MEETINGS: Fourth Thursday each month, 7:00 p.m. * Unless otherwise noted WHERE: San Joaquin County Building 2707 Transworld Drive Stockton, California *NEXT MEETING: Thursday, January 28

th, 2016

PRE MEETING DINNER: Denny’s Restaurant Arch Road location 5:30 p.m.

STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY

C/O BRIAN POOT

5617 ANADA COURT

SALIDA, CA 95368

STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 2016

2016 BOARD:

President: Lesley Slayter (209) 679-3078 lesley_shores@yahoo.com

Vice President: Mary Bertken (209) 669-8846 mombquilt@yahoo.com

Treasurer: Roelyn Poot (209) 599-7241 billroelynpoot@gmail.com

Secretary: Pam Fish (209) 887-9190 psfish.fish61@gmail.com

Board Members: Jerry Slayter, Dawn Dalyce & Kathy Ackerman

Newsletter: Brian Poot (209) 679-8899 jeffgordonfan24@sbcglobal.net

BOARD MEETINGS: Please note, board meetings will now be held the second Wednesday of each month, at 7:00 p.m., except in December, or if that date conflicts with something else. Anyone is welcome to attend, but please call first to let them know you will be coming to make sure of the date. Thanks!

We can always use new ideas & opinions for the club, as well as help

with behind the scenes stuff. If you are interested, please come to a

board meeting. Thx!

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION: Individual $20/yr Family $25/yr Contributing $35/yr Patron $50/yr

Membership runs January-December. Complimentary Jan. & Feb. issue if unpaid.

All dues should be sent

to the treasurer before

the February general

meeting.

CALENDAR:

January 13th - Board Meeting at the Poot’s 7:00 p.m.

28th - General Meeting 7:00pm: Brian Poot – A Strange Intricate World

Slide Show

February 10th - Board Meeting at the Poot’s 7:00 p.m. 25th - General Meeting 7:00pm: Ernesto Sandoval - The Inner and Outer Workings of Succulents

Above and Below Ground

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS: (not club related) **We will also be listing other clubs shows, sales, and speakers, as well as cacti related events that may be of

interest to our members. If you know of something that should be listed, please let the editor know. Thanks

SUNSHINE REPORT:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to: Alice Waidhofer, Roger Coelho, Leslie Oliver

& Rita Reichard.

THIS MONTHS PROGRAM: Brian Poot – A Strange Intricate World

Have you ever spent time studying just a small section of your plants or plants brought into our monthly mini shows? This months program will help us do exactly that. Brian Poot will be showing a power point program based off a new book his sister compiled as a gift for her & Brian's father (Bill Poot) for his birthday last October. The front of the book consists of close up photo's of unusual cacti and succulents. The back of the book has an answer key with complete photo's of each mysterious plant. Brian will show us a close up photo and give us time to guess which plant it possibly is and them show us a photo of the complete plant. The program promises to be very fascinating, fun and at times perplexing! Come and enjoy the creativity and humor God has shared with us in his awesome creation of cacti and succulents.

*The Poot’s will provide the raffle table this month.

*Reminder to The Poot's (drinks) & the Slayter's & Mary Bertken (snacks), this is your month to bring

refreshments.

*Reminder that we need someone to volunteer to be the greeter this month. PRESIDENTS MESSAGE: by Lesley Slayter Greetings to all,

I hope everyone had happy holidays & a safe beginning to the new year & are looking forward to this year at the club as

much as I am! Many of you know me already, but for those of you who don't, let me introduce myself. My husband Jerry

Slayter & I joined the SCSS in 2004. In 2005 I held offices of Vice President, Newsletter Editor & Activities Coordinator.

In 2006 I became President & helped w/Newsletter & Activities as well. At the time we had a very large collections of

Euphorbia's, which we showed from Sac-LA. These are my husbands passion, which I love too of course, but enjoy a

multitude of cacti & succulents; esp Opuntias & Tephros! In 2007 I became sick w/a chronic illness that has hindered me

from doing as much as I used to, but am feeling better lately, so here I am, your 2016 President-once again. There may be

times I won't be able to make all meetings or outings, but we have a great new Vice President, Mary Bertken, who will

introduce herself in next months newsletter; who has generously offered her help when I may need it. So thanks to Mary in

advance!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner/auction this year, with many attending & bringing donated items. It was a very

fun night & I hope those who went, enjoyed it as much as I. Many thanks to those who also came to the fun Christmas craft

day, generously hosted by the Poot's, where we made items for the auction as well. I'm hoping to get pics up on the FB

page soon.... And if you haven't liked &/or checked out the page, please do so. Post your questions, plant pics, etc...

