MEETINGS: Fourth Thursday each month, 7:00 p.m. * Unless otherwise noted WHERE: San Joaquin County Building 2707 Transworld Drive Stockton, California *NEXT MEETING: Thursday, April 27

th, 2017

PRE MEETING DINNER: Denny’s Restaurant Arch Road location 5:30 p.m.

STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY

C/O BRIAN POOT

5617 ANADA COURT

SALIDA, CA 95368

STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2017

Echinocactus platyacanthus

2017 BOARD:

President: Lesley Slayter (209) 679-3078 lesley_shores@yahoo.com

Vice President: Brian Poot (209) 679-8899 jeffgordonfan24@sbcglobal.net

Treasurer: Roelyn Poot (209) 599-7241 billroelynpoot@gmail.com

Secretary: Faye Sutton (209) 620-5406 sutton5591@charter.net

Board Members: Jerry Slayter, Bill Poot & JD Wikert

Newsletter: Brian Poot (209) 679-8899 jeffgordonfan24@sbcglobal.net

BOARD MEETINGS: Please note, board meetings will now be held the second Wednesday of each month, at 7:00 p.m., except in December, or if that date conflicts with something else. Anyone is welcome to attend, but please call first to let them know you will be coming to make sure of the date. Thanks!

We can always use new ideas & opinions for the club, as well as help

with behind the scenes stuff. If you are interested, please come to a

board meeting. Thx!

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION: Individual $20/yr Family $25/yr Contributing $35/yr Patron $50/yr

Membership runs January-December. Complimentary Jan. & Feb. issue if unpaid.

All dues should be sent

to the treasurer before

the February general

meeting.

CALENDAR:

April 11th - Board Meeting at the Poot’s 7:00 p.m. 27th - General Meeting 7:00pm: Brian Poot - 2016 Inter-City Show slideshow

May 11th - Board Meeting at the Poot’s 7:00 p.m. 18th - Annual Potluck & Auction at Poot’s Cactus Nursery

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS: (not club related)

Sacramento Cactus & Succulent Society Show & Sale: May 6-7 at Sheppard Garden & Arts Center in McKinley Park. Sat. 9am - 5pm & Sun. 9am – 4pm

Monterey Bay Cactus & Succulent Society Show & Sale: May 20-21 at the San Juan Bautista Community

Center, 10 San Jose St, San Juan Bautista CA

SUNSHINE REPORT:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to: Mike Bradshaw, Patricia Gleason, Helen Herrgesell,

Harry Gong, Tim Taylor, Angela Severi & Monica Paniagua.

THIS MONTHS PROGRAM: Brian Poot - Inter-City Cactus & Succulent Show

Our speakers this month will be our very own club member Brian Poot. He will be giving a slideshow presentation of his trip to the 2016 Inter-City Cactus & Succulent show & sale which is held at the LA Arboretum in Arcadia CA. This is one of the largest Cactus & Succulent show & sales in the country & probably has the largest number of specimen plants in the show. These are some of the most amazing plants you will ever see, so you won't want to miss this.

* The Poot's will provide the raffle table this month.

*Reminder to Shirley Tunick (snacks) & Susan Tanis (drinks), this is your month to bring refreshments.

*Reminder that we need someone to volunteer to be the greeter this month. MAY CLUB MEETING: Annual Potluck & Auction on May 18th (3rd Thursday) This year’s annual auction & potluck will again be held at the Poot’s on May 18

th at 6:00 p.m. If you wish to come early to tour the greenhouses then you may arrive as early as 5:00 p.m. or if it’s too hot we can tour after supper. Please remember to bring a dish to share. The club will provide plates, silverware, & drinks. Please remember to bring your lawn chairs as well. This year we are again asking you to donate garden related items for the auction. Please remember that this is not a garage sale & in the interest of time & keeping interest in the auction, we would like to request that all items donated either be edible or of garden relation; like garden books, pots, pictures, garden gloves or clothing, tongs, birdhouses or feeders, plants, seeds, etc. Also, it would be a good idea to place a reasonable, minimum starting bid on your items if relevant, so our auctioneer will know where to start. Please remember that you are not there to always get a bargain, but to help support the club as well. Thanks & hope to see you there!

