South Florida Orchid Society

Carlos Cahiz

Post Storm Orchid Care & Maintenance

OFE International will kindly be providing plants for our raffles this month! A big thanks to Carlos and OFE!

Unfortunately, we are forced to cancel our September Members Meeting!

Pinecrest Gardens is closed until further notice because of the cleanup they have to do from Hurricane Irma.

Our Miami International Orchid Show is still on.

The Watsco Center is fully operational.

We look forward to seeing everybody this October 13th through the 15th.

Axel Cahiz

Cattleya Cultivation in South Florida.

Axel Cahiz is the co-founder of Amazonia Orchids, a Homestead Orchid Nursery located at 17899 SW. 280th Street, Homestead, 33013, specializing in fragrant Cattleya orchids.

After studying at Clemson University, Axel dedicated his efforts to the hybridizing and propagation of cattleyas in his business.

In addition to cultivating his award winning cattleyas, Axel operates his own hybridizing laboratory where he does seed flasking and tissue culture.

Amazonia Orchids produces and cultivates most of its own orchid inventory in its 22,500 sq. ft. growing facilities.

Among the numerous national and international awards from major orchid shows, Axel won the Reserve Grand Champion Award at the 19th World Orchid Conference held in Miami in 2008.

Amazonia Orchids will be generously providing plants for our raffle table!

Remember, guests are always welcome at our meetings!

SFOS Annual Awards Ceremony

This month we celebrate the achievements in orchid growing of our members
during the past year and install our new directors and board for the coming year.

Erna Maxwell, our judging chair, will also be giving a presentation on the proper way to groom our plants for presentation.

Those little things like properly staking and cleaning debris from your plants can make your prized orchid stand out from the crowd.

We can all learn a trick or two here.

OFE International Orchid Supplies will be providing plants for our raffles

Remember! Guests are always welcome at our meetings!

Larry Cox

Larry Cox: Multifloral Paphs

Larry Cox acquired his first orchid, a cattleya, over forty years ago. His second was a paphiopedilum, Paph. Maudiae ‘Magnificum.’  The cattleya is long gone, but he still has a piece of the paph.   When he began with paphs, he commonly heard, “You can’t grow those in South Florida,” but the first one lived and bloomed, and the paphiopedilum collection continued to grow. In the mid 1980’s most of the other orchids were sold or given away, all for the love of paphs.  In 1989 he moved from his South Miami residence to a more spacious property in the farming district of southern Miami-Dade County where he built his dream greenhouse of  3000 square feet.  He has suffered setbacks, such as hurricane Andrew in 1992, but with perseverance and with the discovery of new paph species ,and the consequent new hybrids, Larry’s  love of paphiopedilums has been renewed over and over again.  In 1983 Larry won his first AOS award for Paph. Maudiae coloratum ‘Elektra’ AM/AOS, one of the first vinicolors.  Since then his orchids have earned over fifty AOS awards, including four FCC’s.

Ten years ago, Larry retired from thirty-seven years as a teacher, the last fifteen teaching Advanced Placement high school English .  He now spends his time reading, traveling, maintaining his property and, of course, growing paphs.  Larry has experimented with other orchid genera and has found success with lycastes, phragmipediums, and pescatoreas.  He has even rediscovered the wonder of cattleyas, particularly species.

Larry will be selling a selection of plants at the meeting.

Dan & Margie Orchids will be providing plants for our raffle. We will also be having our popular silent auction this month!

Also, be sure to bring your prized orchids for our team of judges to evaluate for ribbons and medals!

And, of course there will be plenty of snacks and refreshments!

Remember! Visitors are always welcome at our meetings!