Announcing
Your New Board
of Directors:
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President
Mel Resendiz
Vice President
Dawn Bonner
Treasurer
Carole Booth
Secretary
Gwen Tubach
Events Director
Bill Boyett
Contributing Directors
Ken Hancock
Don Koepp
__________________
Root Bound Issues
By Bill Boyett
We have all heard stories about sudden death of Protea plants without obvious reason. Contrary to some stories, the plants do not commit suicide, but succumb to disease or lack of water.
After a die off of several plants I pulled the dead plants to inspect the root system. There was plenty of moist soil, no phytophthora, no other obvious reason. What I did find in all the plants was that the root systems were a twisted mass of roots entwined into a small ball.
Those plants were root bound when they were planted, spent too much time in a small pot before planting. Most root bound plants will die in a couple of years.
In root bound plants, the roots twist around on themselves, strangle each other, and do not spread out or down to find water. In a drought situation such as we are in now the plants simply cannot take in enough water to survive even if over watered.
To prevent root bound plants, inspect the root ball when planting, make sure your plants are young. When you see roots circling and spiraling around in the form of the pot, spread them out gently before setting. This is your only chance to prevent this problem. Dig your holes twice as deep as the root ball or more and fill partially with mulch. Then make sure to water the plants deeply after planting to encourage the roots to go deep.
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At the November meeting CPA members voted for their new Board of Directors. The new board has already had its first meeting at which officers were elected and we are pleased to announce them here (see left). Your board is fully committed to serving you in the coming year. You can look forward to a host of activities that include a wide range of informational, fund raising as well as social events. But, before that, one bit of business that always comes this time of year -- dues. The annual dues forms will be mailed out soon. Please watch your mail, and thanks in advance for getting them back quickly.
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Yes, that's a protea wreath plastered on the cover of Sunset Magazine's December issue (on newsstands now). This is a tremendous boost for the protea industry. Sunset magazine reaches consumers throughout 13 western states and has over 4.5 MILLION subscribers!
Congratulations to our own Mel Resendiz, who is showcased in this sprawling and insightful featured article. It is a beautiful story rich with a passion for protea and it provides some of the most breathtaking photos ever to be printed for the mass market. This coverage is likely to ignite a burst of interest and enthusiasm about protea from which we all can reap the benefits.
Behind the Scenes
Staff photographer Tom Story shot a book's worth of pictures at the Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers in Rainbow for the December feature. They couldn't fit them all in the magazine, so click below to see more: Sunset - Behind the ScenesMake a Protea Wreath
To make a beautiful and professional protea wreath like the one featured on the cover go to A Passion for Flowers blog for a great step-by-step demonstration.
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Dawn Bonner headed up a creative and hard-working team that brought us the "first annual" Proteafest. Talk about transformation -- the folks at Rainbow magically transformed a farm warehouse into a Proteafest spectacular. It was a truly elegant affair celebrating everything locally grown. We look forward to this really becoming an annual event for many years to come. Diana Roy took some beautiful photos including the ones below. Click the link to see more Proteafest photos and enlarged versions on the blog: A Passion For Flowers. Catching up with old friends and getting to
know some new friends as well
 A bountiful feast of locally grown delicacies
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