We have already had our first board meeting & many new ideas for getting new memberships, a club sale, speakers &

outings were brought up. There are already 3 speakers set, & 2 outings arranged, with more to come! Please keep checking

your calendars so as not to miss anything. (This year, some activities & trips will have a minimal charge, which in some

cases will be non refundable. Sorry, but the places we book leave these spots open for us & lose funding when we don't

show, so this is only fair to them.) We have Ruth Bancroft Gardens scheduled, & are working on UC Davis, Berkeley, &

some growers.

I encourage everyone to get involved with the club in whatever way you can. There are still positions needing to be

filled which do not require coming to board meetings, like Sunshine Report where you send out Birthday greetings,

sympathy cards & new member welcomes. All of which the club pays for. You just need to write a short note & send!

There are also other positions we will be talking about at the January meeting. Definitely consider bringing plant(s) for the

mini shows-you can win a pot at the end of the year if you win your category enough!

Tell your friends/family/neighbors of the club; if you see a beautiful yard, jot down the address &/or talk to the owner &

see if we could photograph it, interview them & choose them for one of our new monthly SCSS yards of the month we are

doing this year; which will be featured in the newsletter & on FB! Do a newsletter article yourself! Tell us about who you

are, what your interests are & how you became involved in cacti/succulents. Even a neat place you visited. Any ideas for

outings, speakers, activities, etc is greatly appreciated! Help is always needed to make this club the best it can be!

I hope you will all do what I have done; get involved & get to know the people in your club! It's not only rewarding, It's

really the only way to fully appreciate all that it has to offer! Remember, this is YOUR club & you make it what you want!

SUCCULENTS OPTIMAL FOR SACRAMENTO GARDENS: by Lesley McClurg 12/28/15 If you're looking to keep your garden green through the winter, some plants will do it better than others. A type of plant known as a succulent is ideal for this climate. Succulents can weather cooler temperatures in the winter and hot days in the summer. Ernesto Sandoval, the collections manager for the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory, is responsible for several of the exotic succulent gardens on the UC Davis campus. He points to a blue-green spiny plant with blade-like leaves about two feet long called aloe comosa. Some parts of the succulent have withered pink tips. “When you don’t over water them, they stress out and they get this beautiful tan on them,” says Sandoval. He says the aloe plant has received very little water during the last four years of drought. Succulents are unique in that they store water in their leaves, and they bloom annually. The best-known succulents are cactus, many of which thrive in Mediterranean climates like the Sacramento Valley. “We have that long summer drought, between four and six months long, and these plants can survive that summer drought with very little to no supplemental water," says Sandoval. Plus, they can withstand the region's winters. Sandoval recommends planting succulents outside. “In general, desert plants make terrible houseplants because they’re adapted to high, light desert environments," says Sandoval. He says they'll do best in well-drained organic soil.

MONTHLY MINI SHOW: OPEN TO ANY CLUB MEMBERS THAT WANT TO SHOW PLANTS! The mini show, held at the general meetings, is a time when you can bring your plants, to compete against other members’ plants. There are 10 categories: Cacti & Succulent, (Open, Advanced & Novice Divisions), Bloomers (anything in bloom, also three divisions) & Allied Interest (dish gardens or natural planters). You may bring up to 2 from each category. The forms for judging are available to take home so that you can fill them out prior to the meeting if you wish, or there will be some at the meeting as well. The plants are judged by the members attending that meeting; whoever receives the most votes wins that months mini show & will get their name in the next newsletter. The person(s) receiving the most votes at the end of the year will receive a gift from the club.

WE ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS TO BRING PLANTS TO SHOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR!

