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Greetings!
Guess what I just finished? The driveway! (just like probably 50% of those of you reading this...) After five continuous hours behind the snow blower, the 14 inches of snow and the four foot drifts are cleared from the parking lot and drive. Thanks to son Jared for an assist in shoveling out the garage doors, etc. He has today AND tomorrow off of school-no fair, I gotta work!
We were lucky to have discovered only a half dozen broken glass panes in the troughs of the greenhouses due to the piles of drifted snow. It could have been much worse. Tonight, we are bracing for a -10 degree low temperature; talk about adding insult to injury...
We usually do a plant special for February, but with the snow piled up to the gutters outside and the corresponding temps, we are offering a "Spring Starter Supplies Special" to get you going on managing your hobby once the growing season starts - IF it ever warms up.....see the article below.
Liese has been busy building a brand new facebook  page for Oak Hill Gardens. Everyone told us we needed one - I hope they are right. Please check it out to see a video of Jared uni-cycling down the main walk of the greenhouses. He got the bike for Christmas and learned in 3 days - a new world record! Make sure to "LIKE THIS" so that you can stay on top of the Oak Hill Gardens Facebook updates!
Oak Hill Gardens will be at three shows in February. Place a pre-order for one of these shows and get 10% off of your purchase, in addition to saving the shipping and handling!:
Madison, WI - February 5-6 Ames, IA - February 12-13 Lansing, MI - February 26-27
See our UPCOMING EVENTS page for details!
Finally, don't miss Liese's "Spot-On" Tip of the Month at the bottom of the newsletter.
Hope that you survived the storm in good shape.
See you soon!
Greg
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February Special
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Spring Starter Supplies Special
We have bundled together a few essential supplies at a discounted price to get you ready for the upcoming growing season. Check it out at the link below:
Spring Starter Supplies Special |
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Growing Tip of the Month - by Liese
| |  Spots
Black spots, yellow spots, brown spots, purple spots....spots on orchid leaves can be alarming. When red spots showed up on our sons skin years ago, covering their face and entire body, it was a warning sign that something was wrong. Chicken pox had arrived along with the telltale signs.
We see similar occurrences on orchid leaves. Spotting usually shows when the plant doesn't like something in its environment. Usually the spots are due either to the plant staying too wet, or experiencing an extreme temperature variance.
The Paphioipedilum pictured was growing on a back bench in our  greenhouse. This winter, it happened to be in a place where water was dripping from the roof. In December, this plant was constantly wet due the the dripping when the temperatures dropped dramatically. Cold and wet is almost never a good combination when it comes to growing orchids, unless you are into Pleuros and the like.
As soon as I discovered this spotted plant, I repotted it out of the wet mix and into some coarse fresh media. I also moved the plant to a bit warmer and drier place. If you notice, the new growth is now coming out a green and clean. The plant decided to thank me for my efforts by putting out a beautiful flower from it's old, spotted growth!
 A similar spotting accured this summer on a Vulstykeara. The spots were more yellow than brown, but seemed just as alarming. This plant was not staying wet, but rather was spotted due to months of extreme heat. These plants typically thrive in intermediate to cool temps. An occasional 90 degree day is tolerable, but when 6 weeks of mid eighties with a few 90 plus days sprinkled in took its toll. It wasn't until fall, when the temps dipped again, before the plant put out a clean and green new growth.
Some spotting can be normal, as pigmentation can leach to the surface of a leaf, much like a freckle or and age spot (not that I would know, of course!). Our entire batch of Laelia tenebrosa, for instance, has beautiful, plum colored spots on their new growth-a typical phenomenon for this species. Psychopsis orchids, with their beautiful mottling, and some Aerangis species, with raised, "braille-like" black spots, are other examples of natural and normal leaf markings.
Spotting also can occur on deciduous varieties. Spots will almost always be evident just before Dendrobiums, Eulophias, Lycastes and other "leaf droppers" start shedding in late fall/early winter. This is the plant's way of informing you to back off on the watering for the upcoming semi-dormant season.
When uncharacteristic spots show up on your orchid leaves, use it as a sign to look closer at your growing conditions. The plant is telling you that something needs to be adjusted. Check your media to make sure that the plant is not staying too wet. Check your temps and make sure that your night time lows are not too extreme. Check your light intensity to make sure sunburn is not a factor. If you are vigilant and heed the warning signs, you will be able to take corrective action and help your plant recover from it's battle with the pox! 
Be ON the spot,
Liese
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Spring will be here soon! Right?
Best wishes,
Greg, Liese and Hermann
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