The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by special guests which included Quezon City’s Vice-Mayor Hon. Joy Belmonte, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Department of Agriculture Evelyn Lavina, the author of the classic book Orchidiana Philippiniana – Dr. Helen Valmayor, The Board of Directors of the Philippine Orchid Society, members of the society and also representatives of the other garden clubs.
The rainy months of August and September are the blooming season of the world famous ‘Waling- Waling or scientifically known as the Vanda sanderiana. And because of this very special orchid, it has become the logo of one of the oldest garden organization of the country, the Philippine Orchid Society.
The Midyear Orchid Show Poster with lectures
This event was intended to gather again plant hobbyists and enthusiasts, under one roof. The show is an orchid exhibit, trade fair, and an educational venue with free lectures rolled in one. The exhibit was intended to showcase this season’s beautiful orchids that we have in the country, which were meticulously cultured and flowered by our very own orchid connoisseurs. Blooming orchids was displayed in beautifully landscaped exhibits and also through flower arrangement displays.
One may ask, why give so much importance to Vanda sanderiana or the Waling Waling orchid? This unique orchid has been popular worldwide due to the fact that it has a unique genetic trait which provides the large flowered and nearly flat and full rounded petal arrangement to most modern vandaceous orchids. Because of this, this Filipino orchid species was renowned worldwide as the ‘Queen of all Orchids’ because it has greatly influenced the breeding of modern day orchids that are very popular in the orchid cut-flower and potted orchid industry. And it is just proper for us Filipinos to give value to this unique and beautiful orchid species, as it has now become critically threatened as it has been heavily gathered from the wild. It is nowadays being mass produced in laboratories to provide us with seedlings for future generations.
Vanda sanderiana (Photo by: Ramon Calado)
Vanda sanderiana alba
The typical Vanda sanderiana having the brown maroon petal, while the “alba” having the yellow green petal. (Photo by Ramon Calado.)
And in celebration of its 72nd Anniversary this coming August 31 to September 10, 2018, the POS have showed off the lovely blooms of the ‘Queen of all Orchids’ in this Mid-year Orchid and Garden Show. The society is still active in its orchid and plant conservation efforts and this can only be done through promotion of gardening, propagation and the love for plants and nature study.
The show aimed to promote the country’s horticultural industry, hoping to make it sustainable and progressive. The garden show's objectives are to encourage more people to go into orchid growing, either as a hobby or as a business. Furthermore, the POS is continuing its mandate of promoting not just orchids, but also gardening as a whole and the appreciation of nature. Year after year, it has facilitated the promotion and dissemination of technical information for both orchids and other ornamental plants through these events. This is due to the fact that aside from providing aesthetic beauty, orchids are also efficient carbon dioxide sinks (being a CAM plant) and is regarded as one of the gratifying and socially-fulfilling hobbies of most housewives and plant enthusiasts due to the plant’s exotic and diversified flower types.
Some of the other landscape exhibits .....
Daily lectures on orchid and plant culture were held for free and a plant bazaar selling orchids and ornamentals at farm gate prices were at the site. They were as follows:
August 31 (Friday) – Art and Science of Bonsai Cultivation by Master Ho Jan Lee and Maestro Angel Uyehara
September 1 (Saturday) – Tillandsia ( the lazy gardener’s plant ) Mrs. Maria Dolores Alarcon
September 2 (Sunday) – Choosing Quality Orchids- Mr. Kelvin Niel Manubay
September 3 (Monday) – Philippine Orchid Species – Mrs. Ana Ruth Purificacion-Conde
September 4 (Tuesday) – Growing Vandas and Phalaenopsis ( Monopodial Orchids) Mr. JM Lacandula
September 5 (Wednesday) – Landscaping with Orchids- Mr. Fred Salud
September 6 (Thursday) – Production of Annual Bedding Plants -Allied Botanical Corporation representative
September 7 (Friday) – Flower arrangements for all occasions – Floral Designers Circle
September 8 (Saturday) – Growing Cattleyas, Dendrobiums and Oncidiums ( Sympodial Orchids)- Ms. Vangie Go
September 9 (Sunday) – Growing Orchids- Rafting Techniques – Mr. Andres Golamco Jr.
Note: The lectures/ talk starts at around 2:00 pm . Those attending the orchid show- Entrance fees is Php 30 for the genera public and Php 20 for students, senior citizens and person with disabilities.