FYI: The mini show categories are Novice - those with fewer than 5 years of showing in the mini-show. Advanced – those who have shown for more than 5 years in the mini-show & does not sell more than $300 in plants a year. Open – those who sell more than $300 in plants a year. Also you must own the plant for at least

6 months before you can show the plant in the mini show.

Brian Poot, Mini show coordinator

2015 MINI SHOW RESULTS: by Brian Poot Here are the winners for 2015: NOVICE: Dawn Dalyce with 54 points ADVANCED: Kathy Zumbrunn with 61 points OPEN: Bill Poot with 43 points Congratulations to all the winners. We had a total of 15 different participants throughout the year & I hope to see more of you participate this year. It is so nice to see such a great number & variety of plants at each meeting.

Various succulents ready for planting at the UC Davis Botanical

Conservatory. Lesley McClurg

16 SUCCULENTS TO PLANT NOW: by Laura Kessinger 09/22/15

Cold-hardy cacti and easy-care succulents bring fall and winter form. It’s perennial planting time, and with the first hard frosts of fall still at bay, now is the perfect time to encourage new plants to take root and prepare for winter. Spring bulbs and summer blooms may be part of your planting strategy, but consider adding interest to your landscape now and into winter with cold-hardy cacti and succulents. While all cacti are considered succulents, not all succulents can be counted as cacti. What they do have in common — from the spiniest prickly pear to the lowest-growing ground cover — is that all succulents are particularly skilled at storing water, plant experts say. They saturate the cells of their thick stems or fleshy leaves to survive the harsh droughts to which they’ve adapted. Beyond their tough nature, succulents offer a surprising variety of flowers, tone and texture that both contrast and complement the common shapes and shades of Central Oregon landscapes.

Cacti

It’s correct to claim that cacti come from warm southern climates, but what some might not know is just how many come from cold, mountainous zones. According to the American Society of Plant Biologists, there are dozens of subspecies that thrive in poor and rocky soils, through hot, dry summers and freezing winter temperatures. Not every variety is suitable for our region, but many are native to areas just like ours — with gravelly lava soils, near sage brush and juniper.

Hedgehog Cacti (Pediocactus and Echinocereus)

These round and stout or slightly barrel-shaped cacti tend to be thick with sharp spines. Small- to medium-sized, they can be waxy and green or sometimes wooly looking, especially the sage-colored varieties with dense white spines. Given the full sunlight they rejoice in, they’ll flower during summer; from subtle pastels to striking brights. Don’t blink, though, or you might miss the short bloom time in which they flirt with you. According to several cactus and succulent societies, some bloom for just one to three days. But don’t hold it against them — their strong geometric shapes are as pleasing to the eye by a picket fence as they are tucked between rocks in a bed. An Oregon native, the “mountain ball cactus” (Pediocactus simpsonii) grows in high elevations as far south as New Mexico, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The symmetrical globes are dense with spines, nearly obscuring the green of the stems. The “lace cactus” (Echinocereus reichenbachii) is another hedgehog type that survives cold winters. This one also tolerates brief periods of excessive moisture, one of the main causes of cactus failure.

Prickly pear (Opuntia)

Some of the most resilient cacti come from the prickly pear family. The characteristic paddlelike pads grow in segments, both with and without prickly spines. With adequate sunlight, they will produce bright red edible fruits. The “Plains prickly pear” (Opuntia macrorhiza) grows naturally as far north as Canada. And the “Eastern prickly pear” (Opuntia humifusa), once established, can weather far worse winters than ours. The compressa and the fragilis subtypes are even more versatile, according to the Central Ohio Cactus and Succulent Society. Both tolerate light shade much better than their sun-loving sisters. But don’t forget to look for cold-hardy varieties of “beavertail cactus” (Opuntia basilaris) and “grizzly bear prickly pear” (Opuntia erinacea). With shapes as playful as their names, they are known to be hardy to minus 20 F.

Continued on next page........

