OSMT Meeting, Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Time: 7:00 pm (refreshments at 6:30 pm)
Location: Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

Speaker: Mark Reinke of Marble Branch Farms

“Honey, I Shrunk the Or-Kids!”

Our next Orchid Society meeting is August 19th at 7 pm. Mark’s program is entitled “Honey, I Shrunk the Or-Kids!” and is a study in the history and development of our modern miniature and compact cattleyas. In addition to great photos and an interesting story line, it covers the best cultural practices for the various breeding lines that have descended from particular species that influence how to best grow them. The story will continue with what the future of compact and miniature cattleyas will look like, with examples of what Marble Branch Farms has already created and has in the works to be released soon.

Mark Reinke had a passion for plants from the time he was a child growing up in a small town outside of Chicago. When his family moved to Florida in the 1960’s he got his first orchid plant as back bulbs while helping out a neighborhood lady who had a large orchid and bromeliad collection. Since then, orchids have always been one of his major interests.

In 2004, he and his partner Gary Collier sold their business in Atlanta and moved to the Blue Ridge Escarpment area of South Carolina to grow plants full time under the business name Marble Branch Farms. They constructed a large greenhouse and seed laboratory so they could focus on creating new orchid hybrids, concentrating especially on miniature and compact cattleya types, with an emphasis on new and unusual breeding lines. They now have a thriving online business and are challenged to produce plants quickly enough to keep up with demand.

They also offer a number of orchids mounted on sticks rather than growing in pots. While this may be something new to you, or something you may be reluctant to try if you grow your orchids inside your home, we want to tell you why we believe you will be surprised and delighted at how vigorous and happy mounted orchids can be, and how easy it is to care for them, even if you don’t have a greenhouse. In addition to orchids, Marble Branch Farms currently raises hybrid daylilies and carnivorous plants, and produces honey.