July 2021 – Fred Clarke

Fred ClarkeWe are delighted to welcome Fred Clarke as our first in-house speaker this year who will talk on ‘Becoming an 80 Percentile Grower’. If any of you are wondering what the most important requirements are for growing the best orchids, Fred will teach us about the underlying reasons of how and why orchids grow as they do. He will then explore the fundamentals and advanced growing techniques to best grow them. Orchid plant culture is explained as you have never heard it before so attend the meeting and find out how to become an 80 percentile grower and expect to be wowed by Fred’s talk! Fred is a long time, generous supporter of the Palomar Orchid Society and one of our most favorite speakers. Fred has been growing orchids for over 42 years and has been hybridizing for 38 of those years. With over 34 years as a professional grower and manager in the horticultural industry, Fred applies these skills at his orchid nursery, Sunset Valley Orchids, located in Vista, California, just north of San Diego. His nursery’s website has considerable information, plants for sale and many beautiful pics of his award-winning orchids. 

Fred is a passionate orchid grower whose curiosity in orchids is broad and varied. Although developing Cattleya hybrids has been his sustaining interest, he is also actively creating new Paphiopedilum and Aussie Dendrobium hybrids plus some other generas including Sarcochilus, Zygopetalum Alliance, Lycaste, and Stanhopea and their relatives. 

Fred's pioneering work in Catasetum intergeneric hybrids led to the development of several notable hybrids, including the grex, Fredclarkeara After Dark (Mo. Painted Desert x Ctsm. Donna Wise), which produced “the blackest flower ever witnessed”. This grex has received over 100 awards worldwide with nine FCC’s and thirty AM’s from the AOS judges! He is currently working on the next generations of Catasetinae hybrids which should be even more spectacular! 

In addition, Fred is an Accredited Judge in the Pacific South Judging Region as well as a passionate fisherman. Fred will be providing the plant table this month.