Carlos Lopez is the key speaker at this month’s orchid society meeting.
Now is your chance to learn how to grow Catasetums to perfection.
The Malibu Orchid Society will host its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, in the Hart Lounge, at the Community Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome to attend; attendance is free.
Carlos Lopez will speak on Growing Catasetums to Perfection: The Hidden Life of Catasetinae. Lopez has extensive experience at Sunset Valley Orchids growing these beautiful and rewarding plants.
The genus of Catasetums, which includes about 64 species and nine natural hybrids, is found in its native habitat from Mexico’s Central Pacific Coast to Paraguay and Northern Argentina.
Dark matter orchid
Although this family of orchids may seem hard to grow, once you get their life cycle and watering schedule down, they are very easy to grow. Lopez’s presentation will go over important species, breeding lines, and cultivation requirements.
His orchid venture began at the age of thirteen when he started to follow his father to work at Sunset Valley Orchids. Before Lopez knew it, he was volunteering at the nursery and was helping clean orchid flasks, repot orchids, and doing small tasks, while studying business at Mira Costa College.
Lopez eventually began to become more involved in the nursery’s operations and
maintenance and started to take part in attending orchid shows and selling orchids at the SVO booths.
Clowesia Rosea Chico Orchid
He has now been promoted to Manager of Sunset Valley Orchids Greenhouse and has years of experience with Cattleya, Catasetum, Australian Dendrobiums, and Sarcochilus orchids. This informative talk is not to be missed.