In article , "Duncan Vincent" wrote:
I just figured a new way to make reluctant bloomers spike. Just give it
away to someone else!! I had a Vulk. Robin Pittman "everglades" AM/aos that
just wouldnt flower. I told one of the vendors at our local show he could
have it in exchange for future consideration. After going home to get
it,while waiting for him to finish with a customer, I noticed a new growth
and right next to it was a spike starting. I gave up after 5 years, if I
had only been patient for five more minutes......


I know how you must feel. Yet, it could be worse.

Some years ago, a friend offered me a plant that she just couldn't bloom. It
was a smal,l what looked like a cymbidium, and without a name tag. Well, the
next spring it bloomed for me, and I offered to give it back to her. She
didn't remember giving it to me. She said she never had a plant like that.

So, I kept it, and it bloomed again the next spring. This time, I took it
with some others from the local orchid society to enter an exhibit at
Jacksonville, FL. I would have entered it only as a fill-in, as Cym. hybrid,
but on a whim, I took it to one of the venders to ask if he could ID the
plant. He gave me a name. On my way back to our display, I stopped at another
vendor to ask the same question....same name.

Well, I entered it under that name. It received a trophy for the best
cymbidium in show. I also got several offers to buy the plant or for a
division. One of the vendors made a offer. I said no to all offers, but I did
agree to give the plant to the vendor on condition that he could use it to
cross or otherwise develope commercially. I would have the right to get any
plants from his success.

The next spring, he entered the plant at the show in Orlando. Are you
ready..? The plant got 84 points and an AM/AOS. The vendor's efforts were
not successful in polination, so he sent cuttings for cloning. He told me
later that it too was not successful. AND the original plant rotted, and
died. Oh, well!

Funny thing though. Some months later, another friend was shopping at the
vendor's greenhouse and came home with several young cymbidiums of that same
name. She gave me one plant, but could not vouch for whether it was a result
of my plant.

I have since bloomed it. I expect it to be better each time that it
blooms..... Question though. If this second plant should be awarded in the
future, is it to be treated as a different plant from the one that was
awarded the 84 points some years ago? (I don't think I can trust the vendor
for truthful answers.)

Chris in Central Florida
(remove the not from the address to reply directly)