In a response to an earlier posting of a first-bloom Triple Bella one commentator expressed puzzlement in imagining what Nick might have been trying to accomplish in making this cross. Here Ross effectively answers that question as well as illustrates some alternate directions in Brachy breeding. As these photos illustrate, passing judgment on a cross based upon a single seedling is seriously premature.
Buying unbloomed seedlings is always a gamble. No breeder can possibly know in advance which of his seedlings will produce the best flowers. The odds that a single seedling will be one of the best of the cross are fairly low. That's why growers buy flasks and compots: to maximize the odds that they will get one of the best of the cross. It is also why some growers prefer to see the plants in bloom before making a purchase.
I don't know what Ross might have paid for that Triple Bella, but I'm sure it was far less than what the plant might have cost in full bloom at an orchid show. The added benefit was that Ross had the pleasure of seeing this plant bloom for the first time, which for many of us is a thrill in itself.
With respect to staking, it should be noted that allowing an inflorescence to hang down over the edge of the pot only forces the flower to open while fighting the effects of gravity, which will tend to pull the floral segments in the downwards. Staking the inflorescence (even with the bud pointing slightly upward) reverses that tendency, giving the flower a gravitational assist in opening. There is also an additional risk in allowing the inflorescence to hang over the pot in that the stem may not be quite strong enough the support the weight of the bud(s) and may kink at the point where the stem make contact with the rim of the pot, an entirely avoidable occurrence.
Nice plants, Ross, and nice presentation as well!
Regards
Rick