Buying high quality orchids
 

A large, well-known orchid greenhouse offers three sizes of an in-house seed-grown Cattleya species from two renowned, high-quality parents: small, medium, and large. The small orchids are near blooming size, the medium orchids are well large enough and have bloomed before, and the large orchids are approaching specimen size.

You are looking to purchase ten orchids of exceptional quality for your breeding program, hoping for at least one of very high quality. Without visiting or consulting the seller or concern for the total cost, which size should you choose, and why?

Does the seller's establishment being open or not open to the public influence your decision?

If you wish to start using it in your breeding program soon, go for the specimen.

My logic is that a larger, specimen-sized plant will have a greater capacity to create and store phytochemical resources, so will likely to have its blossoming be mature enough to maximize the quality potential. How many times have you read/heard "bloom it a couple of more times to see if that's its fullest potential"?

Plus, I don't know that a commercial nursery will dedicate the resources to growing a specimen of a crappy plant.

My guess would be the grower keeps the best looking pre-bloom seedlings for his own breeding program, and sells the others, as orders come in, best first. Those that don't get sold stick around getting bigger.

Do they sell flasks? Buy a flask and bloom the offspring, pick the best, or those that have the qualities you seek.

Or… see if you can pay more for a “select” plant, even if it is younger. A healthy, vigorous young plant with good genetics will produce a good pod, and will improve with age.

Id take the same money and buy more small plants. I know you defined the amount, but thats how I would do it.

Responding to the replies in reverse order:

Louis and Dalachin - Around the turn of the century, I was traveling for work and had the opportunity to visit orchid greenhouses across the country. It wasn't too difficult to find high-quality orchids because I could select the plants in person.


Now, living in a remote area and traveling rarely, I rely on a different approach. My strategy is similar to the ones you've described, except that buying 25-50 seedlings hoping for a high-quality plant is quite costly. Normally I'll purchase a couple of flasks or large community pots (com-pots).

Estación seca, I've always assumed what you've described, and it's why I never buy previously flowered seedlings. Given the significant time and investment involved, I want the best breeding stock I can lay my hands on.

A specimen could indeed be a top-quality plant that the breeder initially chose to keep but later decided to sell. On the other hand, it could also be a lower-quality plant that, for whatever reason, didn't sell. A quick call to the seller should clarify this.
One possible reason a seller might grow select plants to specimen size only to sell is with an eye toward showing, or a chance at award.

Thanks for our replies. :)

If you have a very high-quality potential parent, the vendor might want to exchange pollen with you.

Hi! With n time/mone/resorces limits and assuming the honesty of the seller I'd ask a pic or two of the previous flowering and chose among them. Plus, some seedling never flowered because "You never know what they wll be"