Clare and Johan Hermans describe the best plants from recent shows
RHS Awards
4 October 2005
The RHS Orchid Committee met at the RHS Lawrence Hall, London, where three plants were exhibited: one Award of Merit was recommended.
Award of Merit
For Vuylstekeara Saint Aubin ‘Elizabeth Castle’ exhibited by the Eric Young Orchid Foundation, Jersey.
The cross was raised by the Foundation and registered in 2002; the parents were Miltoniopsis Avranche and Odontioda Moulin de Fliquet. The clear, attractive colour and excellent shape caught the committee’s eye.
The plant exhibited had five open flowers on a 53cm erect spike. The flowers were 115mm long, 100mm wide with sepals and petals pink, spotted darker red with a white margin; lip outer edge pink speckled red, centre white splashed with red, with a bright yellow callus; dorsal sepal 38mm long, 30mm wide; lateral sepals 55mm long, 25mm wide; petals 40mm long, 22mm wide; lip 60mm long, 78mm wide; column white, 10mm long, anther cap pink.
RHS Awards
29 October 2005
The RHS Orchid Committee met at the Dawlish Warren Orchid Weekend organised by the Devon Orchid Society, where 23 exhibits were submitted for judging; one Award of Merit, two Botanical Certificates and four Certificates of Cultural Commendation were recommended.
Award of Merit
For Vanda Fuchs Fuchsia ‘Edith’, exhibited by David Johnston, Brockholes, Holmfirth.
The cross was made and registered by R F Orchids, Florida, USA in 1994; the parents were Vanda Dona Rome Sanchez and V. Pat Delight. The committee felt that the cross was a most attractive colour and a good shape.
The plant exhibited had seven magenta pink flowers with fine darker speckling, on an erect, 20cm long spike. Overall flower size was 120mm long, 110mm wide; dorsal sepal 60mm long, 60mm wide, lateral sepals 70mm long, 60mm wide; petals 50mm long, 55mm wide; lip slightly darker purple, 15mm long, 15mm wide; ovary pink, 70mm long; anther cap yellow, 8mm wide.
'This plant is grown in a wood basket in what was a conservatory but is now a lean-to greenhouse facing southwest. A night minimum temperature of 16°c has been maintained and day-time temperatures have varied from about 23°C in winter to a summer maximum of about 30°C. This and other vandas are grown high up in good, but not excessive, light. The roots are sprayed with soft tap water containing a low level of fertiliser (ideally) every day and dunked in a water-bath containing fertiliser once a week in summer. The relative humidity is maintained at about 75 percent.'
David Johnston
Botanical Certificate
For Cynorkis uncinata H. Perrier ‘Rose of Madagascar’, exhibited by Rogier van Vugt, Soest, Holland.
The Botanical Certificate was awarded to encourage the introduction of the species into cultivation. A previous cultivar, ‘Madagascar Dream’, received an Award of Merit in 1999, (The Orchid Review 107: 329, 336). The species comes from Madagascar where it grows epiphytically on Pandanus trees.
The plant exhibited had two spikes, one with 12 open flowers and 18 buds, the other with eight buds. The flowers were an attractive lilac-purple colour with a pale white central area on the lip. Overall flower size 32mm long, 32mm wide; dorsal sepal 10mm long, 6mm wide, forming a hood with the petals; lateral sepals 15mm long, 5mm wide; lip 28mm long, 32mm wide; spur 30mm long. Ovary purple-green, 70mm long.
'It is not often that a strange but beautiful orchid turns out to be easy to grow. Luckily it was the case with this Cynorkis. Johan Hermans, an expert on Madagascar orchids, told me that in nature this species grows on Pandanus palms, where it produces one gigantic leaf that hangs down diagonally.
When a plant is grown in a pot, the leaf is so large that the pot must be placed on a standard or in a hanging basket to prevent the leaf from touching the ground.
I grow Cynorkis uncinata in a mixture of two parts medium grade bark, one part sphagnum and some pumice gravel. As soon as the leaves begin to emerge I start to water gently around the rim of the pot so that only the soil gets moist and not the leaf. From then on, I never let the soil dry out completely but do not let it become soggy. This species prefers quite low humidity in cultivation. I grow it in the corridor of the glasshouse where I work but it can be grown successfully on a windowsill.
My plant is placed high up so that it receives a lot of light. While it is growing, once every two or three weeks I give it 6-6-6 fertiliser at normal strength, which is a lot for an orchid most of whose relatives are terrestrial. The flowers are long-lasting, but when the plant starts to turn yellow, it is time to stop watering.
At this stage I took the tuber out of the pot to see how the tubers had developed and put the tuber and the old soil in a bucket, waiting to pot it up as soon as it started to grow again. My boss (Jac Wubben) thought the bucket just contained old soil and threw some more old soil in the bucket, pressing it down firmly to make it all fit in. The cluster of tubers got broken, so that is why I had two plants in the pot this year.