16 SUCCULENTS TO PLANT NOW: Continued

Leafy succulents

Although their subtropical relatives are particularly frost-sensitive, leafy succulents can be as reliable as they are rewarding. The sweet nectar from their colorful blooms is irresistible to bees, butterflies and other helpful pollinators, local plant experts say. From the low-growing trailing types and tiny-leaved ground covers to the 2-foot-tall uprights with flowering spires, planting succulents now can have an immediate impact in a soon-to-be-bare bed where annual blooms and other perennials have faded. Plant in odd-numbered groups of three or five beneath ornamental grasses, or try taller varieties in tidy rows, perfect for the back of a narrow bed or to break up the monotony along fence lines.

Ice plants (Delopsperma)

The spreading habit of the “ice plant” and its long bloom time make it perfect for mass plantings. “Yellow ice plant” (Delosperma nubigenum) is a low-growing variety that blooms prolifically in spring. Tolerant of light shade, this plant works well around the base of big trees. For erosion control or steep slopes, try the “lavender ice plant” (Delosperma Lavender Ice). Orchid-colored, daisy-shaped flowers measure 2 inches across, nearlycovering the light green blanket of foliage. With intermittent rain, this variety has been known to bloom clear into winter.

Houseleeks (Sempervivum)

These flowering succulents became known as “houseleeks” because of the tradition of planting on rooftops. Their reputation also mirrors the Latin words they derive their name from: semper (“always”) and vivus (“living”). This perennial plant keeps its leaves in winter, often changing color from light to dark green, crimson or even purple. Colorful foliage complements autumn leaves and stands out against the snow. “Hens and chicks” is a popular example, favored for its artichoke-like form and the tight tufts of monocarpic rosettes it spreads from. The “cobweb Houseleek” (Sempervivum arachnoideum) as the name implies, develops wispy white threads that crisscross the center of the rosette like a reclusive spider’s web.

Stonecrop (sedum)

One of the most versatile of all succulents, sedum (commonly called Stonecrop) includes a wide range of sizes and foliage shapes, plant experts say. Ground-cover sedum can creep or trail, perfect for uneven terrain. With small white flowers on tiny tear-drop shaped foliage, “baby tears” (Sedum album chloroticum) is a dainty choice around other small plants. But my favorite by far is the “blue spruce stonecrop” (Sedum reflexum). The blue-green foliage resembles puffed-up pine needles and the small buttercup-colored flowers are profuse and ever blooming. Taller, upright varieties tend to excel here and are showy bloomers. Growing up to 18 inches tall, the thick, broccoli-like heads begin blooming in late summer and the colors deepen and darken as they finish through fall. The flower heads go to seed before the snow hits, providing birdseed as well as adding winter interest. “Autumn joy stonecrop” (Sedum Autumn Joy) blooms from August to November, a pastel pink in the beginning and in the end, a copper red. Another crowd-pleasing variety is the “autumn charm stonecrop’ (Sedum telephium Autumn Charm). This one takes the cake for fancy foliage: with a creamy white band along the serrated edges of each leaf, this one also changes color throughout the bloom cycle, from a carnation pink to a rusty brick red.

Proper drainage and plenty of sunlight

From the tiniest and spiniest to the colorfully creeping, succulents need only two things to please you: well-draining soil and a sunny spot to call their own. Disease-free and pest-resistant, the only threats to their survival are lack of sunlight or over watering, which suffocates the roots and leads to rot. Local garden centers recommend using a cactus potting mix, or to make your own by amending soil with plenty of pumice, lava rock or gravel.

2015 CHRISTMAS DINNER & AUCTION - PHOTO'S BY BRIAN POOT &

MAYBELLE ABPLANALP

STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Annual dues (January-December 2016) Single Membership……………………………………………….$20.00 Family Membership……………………………………………....$25.00 Contributing………………………………………………………$35.00 Total Due$____________ Please Print: Name(s)_________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________ City_________________________________ State_______Zip_____________ Do you want the newsletter Phone_______________________ E-mail______________________________ E-mailed to you - Check 1 Yes No Birthday (Month Required)__________________________________________ *Please mail this form, along with a check made payable to the Stockton Cactus & Succulent Society to the membership chairperson before the February general meeting to continue receiving the newsletter.

Roelyn Poot

17229 East Hwy 120

Ripon, CA 95366

2015 CHRISTMAS DINNER & AUCTION - PHOTO'S BY BY BRIAN POOT &

MAYBELLE ABPLANALP