A few years ago Jerry Fischer remade several old crosses that were not available anymore, with what he says are superior parents. In the case of this one from 1898, C. Duvaliana (C. luddemanniana coerulea x C. purpurata-alba ‘Red Carmin’), I think he hit a home run. It has such a unique strong fragrance (root beer) it scents the entire grow room in the morning.
I was asked about slitting open the sheath. The sheaths on this plant grow very long before opening and this one started opening before the flowers had cleared the top of it causing the flowers to really crowd each other. I slit it a couple of inches so I could separate them better. That’s the only reason I did it is because with two sheaths and 8 flowers, I needed to do what I could so they would present reasonably well. I don’t know how the judges would view that in AOS judging, so maybe DrLeslieEe could help us there. The slit sheath does not really show here very well, but here are the photos.
I was asked about slitting open the sheath. The sheaths on this plant grow very long before opening and this one started opening before the flowers had cleared the top of it causing the flowers to really crowd each other. I slit it a couple of inches so I could separate them better. That’s the only reason I did it is because with two sheaths and 8 flowers, I needed to do what I could so they would present reasonably well. I don’t know how the judges would view that in AOS judging, so maybe DrLeslieEe could help us there. The slit sheath does not really show here very well, but here are the photos.
this. This is how cattleyas can be so spectacular and more so as they get even larger— when not constantly being repotted and cut down and set back for several years each time. If left to grow into specimen types where they just get bigger and better all the time, they are show stoppers —