It is still a mystery why this orchid is so scarce in cultivation as it has been in cultivation for quite a long time. (There is a picture in the first edition of Die Orchideen by R. Schlechter p74 under the name C. purpurascens.) However, we have started propagating it and have raised seedlings.'
Rogier van Vugt
Botanical Certificate
For Schoenorchis juncifolia Reinw. ex Blume ‘Pendarves’, exhibited by Ron and Kit Lindsay, Camborne, Cornwall.
The certificate was awarded to encourage the introduction of the species into cultivation. The species comes from Sumatra and Java where it is quite common; there is some debate whether it also occurs in Borneo.
The plant exhibited had 10 pendent spikes with an average of eight pale mauve flowers on each. Overall flower size 6mm long, 2mm wide; dorsal sepal 3mm long, 1mm wide; lateral sepals 3mm long, 1mm wide; petals 2mm long, 1mm wide; lip white, 1mm long, 2mm wide; spur purple, 5mm long.
'We acquired this plant in September 2004 and it was not happy. However, we repotted in fine bark, charcoal and perlite mix and left it hanging in the warm house (min 18ºC) to recuperate.
Within two months a bud appeared that grew into a single flower spike. The plant remained in the same position, continued to regenerate and this year produced no less than 10 flower spikes, having doubled in size with numerous new growths at the base.
This plant is hanging above our Phalaenopsis and so receives the same treatment of feed and water. During the winter months the day is extended to 12 hours with artificial light.'
Ron and Kit Lindsay
Certificates of Cultural Commendation
To Terry Mawdesley, Wantage, Oxon for Vanda coerulea Lindl. ‘Mary’, a 70cm tall plant with 101 flowers on seven spikes, grown in a 33cm diameter pot.
The species comes from India, Thailand and Burma and was first discovered by William Griffith in 1837 but brought into cultivation by Messrs Veitch & Sons at a later date. The plant exhibited was one of the paler colour forms.
'This particular plant has been in my glasshouse for more than 20 years and has produced several cuttings. The glasshouse is 3.5 x 2.5m, with the long axis facing south. It is lined with bubble plastic, which remains in place for the whole year, with added shade provided by green netting from April until October. The staging on the south side is tiered and the vanda lives on the bottom shelf because of its size when in flower.
In summer it is given fertiliser at 500mS strength on two days a week and once a week in winter. The plant is repotted at least every two years as the roots are prone to rotting when the compost deteriorates.
During the flowering period, extra vigilance is required for large brown slugs, which are partial to emerging flower spikes with disastrous results. Light levels seem to be important and summers with lots of clear, sunny days increase the number of flowering spikes. In the past three years, the number of spikes has doubled.'
Terry Mawdesley
To Sue Lane, Willand, Devon for Colmanara Wildcat ‘Liz Trebble’, a 50cm diameter plant with seven branched spikes with an average of 45 flowers on each, grown in a 17cm diameter pot.
The cross was raised and first registered by Rod Mcllelan Co, California, USA in 1992; the parents are Odontonia Rustic Bridge and Odontocidium Cranborough.
'I bought my Colmanara Wildcat from Burnham Nurseries some years ago and it flowers well every year with two spikes per pseudobulb. It grows in the cool part of my 5.5 x 2m lean-to greenhouse. I aim to keep the temperature at 15°C by day and l0°C by night. I water once a week, even in winter, and add Orchid Focus fertiliser fortnightly.
The compost is 40 percent bark, 30 percent coconut fibre, 20 percent perlite and l0 percent peat. The only problem I have is with the height of the spikes as they hit the glass of my lean-to and travel along - an easy meal for a passing slug!'
Sue Lane
To Hilary Hobbs, Leeds for Miltassia Aztec ‘Toni’, a plant 84cm across with six spikes and a total of 32 flowers, grown in a 40cm diameter pot.
The cross was first registered by Moir in 1976; the parents are Miltassia Cartagena and Miltonia Minas Gerais.
'I bought this plant from David Stead Orchids as a single growth plant in 1997 and it seemed to like my cultural conditions as it soon grew into a specimen plant. It is grown as part of a mixed collection in an intermediate orchid house, with a minimum temperature of 13°C. It receives moderate light with natural shade in summer provided by overhead trees and a tall hedge. There is no overhead shade from October until April. Good air circulation is provided by automatic roof vents and a fan. Humidity ranges between 60-80 percent and is provided by an under-bench spraying system. I water about once a week in summer with rainwater, less often in winter but there is no dry rest. The plant tends to produce aerial roots above the compost and I spray these daily in summer.
I use Dyna-Gro 7-9-5 and Dyna-Gro Pro-Tech Silicon at every feed in summer, less in winter. This plant has become increasingly difficult to repot as it has increased in size, especially in width. I decided not to divide it and repotted it into a large diameter clay pot. I filled the bottom half of the pot with 10–20mm size pumice to ensure optimum drainage. The top half is a mixture of 80 percent bark, 20 percent perlite. The plant is susceptible to red spider mite and I wipe the leaves regularly with neem oil to deter them. It reliably produces six flower spikes from the new growth in August. These are tall and need staking at an early stage. The flowers last for about two months.'
