Does size matter?

[JanS]

I have been growing orchids much of my life since imigrating to the States but have not ever entered one in a show, although I have attended multiple. My question is to the hardcore show veterans out there:
Some of my orchids have gotten very large with age and in most cases I have divided them to make them manageable as well as, in many cases, "more attractive". At most shows the top winning orchids are generally not 50-year old giants in a 20-inch pot with mostly old pseudobulbs, but rather "new", fresh plants. However, in the many jungle trips my wife and I have done, we have seen naturally growing orchid clusters of giant size...and were awed by this.

So for that reason (let them do what they do in the jungle) I have let a few of my plants grow unabated - see the attached Oncidium Sharry Baby - and I also have a huge Maxillariella ( I collect fragrant species) and some others. But some get really out of hand like Zigos that are beautifully fragrant but keep a huge number of back-bulbs make roots to fill a barrel and, as a plant, look like crap. Never seen a huge one at a show.

So - the question is: does the orchid community value old, giant plants of only particular species or is there respect, appreciation and (least importantly) value in NOT dividing plant specimens?

[Fairorchids]

There is no single answer to your questions.

Some genera make better specimen presentations than others. A well grown Cattleya, Oncidium and some Dendrobium will maintain leaves on most bulbs for years, while Zygopetalum, other Dendrobium and many others do not.

For growers looking for an AOS horticultural award, it is natural to let plants grow into specimen sizes.

Many commercial growers maintain a few specimens, which bloom at the time of their local Orchid shows. These plants are used as the centerpiece of their exhibits.

Most hobby growers do not have space to accommodate large, let alone specimen size, plants.


From a commercial grower perspective:

1. Specimen size plants take up a lot of space, and they produce no income. They can be used for breeding, but few nurseries do breeding any longer.

2. They are virtually impossible to sell. Even if someone is interested, you can't get the value equivalent to the number of normal size plants it contains.

3. They are VERY difficult to repot (or break up). I can repot 20-40 normal size plants in the time it takes to deal with one 16" Cattleya basket.

[MattWoelfsen]

Ever hear or read the term "The Goldilocks Effect"? That is to say, when it comes to making choices, you have to choose the right opportunity to achieve the desired result.

Fairorchid provided a grower's perspective. See the comment regarding specimen size? From my perspective, I want to know both--what the plant will be if I did not divide it and what is the best example of what I can achieve that has award value. For me, the Goldilocks effect would be to grow a plant that satisfies my own needs and be worthy of a blue ribbon.

Here is a picture of my society's table display. All are beautiful plants. But if you can see, the blue ribbons were awarded to plants that were not too large, not too small, but somewhere in between--the Goldilocks effect.

The little red flower, a Besseae, the yellow Oncidium, and the red Miltoniopsis won the blue ribbons in this picture.

They were all medium in size--the Besseae had three fans.

[Paul]

As has been noted, there are many factors at play, not the least of which -- what appeals to the judges. I have seen orchids at shows that did not get awarded (as well as ones that did) that had me wondering "What were the judges thinking?!" I do not always agree with their opinions. Judges, like anyone else, are subject to their own personal preferences which can influence their decisions. Knowing how the judges who typically work the show(s) in which you or your society participate view things would help you determine just what may be most likely to garner an award.

You are quite correct, Jan, that huge specimen-sized plants are uncommon. The most common exceptions to this are the micro-mini orchids wherein "huge" may denote a specimen plant that is still smaller than a cantelope.

Huge specimens are rare at shows for the reasons you and Fairorchids mentioned -- though I will add one more that neither of you said ...
Not only is transporting a huge plant a pain in the dupa to begin with, doing so without damaging the plant or its spikes can be virtually impossible.