PLANT STUDY: by Elton Roberts

Austrocylindropuntia pachypus

The plant is not one that you can go out and buy at any succulent show and sale. I do not remember ever seeing an A. pachypus on a sales table at a show. I also do not remember ever seeing a plant in a show. I have only seen three people besides my self that had one in their collection. Other people that I know may have one but I am not aware of it if they do. Last year it was December 5th when the flower first opened. This year’s flower opened around December 11 or 12th. I did not pay attention as to which day it opened; I know that it has been open over a week. This is December 19 and I see that the outer petals are starting to wither. In measuring the flower this year it is just the same as last year’s flower at 5 cm in diameter. Last year only one other of the buds that were starting opened and that was down in January. I do not remember the date but it was about mid January. The buds that aborted none were showing petals like the one in the photo of the plant, flower and bud. Those that aborted were more large puffs of spines and wool, they had not grown into buds like those showing in the photo of the new buds. In the photo showing the new buds there is a bud that is not showing up it is right behind last years bud stem. The growth on the top of the plant is, so far, just new growth and I am not sure that it will make a bud there. Last year the plant was 69 cm tall and it has grown 5 cm to 74 cm tall. The back of the main stem on the tallest plant looks like it may be trying to split into two heads. The part trying or looking like it is trying to split off is also trying to grow a bud or new head. It shows up as a large fluff of spines and wool larger than the areoles. the photos in order if they stay that way are: the bud showing color, the flower open at 5 cm., new buds growing out of last years bud stem, the top 1/3 of the 74 cm tall plant, the back of the main stem maybe splitting off and the last photo is of the plant with the flower open and with the bud showing color. That plant is 23 cm tall, that is minus the bud stems. Growing cactus is really great for you never know what they are going to be doing next!!

MONTHLY MINI SHOW: OPEN TO ANY CLUB MEMBERS THAT WANT TO SHOW PLANTS! The mini show, held at the general meetings, is a time when you can bring your plants, to compete against other members’ plants. There are 10 categories: Cacti & Succulent, (Open, Advanced & Novice Divisions), Bloomers (anything in bloom, also three divisions) & Allied Interest (dish gardens or natural planters). You may bring up to 2 from each category. The forms for judging are available to take home so that you can fill them out prior to the meeting if you wish, or there will be some at the meeting as well. The plants are judged by the members attending that meeting; whoever receives the most votes wins that months mini show & will get their name in the next newsletter. The person(s) receiving the most votes at the end of the year will receive a gift from the club.

WE ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS TO BRING PLANTS TO SHOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR!

FYI: The mini show categories are Novice - those with fewer than 5 years of showing in the mini-show. Advanced – those who have shown for more than 5 years in the mini-show & does not sell more than $300 in plants a year. Open – those who sell more than $300 in plants a year. Also you must own the plant for at least

6 months before you can show the plant in the mini show.

Brian Poot, Mini show coordinator

MARCH MINI SHOW RESULTS:

Novice Division, Cacti: 1st - Joan Stewart w/ Ferocactus latispinus

Novice Division, Succulent: NONE ENTERED

Novice Division, Blooming: 1st - Joan Stewart w/ Euphorbia milii

Advanced Division, Cacti: 1st - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Espostoa senilis

2nd

- Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Opuntia platyacanthus

Advanced Division, Succulent: 1st - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Sansevieria trifasciata

2nd

- Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Euphorbia geroldii

Advanced Division, Blooming: 1st - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Dyckia fosteriana

2nd

- Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Aloe hybrid

Open Division, Cacti: 1st - Brian Poot w/ Cleistocactus strausii monstrose

Open Division, Succulent: NONE ENTERED

Open Division, Blooming: NONE ENTERED

Allied Interest: NONE ENTERED

NORTH COUNTY PHOTOJOURNALIST TURNS SUCCULENTS INTO SUPERSTARS:

