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Sarasota Orchid Society

  • About us
    • How to Become a Member
  • Meetings and Calendar
    • Calendar
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    • SOS 2025 Show and Sale
    • 2024 Show and Sale
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    • Sarasota Orchid Society’s Scholarship Program
    • Mentoring Program
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    • Orchids of Bhutan – Stig Dalstrom
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Mentoring Program

SOS Mentoring Program

Sarasota Orchid Society (SOS) Mentor/Mentee Program allows those who have been a member, in good standing, for more than 6 months and have had a chance to attend several monthly meetings and taken advantage of Roy Krueger’s monthly “How to Grow Orchids” sessions.

How We Do It

Our Mentoring Coordinator, Randy Brodsky  (randybrodsky@sarasotaorchidsociety.org) will pair newer members/novice orchid growers, aka mentees, with one of the experienced SOS growers who will act as the mentor.  The mentees will be given a packet of information covering the growing habits for the more common orchid genus such as Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Phalaenopsis, etc. They will then meet once at the mentor’s home to see and discuss how the mentor grows their orchids.  The mentor will also review the materials and websites that are in the mentees’ information package and on the SOS website.  The mentor will then meet once at each mentee’s home to see how they grow, offer suggestions and answer any questions.  Total time involved should be less than 4 to 5 hours.

Our Intent

Our hope is that the mentor becomes an additional resource for our new growers as well as a key provider of feedback for topics to be covered during the “How to grow orchids” sessions that Roy Krueger conducts prior to the regular monthly meeting. This is a program for all of us to learn how to be more successful orchid growers.

Information

How to Buy an Orchid by Ned Nash – http://www.aos.org/orchids/orchid-care/what-should-i-look-for-when-i-buy-an-orchid.aspx

FAQ’s from AOS – https://www.aos.org/AOS/media/Content-Images/PDFs/FAQ_novice.pdf

Orchid Care – http://www.aos.org/orchids/orchid-care.aspx

Orchid Culture Articles by Sue Bottom – https://staugorchidsociety.org/culture-monthly-sue.htm

Cleaning Clay Pots – http://sarasotaorchidsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/CleaningClayPotsbySueBottom.pdf

Culture Sheets for Common Orchids- http://www.aos.org/orchids/culture-sheets.aspx

Orchid Diseases and Control – https://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/OrchidDiseaseControl-ResponsebySueBottom.pdf

Orchid Shows and Judging – http://www.aos.org/orchid-awards-judging.aspx

St. Augustine Site Map – List of all of their resources! https://staugorchidsociety.org/site_map.htm

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