Asconopsis Irene Dobkin

Slippertalk Orchid Forum

Help Support Slippertalk Orchid Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Roy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
3,260
Reaction score
2
Location
Halls Gap,Western Victoria, Australia
Just want to run this past members for comment and knowledge.
I've seen a number of pics and reports on Asconopsis Irene Dobkin "Elmhurst" but nothing about any other Irene Dobkin at all. I note the parents as Phal Doris x Asctm miniatum and given the influence of miniatum in breeding found it remarkable, the quality flower of "Elmhurst". To me, it doesn't look like what I would expect from the cross.
Posted elsewhere I found a pic of another Irene Dobkin of similar color but has a spike with 40+ flowers and a definite miniatum shape influence. This is the only other Irene Dobkin I can find. Has anyone seen other Irene Dobkins or know of others.
 
Just want to run this past members for comment and knowledge.
I've seen a number of pics and reports on Asconopsis Irene Dobkin "Elmhurst" but nothing about any other Irene Dobkin at all. I note the parents as Phal Doris x Asctm miniatum and given the influence of miniatum in breeding found it remarkable, the quality flower of "Elmhurst". To me, it doesn't look like what I would expect from the cross.
Posted elsewhere I found a pic of another Irene Dobkin of similar color but has a spike with 40+ flowers and a definite miniatum shape influence. This is the only other Irene Dobkin I can find. Has anyone seen other Irene Dobkins or know of others.

I've seen some years ago in Thailand a lot of them.Small,just starting flowering mericlones on a side and older plants from seed on the other side.
The older plants were really variable in all aspects...plant form,size and form of flower,colour....I think,exlcuding few of them,a nice hybrid.
 
I live about 2 hours away from Hausermann's, where Irene Dobkin originated. Itis an old cross. I remember that meristem clone being available 30 or more years ago. I believe it was first offered around 1978 as a meristem, meaning the cross was first made at least 7 or so years earlier. It is quite likely all sibs from the original grex had perished by the middle 1980's. It is amazing that this tissue line is still being propagated. I guess it is popular, For us northern home growers it is a reluctant bloomer & slow grower.
 
Asconopsis Irene Dobkin 'York' is the other 'common' clone. I had both clones for years and both struggled and never did well. Not happy as a phal, not happy as an ascocenda, they just never seemed to prosper. I lost the 'Elmhurst' clone a few years back and the 'York' clone is still struggling, though it has improved a little in the last year or so. There is very little difference between those two clones in the flowers. Having seen a couple of these plants in bloom, I am willing to keep trying until I can anjoy those lovely flowers here for myself.
 
I have an 'Elmhurst' clone that I grew from a very small plant. It flowers several times a year. Here's a photo of a blooming last spring. For me, it flowers freely but has the occasional misshapen bloom.

e-spice

5077.jpg
 
I grow it under lights in slightly brighter than phal light. It is potted in LECA material in a S/H pot with additional holes drilled 1/2 way up the pot to give the roots more aeration. When I water it, I pour the water out of the S/H reservoir after about ten minutes. I also mist it daily. An oscillating fan blows near it almost all the time. It grows really well in these conditions. It is finishing up blooming on two spikes.

e-spice
 
Great plant! If you can spare just a little more info to give us a full picture of conditions, it would be greatly appreciated. How often do you water and how often fertilize? And lastly, what's your humidity level run?
 
Roy - You're welcome and good luck!

Tenman - humidity averages about 50% and I water about once a week. I use MSU fertilizer at 1/2 strength.

e-spice
 
Back
Top