December 2008 Newsletter

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
HAPPY TURKEY DAY, MERRY CHRISTMAS
MEETING OF THE ECA – Thursday December 11th at 7 PM in the classroom facility to the left as you drive into the SPAA complex. Seattle Police Athletic Association Office (SPAA) site at 11030 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila, WA.
TELEPHONE COMMITTEE MEMBERS – Please contact your lists early in the week of December 1st.
NOMINATION OF 2009 CLUB OFFICERS – The December meeting includes the election of officers for the upcoming year.
Nominees:
Ron Elliott President Sydney Ogilvie Vice President
Chris Brookes Treasurer Jill Aldrich Secretary and welfare com.
Past President Mark Ross
Don Stark, Cultural
Trustees 3 year term: Jack Brandon – Steve Backstrom
2 year term: David Rynes – Mas Tamekuni
1 year term: Bob Ewing – Larry Mayer
Nominations are encouraged from the floor at the December meeting for all officer and trustee positions. It is up to all of us to rotate as officers periodically to provide the club fresh ideas and new perspectives.
MANY THANKS to Jean Smith and Sydney Ogilvie for organizing all the refreshments.
The club commends the faithful service of Jack Brandon, Chairperson and all the telephone tree callers. Many Thanks
2009 CLUB DUES – Members are encouraged to pay dues for 2009. Annual dues are $15/member or $20/couple. Dues are paid to the ECA Treasurer.
DECEMBER TO DO LIST – (adapted from DRS 12/03/98 notes, Modified ll/26/04) Success for the upcoming year begins with the care of our stock to produce the quality cuttings needed for other members, our club plant sales and ourselves. It is important that you identify your best plants of each variety and try to get your cuttings from those plants. Weak or diseased plants should be destroyed. Get a new start from another member at the plant sale if your stock is weak.
Cultivars in classes #1, #3 and#4 are usually started in late Dec. and January. The #1 varieties such as Jessie Habgood, Gigantics, Mark Woolman, Dukes and Lancaster Fold need early starts and so do the Fairweather family of #3’s. Most #2’s can be started January. Cultivar classes #4 & #5 and 14 & 15”s are usually started in Feb and March. Plants to be grown for specimen (10 or more blooms) should be started ASAP. In spite of the above suggestions for starting times. It is always a good idea to wait on the cuttings till they are ready. Cuttings should be 1” to 2” and growing vigorously.
PREPARING STOOLS FOR CUTTINGS
+ Keep pots outside and sheltered from the wind, cold, rain and slugs. It is
important for the plant stool to chill and remain relatively dry during its
dormant period until 2-4 weeks before you want to start taking cuttings.
The chilling period will produce much stronger cuttings for the next
growing cycle.
+ Protect stools from hard freezing (less than 28 degrees). Most plants
can stand a night or more of freezing temperatures but three
consecutive hard freezing nights will probably kill all but the hardiest
cultivars. During severe cold snaps a garage, shed, greenhouse, or
a tarp can be used temporarily to protect the plants until the cold
subsides.
+ Two to four weeks before the desired cutting-time bring pot stools
into heated area (60 degrees for example) and feed with a
nitrogen fertilizer such as Miracle-Grow to stimulate new growth.
TAKING CUTTINGS
+ The recommended cutting media is a 50% sand 50% Peat Moss.
However, I and others have recently switched to starting in the
M&R soilless mix that we pot into for the rest of the year. I start
Right in the 2 ½ or 3 inch pots and set them in or on the bed of
Sand in my cutting bed. I also start some of the later varieties
Directly in the 2 ½ plastic cubes that we use mostly for plant sales.
+ The cutting bed temperature should be maintained at 65F.
+ Cover the newly taken cuttings with a glass or clear plastic cover
for the 3 days after taking the cutting.
+ Cuttings should be from 1 ½ to 2 inches long with the cutoff or
break at a leaf node.
+ It is recommended to dip cuttings in a mild insecticide/fungicide
solution before setting the new cutting in the cutting media.
+ Cover the newly taken cuttings with a glass or clear plastic cover
for up to three days after taking the cuttings. Leave some room
under the cover so that air can get in and circulate around a bit.
+ Provide overhead light for the new cuttings. A 4-foot fluorescent
shop light with Growlux bulbs works great.
Don Stark’s Top Ten Mum Varieties
1. Connie Mayhew is a #2 yellow that everyone should grow. Ed
Pawlowski has won best bloom open classes with it.
2. Len Hall is a #3 pink incurve that is reliable and in his opinion
the best #3 in our club.
3. Port Stanley is a #5 yellow incurving bloom with good form and
Color that does well with 4-5 blooms per plant.
4. Lundy and Yellow Lundy are #2 reflex varieties and in his view
the best #2 blooms in our club. You will love the yellow and the
white is brilliant. These are winners.
5. Seychelles is a #2 dark pink reflex that is big with good form
and likes a lot of fertilizer. Don Stark won best in show with a Seychelles last year.
6. Fairweather family (Pink, White, Salmon, Primrose Yellow)
Produces all good #3 incurves. The Primrose and yellow varieties are new and very healthy and vigorous.
7. Ralph and Yellow Ralph Lambert are #1 bronze and yellow
reflex varieties that are easy to grow two up.
8. Alexis and Apricot Alexis #5 pink and apricot varieties that you
will love to grow.
9. Stan Addison is a good #5 new comer, it grows fairly big as a
#5 when grown 2 or 3 blooms, and can be grown successfully
as a #3 when grown 5 to 7 blooms per plant.
10. Vienna Waltz is a #10 purple spider that is one of the clubs
best varieties in this class. It blooms on time, beautiful and a
winner.
If you wish to continue receiving the Newsletters and “To Do Lists I encourage you to pay your dues for 2009 by January, so you are not dropped from our Database. By-Laws, Article 1, states that fees are due no later than the March meeting for members who have paid dues in 2008.
AWARDS BANQUET: Our Banquet was great and everyone had a nice time. There were several members and spouses in attendance.
Many Thanks to Ron Elliott in preparing the trophies that were presented. They looked great. Also many thanks to Larry Mayer who made arrangements for the Engraved Chrysanthemum Plates and generated all the Certificates for the winners.
CULTURAL NOTES The cultural for the December meeting will include a review of the last growing season and cultivars response, planning for the upcoming 2009 growing season, and getting new plant starts growing well. Refer to the cultural page for Don Stark’s recommended top ten mum varieties for 2009.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the December meeting, come and vote for your choice of Officers for 2009.
I will send out the results of the voting for the 2009 Officers.
Have a Merry Christmas, see you in the New Year.
Jill Aldrich, Secretary