Orchid growers flock to Ministry of Agriculture workshop

The orchid growers in Rarotonga flocked to the Agriculture Ministry workshop held at Calvary Hall on Thursday morning.
Those in attendance ranged from keen home gardeners to small cottage industry growers who sell their flowers down at the Punanga Nui markets. They sell the cut flowers, bouquets, or for ei katu and of course the flowers are also be used to beautify the churches on Sunday
Whatever, their situation, the growers were eager to learn more about how to care for their imported orchids and anthuriums supplied by Agriculture in a flower growing scheme that started in January 2008.
Since that time, Agriculture has held four training workshops in June and October with 2 workshops in Rarotonga and two in Aitutakt. There were at least 100 people at the workshop and all expressed their appreciation of what the Ministry of Agriculture is trying to achieve and asked the Minister if he could find a way to keep the scheme going for much longer.
The scheme was to have ended this month, but this has now been extended to December and the workshop was a refresher course where the growers were given the opportunity to share their success stories and how they have overcome any problems with their flowers
Some complained that their flowers had been too small or had not yet bloomed. Others complained they had no water except for tank water and so they used their kitchen as the place to keep their plants and used their leftover dishwater to water their plants.
Others had great success and told the others their lack of success is from lack of TLC (tender loving care) for their plants for the first two years after which they will bloom every year.
The flowers do not like direct sunlight and prefer shade such as under the eaves of houses, or in greenhouses or even indoors for short periods of time. Keeping bugs at bay are easy if you use a weak solution of heavily diluted (very weak) soap water to which has been added 5-6 oporo or vinegar to be used as an insect spray. Make sure the spray is very weak or you will kill your plants along with the insects (as happened with her first experiment).
Another lady asked that the Ministry come out on a tutaka to check whether they were doing things right and to give them some advice. Minster of Agriculture, Hon Robert Wigmore liked that idea and joked that people often say one thing but on inspection, it is a different story.

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