By Jamie Higgins 03-27-17

Debra Lee Baldwin, a North County photojournalist, bestselling author and San Diego Horticultural Society’s 2017 Horticulturist of the Year, has spent the last 10 years whipping the world into a succulent frenzy. When Baldwin’s seminal book, “Designing with Succulents,” came out in 2007, few people knew much about the dry- climate plants capable of storing moisture in their tissues. Now some enthusiasts go so far as to refer to themselves as “Succulent Fanatics” (there’s a Facebook group with 15,000 members). Once considered mere low-care curiosities, succulents seem to be, well, everywhere. “An online search for ‘succulents’ in 2006 yielded a mere 100,000 hits,” Baldwin says. “Many varieties we now take for granted, such as Echeverias, were nearly unknown at the time.” She adds that the gardening public thought of succulents as cactus or jade and dismissed the entire category as “too spiny or common.” (Incidentally, an online search for “succulents” now yields 43 million hits). Baldwin’s passion for plump plants is evident in all she does, including speaking engagements, workshops, videos — even a calendar of her watercolors — and especially in her books. Following the success of “Designing with Succulents” came two more Timber Press bestsellers, “Succulent Container Gardens” and “Succulents Simplified;” and in 2016, came her adult coloring book, “Sensational Succulents.” Baldwin is a North County native who refers to her own extensively landscaped hillside property as “an inhospitable half-acre.” She grew up on an avocado ranch overlooking the San Pasqual Valley and as a child, helped her father garden. “He grew common succulents, such as Crassula ovata (jade), Aloe arborescens, Drosanthemum floribundum (rosea iceplant) and Aeonium haworthii, because they don’t require much water or work,” she recalls. “I sometimes wonder what he’d think of the exotic varieties now available.” San Diego County’s Mediterranean climate is perfect for growing succulents, Baldwin adds, and North County is home to numerous succulent nurseries, each with its own distinct character. (She offers a list of “San Diego Succulent Sources and Destinations” on her website). “Most people who are into gardening are aware of the many commercial nurseries in our area, but few realize how vast the wholesale growers are,” she said. “Vista, for example, is home to Altman Plants, the largest grower of cacti and succulents in the country.” Look for their label on succulents sold at major garden centers, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot. It was while scouting and writing for Sunset magazine that Baldwin began to recognize and promote succulents as low-water alternatives for lawns and landscapes. “The plants are simple to cultivate, propagate, acquire and maintain, and because they come in an incredible variety of sizes, shapes and colors, they also have significant aesthetic appeal,” she said. “Floral and garden designers, as well as succulent aficionados, are using echeverias and other rosette varieties to create eye-catching in-ground vignettes, container arrangements and long-lasting bouquets.” Based on the emails she receives, Baldwin says that there are still some misconceptions about succulents. “People seem to think that it’s OK to hang onto a diseased plant and hope it gets better,” she said. “What they don’t realize is that they risk spreading pests like mealy bugs to the rest of their collection. Also, people assume that since succulents are famously low-water (God forbid you overwater one!) that it’s OK not to water them at all. Hey, these are living things and they need water.” Another misconception is that succulents are desert plants and should be given full, all-day sun. “Only those succulents native to the Southwest, such as cacti, yuccas and agaves, can tolerate hot afternoon sun in summer east of (Interstate) 15,” Baldwin said. Other succulents — which she calls “the pretty little ones,” (mainly from South Africa and Madagascar), do best with half-day sun or dappled shade.

Continued on next page .........

Debra Lee Baldwin, shown with aloes in bloom and barrel cactus at

Desert Theater Nursery in Escondido. Photo by Kyle Short

NORTH COUNTY PHOTOJOURNALIST TURNS SUCCULENTS INTO SUPERSTARS: Continued

For people who want to switch to a drought- tolerant landscape, Baldwin suggests working with a designer well versed in succulents. If you’re doing it on your own, you might want to wait until the tenth anniversary, celebratory second edition of “Designing with Succulents” comes out this fall. “So much has happened in the world of succulent design during the past decade, the second edition is basically a brand- new book,” Baldwin said. “Just wait until you see the photos! Luscious.” In the meantime, if you’re new to succulents or would like to refresh your knowledge, Baldwin’s “Succulents Simplified” gives a good overview of the plants’ care and uses, as well as her top 100 favorite succulents — all of which thrive in North County gardens. While these plants may like it dry, Baldwin’s writing style is anything but. “My goal is to share words and images that are as entertaining as they are enlightening,” she said. Not one to let grass grow under her feet (pun intended), she’s continually writing articles, updating her website, and creating videos dedicated to succulent varieties, cultivation and design. “I’m primarily a communicator, and I believe the most efficient (certainly the most popular) way to convey information is by video,” she said. Evidently the public agrees — her YouTube channel has had more than 2 million views. Baldwin also recommends books by long-time succulent expert and designer Jeff Moore, available at his nursery, Solana Succulents, in Solana Beach. Learn more about succulents and Baldwin at

debraleebaldwin.com.

PLANT STUDY: by Elton Roberts Lithops julii ssp. julii “reticulata’ or “reticulate form”

Reticulate = forming a network as the veins of a leaf.