Plants that have a large number of bare pbs, as you mentioned Jan, tend to "look like crap." Despite that, many orchid hobbyists are still likely to appreciate its size and the care it took to get it there. However, John Q. Public is highly unlikely to do the same. Flowers are what sweep the average person away. I think this often carries over into judging as aesthetics (based on the judges' opinions) can come into play. A large well flowered leafy plant may be seen as far more appealing/show worthy to the judges than a behemoth which may have a goodly number of flowers but also a great swath of bareness.

[Cym Ladye]

For the flip side of the coin, as a Cymbidium hobbyist and judge, I love the specimen plants, but several rules apply in my book:
1) The quality of the flower is not really important for a Cultural award, just the quantity and condition of them.
2) The plant should be as clean as possible - washed and/or trimmed leaves, a minimum of BBs, and all dead sheathing and detritus removed.
3) Flower inflorescences should be evenly distributed around the pot. This should happen with light as they mature but a few unobtrusive stakes may be necessary.
4) A pot, if used, should be clean. Fancy cachepots are not necessary.
5) If the plant is very large, plan to bring your own stand, as it may be placed away from the bench and have a corner all its own. If it falls below the bottom of the pot, but will still fit on the bench, bring some riser pots or an appropriate stand to elevate it so it will not drag on the bench.
6) There are many ways to transport a specimen plant ranging from big buckets to renting a van! I can only urge you to use your imagination and devise a way to transport the plant so it the flowers and the leaves will not be damaged.

Although I have been fortunate to have many awards granted to my plants, my first award was a cultural (CCM/AOS) award. I will always treasure it as it goes to the exhibitor, not the plant. Go for it! Nothiing ventured, nothing gained and best of luck.

[Fairorchids]

@Matt Woelfsen,

I was referring to AOS awards. For ribbon judging you do not need specimen size plants, but you are at the mercy of the random selection of other plants entered in that class. Your expected winner can easily be relegated to second by another plant with one more spike - or better presentation.

For AOS horticultural awards, you do need a real specimen size plant. A paph with 6 or 10 spikes won't make it; for traditional hybrids you need 25+ spikes.

[JanS]

Thanks all for the very informative answers. I did not know there were separate awards for "horticultural awards" - 25 Paph spikes? Wow! never seen that. Based on this thread, (and my and my wife's appreciation of wild orchids) I am no longer dividing plants. Let's see what happens - if one looks really good we'll try our first show entry...
Thanks!

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

@Matt Woelfsen,

I was referring to AOS awards. For ribbon judging you do not need specimen size plants, but you are at the mercy of the random selection of other plants entered in that class. Your expected winner can easily be relegated to second by another plant with one more spike - or better presentation.

For AOS horticultural awards, you do need a real specimen size plant. A paph with 6 or 10 spikes won't make it; for traditional hybrids you need 25+ spikes.

I was also referring to AOS and CSA awards, respectively called CCM (certificate of cultural merit) or CCE (certificate of cultural excellence for scores over 89.5) for AOS; and CA (Cultural award for CSA).

The horticultural award for the AOS is a CBR, Certificate of Botanical Merit or the CHM, certificate of horticultural merit. Floriferousness is not a primary factor and the awards can only be given to species.

[NYCorchidman]

I believe size matters as mentioned above, but the appearance & grooming also matters.
It is difficult to maintain a huge specimen size plants with flawless leaves and tons of flowers.
I guess that there is the value of awards like CCM.

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I believe size matters as mentioned above, but the appearance & grooming also matters.
It is difficult to maintain a huge specimen size plants with flawless leaves and tons of flowers.
I guess that there is the value of awards like CCM.

You are correct here. This is why the award goes to the exhibitor and does not remain with the plant. That is also why gaining these awards is so rewarding to the growers, especially us hobbyists! You just have to find a cultivar of any genus you can grow well, which has a tendency to produce lots of flowers if well grown. It does not have to be a previously awarded plant with a point score as an FCC, AM or HCC. Having a plant like that will not be a detriment, far from it, but for a cultural, it is all about number of flowers and pristine grooming.