Hilary Hobbs
To the Director of Herrenhausen Gardens, Hanover, Germany for Dendrobium denudans D. Don ‘Herrenhausen’, a plant 40cm across with 30 spikes and an average of 24 flowers on a spike, grown on a 20cm mount.
The species comes from northeast India and Nepal where it grows in the foothills of the Himalayas at heights of 1,000-2,000m.
'Dendrobium denudans prefers warm to intermediate conditions and to be protected from strong sunlight. It does well if mounted on cork but needs daily spraying. The pseudobulbs develop from March to early autumn and as soon as they are mature they will start forming the inflorescences from the nodes, each carrying up to 10 flowers lasting several weeks. Watering should be done with fertiliser added to a strength of about 200 mS in winter and around 600 mS during the growing period. It is a very rewarding species.'
Andreas Stockelbusch
RHS Awards
15 November 2005
The RHS Orchid Committee met at the RHS Lawrence Hall, London, where two plants were exhibited: one Award of Merit was recommended.
Award of Merit
For Phragmipedium Les Dirouilles ‘Jersey’, exhibited by the Eric Young Orchid Foundation, Jersey.
The cross was made and registered by the Foundation in 1999; the parents were Phrag. Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Phrag. Grande. The large size and bright colour of the cultivar’s flowers made it one of the better examples of this line of breeding.
The cut spike exhibited had one open flower and one bud. The overall flower size was 320mm long, 60mm wide; sepals bright apple green striped pink with a shiny brown posterior surface; dorsal sepal 100mm long, 30mm wide; synsepal 90mm long, 60mm wide; petals apple green becoming deep red at tip, twisted, 260mm long, 10mm wide; pouch brown-red, green inside spotted red, 65mm long, 35mm wide, 40mm deep; staminode green fringed with purple hairs, 15mm wide; ovary red, 120mm long.
There was also much interest in Oncidium insigne ‘Baldin’.
This striking species has been in cultivation for many years and is widely available through seed-grown stock from Germany and Holland. It has been seen under a variety of names including ‘Baldwin’, ‘Baldin’s Variety’ and var. baldin of Oncidium varicosum.
The species was first mentioned in The Orchid Review 6: 27 in 1898 by R A Rolfe as Oncidium varicosum var. insigne. He writes, ‘A very striking Oncidium has recently appeared in several collections with much of the general character of the old O. varicosum, but differing in having a very large deep red-brown irregular blotch surrounding the crest. The small sepals and petals are also of a still darker shade, imparting to the flower quite a distinctive aspect, in spite of the general agreement in shape and other details. I have seen flowers successively from the Royal Botanic Garden Glasnevin, the collection of H Druce Esq, St John’s Wood and from Mr Wm Brooks, Whitecross Nurseries, Weston-super-Mare, all of which agree in the characters above-named, so that it is evidently not a mere casual variation, and deserves a distinguishing name as above proposed.’
In The Orchid Review of Dec 1910 (p373), he adds: ‘Flowers of the handsome O. varicosum var. insigne differs from the ordinary form in having a large brownish crimson blotch round the crest of the lip, and in having sepals and petals of a similar colour. Its origin is not exactly known, but we regard O. varicosum lindeni and O. v. moortbeekiense as forms of the same.’
Recent work showed that the plant breeds true from seed and is not a hybrid, and in 2002 Christenson in AOS Orchids 71: 925 recognised it as a distinct species based on morphological differences, mainly in the callus formations. Work by Mark Chase and his team at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Norris Williams at the University of Florida have sequenced ribosomal DNA for both O. insigne and O. varicosum and although they were found to be closely related, the former appears to be distinct genetically.
Christenson also considered O. varicosum var. moortebeekiense a synonym. This variety was illustrated in Lindenia 16: t. 767 (1906) (photo). O. varicosum lindeni, mentioned as another synonym by Rolfe in 1910, is also shown in Lindenia t. 752 (1905) (photo) and was given an AM by the Orchid Committee in 1899; a painting by Nellie Roberts of this plant still exists. While the illustration of the first variety somewhat resembles Oncidium insigne ‘Baldin’ there are considerable differences in shape and colour pattern and the illustration of O. varicosum lindeni certainly does not look like the species. It is also puzzling that Rolfe in his original description mentions an irregular blotch surrounding the crest, while this blotch is very clearly defined in Oncidium insigne ‘Baldin’. Perhaps this group needs another re-assessment.
Johan Hermans
Clare Hermans is an orchid grower, author and member of the RHS Orchid Committee
Johan Hermans is an orchid grower, photographer, author and Vice Chairman of the RHS Orchid Committee