Paph: When is it yours?

[bil]

First flower after a year is the first one you can take credit for IMO. Before that you can at least award yourself the "At least I haven't killed it yet" badge.

[dbarron]

Hee, assuming it flowers successfully, I'll post a pic with that title, Bil!

[Ray]

Doesn't the AOS require 6 months of cultivation before you can claim credit for an award?

[katrina]

Ray - actually, one can buy a plant and enter it the same day for judging. But, only in the flower quality awards...not for a cultural award. I guess the thinking is that the flower is the flower...whether you grew it or not. If you can recognize an excellent flower(s)...whether you grew it or not...then you can take it and get it awarded if you'd like.

In order to be entered for a cultural award...meaning the grower has actually grown the plant...I think that is a one year minimum. But, I could be wrong about the length of time.

Hopefully one of our AOS judges will see this and chime in.

[Subrosa]

Since bad things tend to happen more quickly than good things in terms of plant care, until the first complete growth cycle under my care is done, I tend to accept blame but not credit for the performance of my plants.

[camille1585]

Subrosa saves me the trouble of writing a post, because I see it the same way! At the very minimum I won't claim credit for any spike appearing within 6mo of purchase.

So in your case I would pat myself on the back for keeping the plant happy enough for it to bloom, despite not being responsible for the bloom induction itself. And be happy to have not killed it so far!

[dbarron]

I am...I am, I didn't expect to even see a new leaf till next growth cycle, so the possibility of a bloom is exciting, especially as it would be the first paph to bloom for me.
I think I get slightly more credit than buying it the day before it opened, but I'll take less than mastery (lol), I wasn't planning on a show or anything, just pat on the back rights.

[camille1585]

Buying a plant in spike/bloom entitles you to zero credit, aside from the fact that you manage to get it home in one piece... Which, depending on the orchid, can be quite an achievement!

[shadytrake]

Many times even though you purchase a plant that is starting to spike or bud, the change in environment makes it even more challenging to bring the bud to bloom (especially in the Paphs). I can't tell you the number of times I have purchased in spike/in bud orchids only to lose the bud for whatever reason.

So I say take credit! Life is too short to worry about whether someone says "well you didn't grow it long enough to get credit for that bloom."

The only time I don't take credit is if the bud is fully established and ready to bloom.

Anything in sheath or in spike, I just say that it was in spike or developing the bud and I was successful in getting a nice bloom.

Do a happy dance!

Then beg it to bloom.

[RandomGemini]

Originally Posted by dbarron

I am...I am, I didn't expect to even see a new leaf till next growth cycle, so the possibility of a bloom is exciting, especially as it would be the first paph to bloom for me.

I think I get slightly more credit than buying it the day before it opened, but I'll take less than mastery (lol), I wasn't planning on a show or anything, just pat on the back rights.

Which is why I said you get credit. You get credit for not blasting the spike. You get credit for new growth. You get credit for doing a good job of being an orchid grower. I'm not a member of an OS at all. I grow orchids because I want to. Because I like to.