In the description of Lithops julii ssp. julii talking about the “reticulate form” it says .. ‘to beautifully red or brown netted’. Then it goes on and says about the “chrysocephala” form ‘the patterning sometimes impressed and brownish, rarely with further greenish or maroon colors in jagged grooves’. So I guess that the only way to tell the difference is if the coloring on the leaf tops looks like the one in the photo, and it has a net like pattern it is “reticulata” and if it has the colors in slight grooves it is “chrysocephala”. Here is my opinion the plants are probably the same with just different colors and some have groves and some do not have grooves. I look at photos in the books, I have three good books, and “reticulata” and “chrysocephala” have the color markings in grooves. There is one thing I have seen on my plants and that is that the plants when young seem to not have much in the way of grooves but as they get larger and close to blooming time it seems that the heads fatten up some and the colorings seem to kind of pull down into the leaf surface making grooves. I am not sure that too many people are going to argue as the plants are only forms anyway! In his description of the plant, Lithops julii ssp. julii, Coles says that the plants are ‘Enormously variable’. I will leave it along and just say that the plants are beautiful with those patterns on the top!

Colorful succulents include variegated Aeoniums (upper right), Crassula ‘Calico Kitten’ (lower left) and Crassula ‘Campfire’. From Debra Lee Baldwin’s book “Succulents

Simplified.” Photo by Debra Lee Baldwin

NORTH DAKOTA'S VITKO SUCCULENT & CACTUS COLLECTION: by Mary Holm 04-07-17

One of the world’s largest cactus and succulent collections will be featured on Pioneer Public Television’s Prairie Yard and Garden (PYG) program on Thursday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. The program will be repeated on Saturday, April 15 at 4 p.m. and Monday, April 17 at 1 p.m. Online viewing is available after April 13 via the station’s web site: http://video.pioneer.org/program/prairie-yard-garden/ PYG host Mary Holm visits the International Peace Garden near Dunseith, North Dakota to learn how Minot native Don Vitko started collecting cacti when he was eight years old in 1963. Today, Viko has traveled the world to amass a collection of nearly 6,000 cacti and succulents. Mary Holm visits with the caretaker of this special collection, Johannes Olwage, originally from Nambia, Africa. The cactus collection is part of the $5.1-million Interpretive Centre and Conservatory in the the Peace Garden which straddles the Manitoba-North Dakota border on Highway 10. Celebrating its 30th season, PYG is a trusted and popular program dedicated to the delivery of science-based horticulture information and practices. Over the course of every season, PYG visits with researchers, extension educators, private businesses, industry reps and exceptional gardeners to keep viewers current with the latest information and trends. In the past few years, there have been more than 265,000 video views of PYG episodes online. Prairie Yard and Garden is produced by Mike Cihak of Instructional and Media Technologies at the University of Minnesota Morris. Funding is provided by the University of Minnesota, Shalom Hill Farm, The

Heartland Motor Company, Acira and the members of Pioneer Public Television.

Mary Holm visits with Johannes Olwage, caretaker of a collection of nearly

6,000 cacti and succulents housed at North Dakota’s International Peace

Garden on Prairie Yard and Garden Thursday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. on

Pioneer Public Television.

DOLPHIN SUCCULENTS ARE THE LATEST INDOOR PLANT CRAZE: by Danielle Pinkus 04-04-17 There's many indoor plant varieties that are good for your home and make your living room look stylishly on-trend, but not many can lay claim to being "adorable" and "cute." Recently, pics of the Monilaria obconica succulent species, that look like tiny rabbits ears, sent us into a spin after Twitter user @celely1128's photo of the bunny-shaped species was liked by more than 42k people. Now, a succulent with leaves that look like tiny dolphins jumping out of the ocean has been posted by Twitter user @kao77neko, and people in Japan are going crazy over them. Since it was posted last week, the pic has had over 10k retweets and 11k likes. The aww-worthy species is called Senecio peregrinus, but it's earned the totally appropriate nickname, "dolphin necklace." Unlike the Monilaria obconica, which only looks like a bunny as it sprouts, the longer the vines grow the more the leaves take on the shape of everyone's favourite ocean creatures. Three's a trend, so we're anticipating there'll be more animal-shaped succulent to come — tiny little cat faces would be so kawaii.

MARCH MEETING 2017 - PHOTO'S BY BRIAN POOT