San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society
Next Club Meeting: September 8
Ayres Hall of the LA Arboretum: 7:30 PM.
Doors open at 6:00 PM
Plants of the Month are:
Cacti: Melocactus and Discocactus
Succulents: Madagascan Pachypodium
Topic: Winter Seed Workshop
Palm Classroom of the LA Arborertum: 7:30 PM. Doors open at 6:00 PM
October Speaker: Peter Walkowiak
How to Grow and Stage Winning Show Plants
In this program, Peter will cover many of the topics he considers important for successful plant growing, including soil mixes, watering, water pH, fertilizer, sun and exposure, pest control, propagation, and staging plants for shows.
The program will be interactive, and attendees are encouraged to bring questions. Peter’s goal is to share as much useful information as possible during the hour. Peter does most of the propagation for his nursery from seed, so questions about seed growing and propagation are especially welcome.
For the staging portion of the program, Peter will bring a variety of plants to demonstrate different approaches and styles. Cacti are staged differently from bonsai-style plants, and the natural way a plant grows often provides direction for how it can best be presented.
Peter Walkowiak graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 1985 with a B.S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture. He spent 14 years working in wholesale nurseries and another 14 years operating a landscaping business, specializing in succulent landscapes during the final five years. Peter began collecting succulents while in college, and his collection has grown to more than 2,000 plants, including cacti, euphorbias, and caudiciforms. His interest in propagation led to the nursery he has owned and operated for the past 15 years. He is a past president of the Palomar Cactus & Succulent Society, has served on the boards of the San Diego CSS and the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, and has chaired several major cactus and succulent shows.