Gardening : Show to Highlight ‘Rain Forest Jewels’

A man? Growing orchids? “Never!” said Bill Austin back in 1982. That was when his wife, Joan, suggested that the recently retired diaper salesman buy an orchid plant and try to coax it into flower. “Growing flowers is a woman’s thing!”

Well, Bill’s come a long way, baby!

Since that day 10 years ago when Austin finally succumbed to his spouse’s pleadings and grudgingly bought a couple of plants, he’s risen to a lofty position in the orchid-growing world: Because of his intense interest in his now full-time hobby, Austin not only boasts a fabulous collection of gorgeous orchid plants both indoors and outdoors, he’s also president of the Sixth Annual Southland Orchid Show, on display at the New Otani Hotel and Gardens, 120 S. Los Angeles St., next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“I discovered my wife was right,” Austin said. “Growing orchids is truly a fascinating hobby. It’s made my retirement a thing of joy and beauty. And actually, men are far more prevalent among orchid growers than women--mostly engineering types who are into studying and learning. As for me, I like getting my hands dirty!”

This year’s show is entitled “Orchids--Rain Forest Jewels” and is co-sponsored by the East-West Development Corp. and the New Otani Hotel. The show will feature orchid displays from 12 Southern California orchid societies, plus seven exhibits from hobbyists.

According to Austin, there will be 48 orchid displays in all, each competing for various awards. There will also be vendors in Weller Court selling orchid plants and a series of continuous lectures and demonstrations scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, starting at 11 a.m. and ending about 3 p.m. each day.

And here’s the best news of all: Admission to the show is free.

And what a show it promises to be. “Every single type of orchid we could lay our hands on will be on display,” Austin said. “Besides all the more common orchids such as cymbidiums, phalaenopsis, cattleyas, vandas, and dendrobiums, we’ll also be showing many orchids that have been collected from the wilds and never hybridized.” Specimens of most of the orchids on display will be on sale in Weller Court.

Most orchid species were originally discovered in tropical rain forests where they live as epiphytes, attached to trees or rocks or simply crawling across the ground. These plants were brought to Europe in the 19th Century and eventually found their way to the United States, where they were reproduced and hybridized until more than 35,000 varieties of orchids were extant.

Collecting orchids in the wilds is now a thing of the past, however. “Nobody collects plants anymore,” Austin said. “Two or three years ago laws were passed against uprooting plants and transporting them out of their native countries in order to prevent destruction of the species.”

“However,” he said, “there are still lots of ‘plant poachers’--unethical types who smuggle rare and exotic plants out of the wilds and then sell them in the West for up to hundreds of dollars apiece.”

The price of an average orchid for the home grower is much more affordable, however. Cloning--reproducing tens of thousands of identical plants from the genes of a parent plant--has brought the cost of orchid plants way, way down. “Seedlings that used to cost as much as $100 are now as low as $5,” Austin said.

As far as care of your orchid plants is concerned, Austin suggests that beginning gardeners select some variety of phalaenopsis. “Although other varieties will grow indoors, phalaenopsis is by far the easiest,” he says, “as long as you can create the proper micro-climate.” This includes providing the proper temperature, humidity, watering and feeding, he said, cautioning beginning growers that every plant needs a slightly different micro-climate, so orchid culture is largely a matter of trial and error.

Basically, Austin said, you should see that your phalaenopsis is kept relatively warm: Temperatures between 62 and 90 degrees are best. Humidity should be kept at 50 to 60%, and the plant should receive filtered sunlight at least part of the day--an east window is perfect.

Phalaenopsis can’t store water, so they shouldn’t be allowed to dry out or be kept too wet. A thorough soaking once a week is recommended. Your phalaenopsis should be fed every two weeks with a good liquid plant food and should be planted in redwood bark.

“Up until about 1900 nobody knew how to grow these plants,” Austin said. “Then they discovered the proper growing medium was redwood bark, which produces lots of acid and stays moist. Now, with a little attention, anybody can keep a phalaenopsis blooming practically all year around.”

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. If you’d like further information on the show or information about joining one of the local orchid societies, you may call Bill Austin at (714) 637-5873.