For inquiries, kindly contact the Philippine Orchid Society at: Mobile 09178485468 or landline 9573524 ; email philorchidsociety@gmail.com or website: http://www.philippineorchidsociety.com and The POS Facebook account.
Growing and Cultural Tips for the Vanda sanderiana
A typical brown-red Waling Waling
Euanthe sanderiana is only known from the island of Mindanao, and populations have been recorded from the provinces of Davao, Cotabato, and Zamboanga. It grows as an epiphyte on the trunks and large branches of old-growth forest trees at elevations up to 500 meters. Due to the destruction of the original rainforest. It is highly doubtful if there are any wild populations remaining of this most wonderful Philippine orchid species.
An albino form of the Waling Waling.
Last February 4th 2013, the Philippine Senate made Euanthe sanderiana the “National Flower of the Philippines.” Along with the Sampaguita, The Waling-Waling is one of the most fitting tribute to one of the most wonderful Philippine orchid species. This orchid is also known as the Queen of all Orchids.
Another variation of the species, now with brown red, and abbino forms
Due to over collection, and the rapidly disappearing forests in the lowlands, Euanthe sanderiana is in extreme danger of going extinct in its natural habitats if it is not already). We strongly advise orchid growing enthusiasts to obtain their plants from respectable orchid nurseries, which have grown their plants from seed. You will find that plants grown from seed will adapt more easily to cultivation.
The Waling Waling is actually easy to cultivate. Here are some of its basic requirements.
Light. Plants will require a semi-shaded area, and will benefit from a net house with 2-3 layers of shade net. Plants are usually hung or established on wire, plastic baskets or on driftwoods.
Watering. Waling-waling prefers and tolerates a little bit drier condition. Water the plant once a day or even less, like once every other day, and keep the surroundings and companion plants moist to provide high humidity.
Ventilation. Provide the plant with a slightly breezy location, but protected from very strong winds. Air movement will prevent the plant from rotting specially during the rainy season.
Potting Media & Potting Technique. Vanda sanderiana can be potted on plastic or hardwood baskets (hanging), tree fern slabs, or in drift woods, with their root well exposed and dangling down. They can also be grown in coarse brick and charcoal mixtures in pots, on benches, or hanging, in which case they can also be grown in hardwood baskets with little or no potting mixture. The roots are thick and will grow out of the pot or other container; hanging plants often develop a mass of pendent aerial roots. Such plants do well, but must be kept moist. This can mean misting the plants several times daily, since without potting material to retain moisture, the plants will dry out rather quickly. They will not tolerate wet roots, but do well when hung over wet rather than dry ground.
Fertilization. Use orchid foliar fertilizer, and spray recommended dose once every week usually after watering, or more often as long as the dosage is reduced. A teaspoon of balanced orchid foliar fertilizer in a gallon of water and sprayed once a week, especially in the morning is sufficient.
Pest & Diseases Management. Waling-waling plants are susceptible to sucking insects like mites, aphids and scales. Spray a dilute solution of Perla soap to protect the plant from insects or spray Lannate or Sevin insecticide if heavy infestation occurs. During rainy season, spray plants with dilute solution of Captan or Dithane fungicide to protect plants from rotting due to water-borne fungal diseases.
Propagation. This plant can be propagated by top cutting. Sterilize all cutting instruments first by washing with soap and water and squabbling with isopropyl alcohol before using to prevent transfer of viruses. Top-cuts are repotted on plastic or wooden baskets or clay pots with charcoal. Seal wounds with fungicide paste and do not water top cuttings for 3 days to prevent rotting. Water afterwards to induce establishment of roots. New shoots will usually sprout from the severed stem. Fertilized with foliar fertilizer to make plants healthy. It can also be propagated by seeds. Flowering season is August-September, and with this, flowers can be pollinated in order to produce fruit capsules with seeds which will usually be ready for harvest at about 5 months after pollination. Seeds from fruit capsules can be sown inside the laboratory, in sterile artificial nutrient media, using embryo culture techniques. Selected forms can also be micropropagated using meristem cultured or culture of young inflorescence.
September and October is the flowering season of the Vanda sanderiana, and with this, the Philippine Orchid Society regularly schedule its Midyear Orchid Show during this time, to celebrate the blooming of this unique orchid. Aside from the POS, Davao also has its Kadayawan festival to celebrate the same.
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