the Alsobia punctata you can see sprawling all over the table. Thanks to all the contestants who labored and trained for nearly a year to prepare these marvelous entries! Prizes of delicious chocolates were awarded.
More of the meeting followed with a presentation of a book from C. A. by MacKinlay Kantor called Spirit Lake to long-time club member J. M. in part in appreciation for service to the Society. This book reflects some directly related ancestors of J. M. and has a historical perspective to Minnesota's early years.
Long time grower, J. N. gave a presentation about growing Petrocosmeas. The main points about growing Petrocosmeas were that you should not water them in excess and make sure that the soil mix you use is considered very light. They enjoy excellent drainage, like many gesneriads do. The plants themselves can be grown out in the open without use of domes or humidity trays, but when you are propagating and starting the suckers, it's helpful to put them in an enclosed environment with more humitidy.
The Petrocosmeas do bloom in the winter, as we can see from one of the first 'show and tell' photos at the beginning of this post. They will do well in west windows that have strong, but not burning light. J. N. doesn't wick water these plants, but some club members commented that they do.
Other discussion was about where to purchase various fertilizers for the plants. A formerly popular brand called Peter's was purchased by the Scott's company and is no longer formulated like it was in the past. The grandson of the original Peter's company started a smaller company and went back to producing the original urea-free formula that is now sold under the name of Jack's. Apparently, the orchid mix is urea-free, but the African violet mix is not.
The meeting ended after everyone enjoyed really awesome homemade treats brought by C. H. and A. M's wife! Those members can feel free to bring those treats anytime in the future.
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